BPD and Trauma

Trauma-related disorders like C-PTSD and PTSD can often co-occur with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as violence, accidents, or natural disasters. It is characterised by symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, heightened anxiety, and emotional numbness that persist for more than a month and interfere with daily life.

C-PTSD involves similar characteristics to PTSD plus challenges regulating emotions, difficulty with relationships and a persistent negative self-view, and is a result of prolonged or repeated trauma (e.g. abuse, captivity, ongoing violence) especially during childhood.

It’s important to remember that about 30% of people living with BPD have not experienced trauma and that childhood experiences of trauma do not necessarily result in a mental illness later in life.