Can aspergers and BPD coexist?

[Aliza]

I'm 20, diagnosed with aspergers. This may sound like a crap story but I need to get it out and don't have anyone to tell. I have always shown signs of bpd, but I'm not too sure if it can coexist with autism. I have extreme issues with being overly attached to significant others, and I also have abandonment issues and separation anxiety. I also have terrible anger issues, so bad that I wouldn't even call it anger anymore. More like pure psychotic rage. I have a very short fuse and I go off over small insignificant things. For example, I sent my roommate to go to the grocery store last week and he got the wrong thing. I proceeded to throw it across the room and started screaming at him at the top of my lungs, yelling obscenities at him, made him leave the apartment, and told him not to come back. Literally less than 10 minutes later I was in a completely normal mood again and was no longer angry with him. It was almost as if the incident never occurred. I should add the police have been called to my apartment numerous times because of the noise. I'm also extremely sensitive, I do not react well to criticism whether it is constructive or not and I get my feelings hurt very easily, it doesnt take much for me to start feeling suicidal. I often cry for no reason at all as well. My emotions are constantly all over the place and it is an emotional rollercoaster 247. I feel insane...Ive dealt with this basically my whole life, but it is worse than it has ever been. The only thing I have improved at, is not cutting, hitting myself, or pulling my own hair out anymore. I must add I have been extremely physically and emotionally abusive to exes in the past, but I won't mention any details about that here. What is wrong with me? I dont believe this is related to my autism, because I have yet to meet another person on the spectrum who is this crazy.

 

[Isadoorian]

Yes they can indeed coexist; much like it can coexist with Depression

 

[kbb0]

I talk about this in depth in this post. Obviously mental illness manifests itself differently in everyone, but see if you identify with any of it.

 

[Fino]

I've been diagnosed with both. Sometimes I think that if it weren't for the Asperger's then BPD never would have come about because I went through years of abuse from various people while continually being told to "stop being so weird" and "what's wrong with you."

I was diagnosed with BPD when I was 22, after my second on-record suicide attempt. I say "on-record" because I spent years drinking and doing drugs with the hope that I would die from it, so saying two suicide attempts has never felt accurate.

I cut for about eight years then switched to burning myself for a few years. Once I stopped, I got tattoos to cover up the scars.

I used to constantly have experiences like you describe, except I'm unable to express anger (hence the self-harm, probably) and so in the situation where you describe yelling at your friend, I would have been just as enraged, except I would have retreated to a room and imagined them dying over and over or imagined me killing them. Then ten minutes later, just like you said, it was like it never happened. I always described it as being no longer possessed. It's just suddenly gone and I'm fine.

I was obsessed with whoever I was dating and told them I would die without them then when it ended, I would attempt suicide.

I could be perfectly happy and one tiny thing, just like you said, and the entire world would change color. Everything was great and now everything is awful and I want to die. And a few hours later, it goes back to being okay again.

This, combined with the effort of navigating the world, feeling like an alien, never understanding what people were saying or why they were doing what they were doing, is what I would say the combination is like, for me at least.

But now, with medication and having had years of therapy, everything I just described is gone except for the last paragraph, about feeling like an alien. I don't think that can go away.

And I hope something I said was somehow useful at all to someone somewhere!

 

[Adora]

It is possible,I was told by my doctor that anything can be comorbid with Aspergers I am both Aspergers and have Complex PTSD and a Anxiety disorder.

 

[AloneNotLonely]

Got to give some love simply for the fact that you used the phrase "Pure psychotic rage". For some reason those are the 3 most beautiful words in the English language to me, and combining them just makes it so much more satisfying.

Since I don't just want to be totally useless here...
Go find a new psychiatrist. The sooner you get this under control the sooner you can have a normal life, and if your current psychiatrist knew all this but didn't think there might be more going on than just Autism then you really need to find a better one.

 

[Tom]

i'm sure a doctor could answer that question. You should consider seeking professional medical help for your issues.

 

[pamelaperejil]

Yes.

 

[Mattymatt]

I would say that yes, it is wholly possible. I have a friend that is both autistic and schizophrenic. That is an appreciably difficult combination. He's an amazing writer and I enjoy reading his fiction and non-fiction.

 

[Judge]

Seems some members of the medical/scientific community agree, with Bipolar Disorder as a comorbid condition of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Comorbidity of Asperger's syndrome and Bipolar disorder