BPD vs. C-PTSD | Same Coin, Different Sides?

In this episode, we unpack the ongoing debate about the relationship between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD).

Are they truly distinct conditions, or two sides of the same coin? With so many overlapping symptoms, many clinicians and survivors wonder if BPD is better understood as a trauma disorder.

Trigger Warning: We mention sensitive topics. Take care and pause if you need to.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at bpddiariespodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’d like more support in your journey toward BPD recovery, I offer 1:1 sessions using evidence-based tools from DBT and Mindfulness to help you heal. Email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: 📩 steff@bpdsupport.org or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

*If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Barnicot, K., (2020). Who falls through the gaps BPD. Journal of Psychological Therapies [online], 5(2), pp. 148–167. Available at: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/24556/

Brewer-Smyth, K. and Burgess, A.W., (2021). Neurobiology of Female Homicide Perpetrators. Journal of Interpersonal Violence [online], 36(19–20), pp. 8915–8938. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519860078.

Cavelti, M., Thompson, K., Betts, J., Fowler, C., Luebbers, S., Cotton, S.M. and Chanen, A.M., (2021). Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnosis And Symptoms In Outpatient Youth As Risk Factors For Criminal Offenses And Interpersonal Violence. Journal of Personality Disorders [online], 23-37. Available at: doi: 10.1521/pedi_2021_35_503.

Chapman, J., Jamil, R.T. and Fleisher, C., (2022). Borderline Personality Disorder. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430883/

Cloitre, M., Garvert, D. W., Weiss, B., Carlson, E. B., & Bryant, R. A. (2014). Distinguishing PTSD, complex PTSD, and borderline personality disorder: A latent class analysis. European journal of psychotraumatology, 5(1), 25097. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v5.25097

Cyr, G., Godbout, N., Cloitre, M., & Bélanger, C. (2022). Distinguishing among symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder in a community sample of women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 35(1), 186-196. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22719

Felding, S. U., Mikkelsen, L. B., & Bach, B. (2021). Complex PTSD and personality disorder in ICD-11: when to assign one or two diagnoses?. Australasian Psychiatry, 29(6), 590-594. https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562211014212

Ford, J. D., & Courtois, C. A. (2021). Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation, 8(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-021-00155-9

Kulkarni, J. (2017). Complex PTSD–a better description for borderline personality disorder?. Australasian Psychiatry, 25(4), 333-335.https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856217700284

Newburn, T. (2017) Criminology. 3rd Edition. Oxon: Routledge.

Rooms, O. M. (2025). Complex Trauma (CPTSD) vs. BPD: Similarities, Differences & Treatment. Therapy.

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/on-the-reality-of-borderline-personality-disorder