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Are sexual abuse victims being diagnosed with a mental disorder they don't have? And responses


"Rather than being diagnosed with complex PTSD, many will be misdiagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), says Sly Sarkisova, a Toronto-based psychotherapist who specializes in trauma."


"This misdiagnosis affects sexual survivors more than anyone else because they commonly display the psychiatric symptoms common to both disorders, such as anxiety, mood swings, depression, emptiness and displaced anger. As a result, “Someone who is dealing with complex trauma will be told that they are having a problem regulating their emotions,” Sarkisova explains."


[Note: while highlighting the issues of misdiagnosis and the impact this can have on survivors, there are many criticisms of the piece for misinformation, and misusing the opinions of both professionals and the stories of survivors. The article was amended on 29 March to remove personal details and misattribution of quotes. Some of the criticisms were posted via Guardian Letters the following day.]


[Published 28 March 2019 on The Guardian, by Keir Harding and Ash Charlton]


"Aaron Beck, the father of cognitive behavioural therapy, describes two therapists talking: “I’m having trouble with my patient with personality disorder.” “How do you know they have personality disorder?” “Because I’m having trouble with them.”" - Keir Harding


"It is a comforting thought that the abused do the abusing, and the rest of the world is full of “good” people, but it’s no more than that. Anyone can abuse in the right circumstances – like bullying, you don’t have to have it done to you to work out how to do it to others." - Ash Charlton

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