CPTSD vs BPD: How to Think About the Difference and What to Do About It

In this episode, Dr. Malzberg and Dr. Fu tackle one of psychiatry’s hottest diagnostic debates: complex PTSD versus borderline personality disorder. They walk through the DSM-5 and ICD-11 definitional differences, the historical roots of the C-PTSD concept in Judith Herman’s work, and the real clinical distinctions clinicians can use to differentiate the two. More than a theoretical argument, the conversation zeroes in on how to communicate these diagnoses to patients, why BPD stigma drives some of the debate, and what therapies fit each presentation… from DBT and mentalization-based therapy to EMDR and trauma-focused approaches.

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