Is it really BPD? Or...

...is it

1. hormone imbalances,

2. a bipolar spectrum ("manic-depressive") disorder,

3. complex post-traumatic stress disorder,

4. the upshots of alcohol &/or drug abuse,

5. obsessive-compulsive personality disorder,

6. histrionic personality disorder or

7. something else?

All of these things can look pretty similar until a professional peels the "psychic skin" back. And in many cases, treating merely for BPD (as with practicing substance abusers) will not work.

I asked the question because in reading hundreds of posts on this sub-reddit for about six months now through the filter of a lot of education and face-to-face practice, it's evident that there's a lot going on in reddit-BPD land that is not solely BPD. (Comments from others are welcome, of course.)