Borderline Personality Disorder Vs Bipolar
Borderline personality disorder and bipolar are often mistaken as being the same thing. They are also often misdiagnosed, one for the other. This is because the symptoms for both illnesses are startlingly similar.
Borderline personality disorder is actually less common and less known than bipolar. Borderline personality disorder accounts for only about twenty percent of hospitalizations for mental illness each year, while bipolar accounts for about fifty percent of hospitalizations. Borderline personality disorder is most common in young women, whereas bipolar is equally common in both men and women, as well as all age groups.
Borderline personality disorder and bipolar patients both experience mood swings that may involve violent outbursts, depression, or anxiety. However, while bipolar patients typically cycle through these moods over a period of weeks or months, borderline personality disorder patients may have bursts of these moods lasting only a few hours or a day.
Borderline personality disorder patients also undergo periods of having no idea who they are in terms of personality, likes, dislikes, and preferences. They may change long term goals frequently, and have trouble sticking to any one activity. Acting with impulsiveness, going on major unaffordable shopping sprees, excessive eating, or engaging in risky sexual relationships can also be experienced. These are also symptoms of mania in bipolar patients.
Borderline personality disorder patients may also undergo periods of worthlessness, feeling mistreated or misunderstood, and emptiness. These symptoms coincide with symptoms of depression in bipolar patients.
Another symptom of borderline personality disorder involves how they deal with relationships. Relationships are often viewed in extremes. Either the patient is totally in love or hates with a passion. A patient may be completely in love one minute, then hate someone totally due to a small conflict or situation. Fears of abandonment often lead to suicide threats, rejection, and depression in the patient. These relationship issues can also be found in bipolar patients.
Treatments of borderline personality disorder and bipolar are also similar. A combination of therapy and medication is typically preferred by the psychiatrist. Cognitive behavioral therapy, while successfully implemented with bipolar patients, was originally developed for use with borderline personality disorder. Various medications can also be prescribed for either mental illness with successful results.
Like bipolar disorder, little is known about the actual causes of borderline personality disorder. There is a lot of controversy about genetics versus environment in this area. However, it appears through research that, while bipolar is definitely hereditary and biological in nature, borderline personality disorder is more likely to be a result of environment and situational stimuli.
As you can see, many similarities exist between bipolar and borderline personality disorder. It can often be quite difficult to distinguish one illness from the other, even for doctors and psychologists. If you suffer any of the symptoms discussed here, it is important to obtain the assistance and diagnosis of a licensed professional for appropriate diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms. You should never attempt self diagnosis and treatment for symptoms such as those associated with bipolar and borderline personality disorder without the help of a psychiatrist or psychologist. Doing so may cause your symptoms to worsen, and make treatment less successful in the future.
Li Ming Wong
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/borderline-personality-disorder-vs-bipolar-211793.html
October 4th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Is it possible to have borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder & major depression at the same time?
My mother passed Bipolar disorder onto all 3 of her daughters (including myself) and I’ve been in counciling twice for major depression. I also have a serious concern about Borderline personality disorder. I have many of the symptoms of all three and I’m worried about them and my inablity to get medication.
October 4th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I’m pretty sure that you can, good luck, and I hope everything works well for you. Its a really good step that your recignizing it rather than deny it.
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My whole family is F*king Nuts.
October 4th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Definitely.
Though they do share many similarities, and kind of merge into eachother’s definitions a little, They are separate medical terms for different problems that you CAN have at once. I do.
If you can’t afford medication, that sucks, but instead of putting what money you do have into the generalized, expensive "heal-alls" that an inexperienced psychiatrist that hasn’t known you for very long will probably prescribe, just use it to find someone who will diagnose you. Get it in writing, then take it to the Government assistance building (the same place that people get food stamps and such) and ask to apply for cash assistance or prescriptiion medication assistance. Once you have that, you and your doctor can try as many medications as you want and figure out which ones actually work for you! Trust me, that is the best route to take. Good luck!
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Way too much personal experience.
October 4th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
You can have all of the above. Talk to your doctor. There are preliminary tests you can take to see what you have.
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October 4th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
don’t worry about a thing. it’s possible, but there’s a series of medications to relieve all of them. Just talk to a good DOCTOR, don’t try a crap psychologist.
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October 4th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Yes,it’s possible…I already had a bad period like this, when I was younger…
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October 4th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
YES AND IT DOESNT FEEL GOOD!
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October 4th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Yes and thats why doctor will prescribe you medication with amphetamines in it its really bad but really works.
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October 4th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
borderline personality disorder can resemble bipolar disorder in a number of ways. however, bipolar disorder is not a psychotic condition like bipolar can very well be. bipolar disorder is a disease of brain chemistry dysfunction. borderline disorder is a dysfunctional personality (inability to handle stress, rage, jealousy, fear of abandonment, gender identification problems, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc…. women who have borderline personality often have daughters with the disorder. borderline is often misdiagnosed as bipolar, possibly because insurance is more likely to cover a bipolar. As well, borderline personality has a very negative stigma/connotation.
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October 4th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I work in mental health, and I have heard of a lot of people who have Borderline and Bipolar Disorder. The two disorders overlap because both are known for mood swings. I have also heard of people with Borderline with Major Depressive DIsorder, PTSD or Schizophrenia.
Major Depression will not be diagnosed as a separate disorder if somebody has Bipolar, because someone can have a Major Depressive Episode as part of Bipolar Disorder. However, a psychiatrist might indicate "Major Depression, rule/out Bipolar Disorder" which means the patient may have Bipolar but the doctor isn’t 100% sure.
As far as my family goes, I have Major Depression and my brother has Bipolar DIsorder.
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DSM-IV