BPD and bipolar?

Anyone have BPD and bipolar? I have BPD but I'm not sure if I have bipolar too. I've been diagnosed with depression but I think it's more likely bipolar ii.

I was diagnosed with bpd with major depressive episodes and cyclothymia (like a less severe form of bipolar) my moods go up and down on a daily basis rather than for longer periods as bipolar moods can.

Me? Im not a massive fan of labels really...I am what I am and get help with things I can.

Would being diagnosed with bipolar tpo change anything?

From what I've read and heard BPD and Bipolar are often mistaken with each other. However - I also read that BPD often coexists with other mental disorders and illnesses. With bipolar as well. Hence it's possible to have both BPD and Bipolar.

However - the difference between standard bipolar and BPD is (at the first glance) the speed of mood cycling. Once I've asked a person with Bipolar about how long her "moods" lasted. She told me that maniac episodes - a few weeks, depressive ones even some months. As a pwBPD I have my mood changes lasting hours or even minutes. Also - she told me that since she was taking meds (mood stabilizers), the symptoms intensity decreased and she was feeling fine. I've never heard of pwBPD that was ok just because of taking mood stabilizers, that seems to be only an additional, not main, help in BPD treatment.

And I've never experienced real mania - only the maniac-like states, again lasting no more than a few hours.

But then - there's also bipolar II and cyclothymia. I don't really know what's the difference between bipolar II and major depressive disorder or between BPD mood changes and cyclothymia.

Additionally - what can be misleading is the fact that some of the borderline people suffer from depressive states from time to time (as me). So how to recognize between BPD with depressive states, BPD with MDD, MMD from BPII and what more combination you're able to imagine. I don't really know.

Yet - I've heard something like BP is more "independent" and more strongly attached to genetics and neurology, whereas BPD is rather a result of bringing up and is much more "dependent" (like your mood is associated with environment influence).

But again - they still are not sure what causes BPD and I sometimes feel "bad" (scared, angry, whatever - any negative emotion) out of nothing.

I don't know if it helps, but I like this blog, the author seems to be quite objective and what's more - she has a sister with BP (being pwBPD herself), so the comparisons can somehow explain you a few things (I didn't read all the posts about BP, so I'm not sure if they are alright).

http://www.downwardspiralintothevortex. ... 0vs.%20BPD

Have you ever experienced hypomania?

Yeah, I was first diagnosed with bipolar at a hospital (during a manic episode) and then after a more thorough evaluation at an IOP they added a borderline diagnosis when they saw that I was neither manic nor depressed at the time, but still had many bpd symptoms.
I hear it's pretty common for the two to go hand and hand.

Thanks. My fiancé is actually friends with the person who runs this blog so I have read it and it has been ever so informative for me. I am very well educates on bpd. I definitely have it.

However, bipolar runs in my family. I can go several weeks sorting my life out, planning to go bacj to uni, starting a new course, studying all the time, spending loads of money, going on exciting adventures that land me in trouble. Then I feel like utter $#%^ for months, have quit uni and just done nothing for months, even up to a year. This is when I seek help and I feel this is why I have the diagnosis of depression.

I'm not sure a diagnosis would change anything is the thing. Hence I am posting here and not going to my psychiatrist about it. After all, the therapy for bipolar and BPD is exactly the same where I live...

It actually would significantly affect your treatment. As was stated previously, the treatment for BP is more meds-based and treatment for BPD is more therapy-based. It would also impact what medications you might choose to take. It's worth figuring out. I'm very skeptical that treatment would really be the same where you live.

And BPD and bipolar are most likely genetically related. There is a genetic basis for BPD. PwBPD tend to have bipolar family members- my sister has bipolar and my grandmother had it. My family also has a lot of ADHD- both my mother, sister, and I have it- which is also linked to problems with emotional regulation and often co-morbid with BPD. It will be really interesting to eventually (hopefully) learn what the genetic connections between the disorders are.

Also, I really like that blog. It was one of the first resources I came across.

Thanks. I may go to my psychiatrist with the issue.
And yeah. It has been a major help to me it's a shame she posts less often now. But I guess she got busy.

Rainbow191292 wrote:Anyone have BPD and bipolar? I have BPD but I'm not sure if I have bipolar too. I've been diagnosed with depression but I think it's more likely bipolar ii.

My H very likely has BPD, and now his newest therapist thinks he is Bi-Polar. She is unaware that H has a Dx of Axis II. H got a Dx of Axis II two years ago when he was in rehab for alcoholism. At the time, the psychiatrist didn't see him for very long, but could tell that he was Axis II. H was very dishonest with her (didn't tell her about his raging, splitting, paranoia, etc), and he painted himself as the "nicest guy in the world" who lets his wife do whatever she wants (lies)....so she gave him a "working Dx" of Dependent PD. My sister is a T and she insists that H does not have that. She strongly believes that he is BPD with some NPD tendencies.

H FINALLY just admitted to this current T that his father was extremely abusive while growing. For years, he has withheld that info from his T's.

H can be manic at times, but he is also behaving like someone with PTSD (which he probably doesn't have). He over-reacts to everything. Every little inconvenience really "jars" him into depression or anger.

Aww sorry to hear that. He really needs to be honest with his therapist if he expects to get the right help (I'm assuming he wants help hence he is seeing a therapist.)