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bipolarbearV · Aug 06, 2010, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bipolarmother

Thanks for sharing that description.
I have been diagnosed with bipolar and ptsd. But it seems I go into such a non functioning funk when I get depressed that I know have axis II "borderline" features during depression.

I am confused in just trying to understand borderline. Because all my life I have been stable with getting my college degree in 4yrs, been marrried for 25 yrs have alot of kids and pretty happy, functioning and succesful life. But triggers seemed to have caught up to me and I crashed big time and the first I was learning of even depression was when I went into the psychiatric hospital.

I do see the description of borderline in all of us and I mean everyone. Don't we all have characteristics of borderline when we get upset, insecure, unsure of life etc.? And being very depressed in of itself sometimes suicide is an answer? So is every suicidal person, borderline??

I understand since I have ptsd I have trauma from childhood, I ge thatand I definatly see the up and down I go with bipolar but the severity of the depression puzzles me but again not enough to be "borderline"?
Can anyone help with me with understanding?

Thanks

I'll try. Think of each mental illness as it's own illness. Like bronchitus and pneumonia. They are related but not at all the same. But they both deal with our breathing. You suffer from Depression. There are technical terms but I'll just say there is minor, major, and severe D. Some D. also has Mania with it. Mania is frenzied activity possibly combined with lack of judgement in spending, sex, and eating. There is BP (manic-depressive listed above) and there's also schitzo-affective disorder that is both BP and Scitzophrenia. To me, MI diagnosis is almost like reading diagnosis while they pass you by on a conveyor belt. Each one gets more and more severe or vice versa.

So the severity of your D does NOT have anything to do with BPD, except that you may also have some D while also being a BPD. Depression has one set of symptoms and BPD has another set of symptoms. However other conditions may cross over just to confuse us! Now that I have totally confused you, you may kiss my hand! (NOT) I hope this helps. If not, I'll try again. Or Not!