I feel the need to share a little here because I have a diagnosis of Bipolar II and BPD.

The swings are very different.

Hypomania, for example makes me feel like I am at the top of the world. There is no one smarter, more expert in my field. I could see double the clients in half the time on four hours of sleep and then go to the gym. And sometimes I would even be a psychic, goshdarnit!

And it would last a while, sometimes months at a time. The longest was close to a year.

And I can also tell you for sure that there is no hell like a mixed episode. The only way to describe it is burning with an energy of despair. Knowing that every injustice in the world lurks just outside your door. People are out to exploit each other and nothing is good, and you still can't sleep.

I won't even get into what the depression is like.

BPD is much more personal. A slight from someone turns into a personal judgement about myself that leaves me ruminating for days.

An emotional injury feels like a stab through my heart.

My BF, who is very supportive, tells me that he read something negative BPD website and I assume he is going to leave me, and this makes me burst out into tears.

I think bad things about myself all day long.

The major difference is that my Bipolar is completely controlled by meds. I can say this for sure. The BPD is only getting better now that I have started DBT.