I've been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder about 6 times. However, during the past few years my talk therapist also said I had borderline personality disorder traits. However, in order to do so, she had to overlook some major things they traditionally have. I can see some of what she is saying about Borderlines, and see that in me - the black and white thinking, the relationship all or nothing stuff. But I also see that could have been a fall out from the crazy stuff my Bipolar disorder part has caused. The last person I saw, a psychiatrist said she DOESN'T thinking I have borderline personality disorder, but definatly sees the bi-polar.

The 2 disorders can overlap. They also can seem like the other. Bi-polar has no cause for extremes, borderline has triggers. IDK, I think therapy itself is good and helpful. But I also think my talk therapist said right out one day, why are you here - she also said, she can't really treat bi-polar disorder. After that, she steered me toward borderline personality disorder, although I was still taking meds for bipolar disorder via a nurse practitioner.

When I saw a new practitioner, who prescribed me the Perphenazine, and it helped SOOOO much with my psychic thinking (my delusional stuff that comes with bipolar 1) I realized that 5 years of talking didn't do as much as 1 med did in a week. I knew I needed a talk therapy break. The Perphenazine is normally used to treat schizophrenia, which I do not have, but it seriously helped with the delusional thinking part of bipolar.

In some cases, talk therapy might cure some stuff. I know it was helpful to me, and I may go back in the future. But what I really needed was good medication to help me siphon out the crazy. And to stop over analyzing myself.

Since I stopped seeing a talk therapist and an ahrms worker I feel much less stress. I don't question every little mood. I am beginning to tell the difference between normal responses and bipolar driven responses. Over-therapy had not let me be okay with even simple mood changes.

Talk therapy, and medication therapy both have their place, and each of us as individuals must work 100% with our professional support staff to get the most out of the help they offer.

But in the end, we must do what is right for ourselves. For me now, what is right is only seeing a psychiatrist, and not a talk therapist - and developing the things talking gave me. Like, forgiveness - and the difference between normal responses, and disorder responses - like learning to like myself and relaxing a little bit. I am a lot less jumpy and my husband just yesterday said he sees a huge difference for the better since I stopped seeing talk-professionals.

The right meds, and understanding ourselves wholly is where I am lucky to be at right now.

Sorry this is long, but I wanted to answer fully. Ask more specific questions if this missed the mark please.

Best of luck to us all.