Yes so many people get confused. Rapid cycling is 4 or more episodes in a year - not in a day or a week, they need to last a minimum of 4 days for mania/mixed and 2 weeks for depression for it to count as an episode.. My pdocs go by the 2 week rule either way.

I dont think it is so easy as to be diagnosed BP1 just cos of one manic episode, I know many on here have had severe mania so there is no dispute at all but I went completely off my rocker manic because of antidepressants and I still have a BP2 diagnosis as my mania was triggered by ADs and my hypomanias dont go up to the stage I need to be hospitalised. I tend to spend more time lately cycling between mixed and depression or agitated depression (as I am in now). And my cycles last months.

The only BPD trait I can associate with is SH behaviour but that is also present in depression and impulsiveness is only present in hypomania. Baseline I exhibit zero BPD symptoms. I think that is an easy way to tell the difference. If you do those things listed outside of a mood episode as well as during then there is a personality issue going on there.

I hope that this has educated some people so they can get correct treatment.