[choocha]

Recently my treating doc said my BP2 had changed to BP1. Has anyone else heard of this? Has this happened to anyone else? I'm scared that it's worsening, and that I'll soon become delusional (which I've been fortunate enough not to have been yet).

Another question, I'd like to hear from others with BP + BPD. How common is it to have both? How do you differentiate psychiatric issues versus psychological ones? How do you cope & what has worked for you?

Anyone feels like sharing with me, that's be great. I feel like I'm on an island. I have no support. Either reply on here, or IM me please; I'd appreciate it. Thanks for listening xoxox

[kindachaotic]

Why was it he changed the diagnosis??

Check the bipolar & bps (personality) forums to see if anyone talks about having both.

[kindachaotic]

Originally Posted by kindachaotic

Why was it he changed the diagnosis??

Check the bipolar & bps (personality) forums to see if anyone talks about having both.

Oops... forgot we were already in the bipolar forum...

[sugahorse1]

Hi there,
Yes, BP And BPD often co-exist. It is very difficult to tell between the two, but ultimately BPD will not respond to meds.
BP II cna be changed to BP I. Often this is because the manic symptoms are becoming more extreme. Instead of hypomania, you would have experienced full-blown mania.

[porcupine2]

Originally Posted by sugahorse

Hi there,
Yes, BP And BPD often co-exist. It is very difficult to tell between the two, but ultimately BPD will not respond to meds.
BP II cna be changed to BP I. Often this is because the manic symptoms are becoming more extreme. Instead of hypomania, you would have experienced full-blown mania.

Thank you for clarifying this because I never really understood the difference.

[BuggleBee]

I guess I am unsure if the person Im dealing with has bipolar + multiple mental disorder's, when I checked myself into counseling my counselor laughed at me for telling her I wanted to learn about bipolar disorder, she told me to "Fake it until I make it" with my boyfriends baby's mother, she made funny faces to me & told me "I am addicted to the fantasy that baby mother wants my man". I walked out of the Wellness Center feeling invalidating, and as time went on I was more upset. Recently went above her to ask how to file a grievance on her I was told she resigned. I really liked her in other sessions. I feel defeated as far as being educated about bipolar disorder & dealing with the erratic behavior of the baby's mother, any input would be appreciated.

TTHHAAANNNNNXXXXxxxx

[choocha]

Originally Posted by kindachaotic

Why was it he changed the diagnosis??

Check the bipolar & bps (personality) forums to see if anyone talks about having both.

My understanding of why he changed the diagnosis is that my phases are lasting longer & my highs are higher, more dangerous. I'm just scared this means I'm going to continue worsening. Thanks for ansering btw xo

[choocha]

Originally Posted by BuggleBee

I guess I am unsure if the person Im dealing with has bipolar + multiple mental disorder's, when I checked myself into counseling my counselor laughed at me for telling her I wanted to learn about bipolar disorder, she told me to "Fake it until I make it" with my boyfriends baby's mother, she made funny faces to me & told me "I am addicted to the fantasy that baby mother wants my man". I walked out of the Wellness Center feeling invalidating, and as time went on I was more upset. Recently went above her to ask how to file a grievance on her I was told she resigned. I really liked her in other sessions. I feel defeated as far as being educated about bipolar disorder & dealing with the erratic behavior of the baby's mother, any input would be appreciated.

TTHHAAANNNNNXXXXxxxx

Sounds like you're having a tough time. It sucks but you just have to keep on soldiering on. Seems like your mother-in-law is a nut-job herself, and you should avoid her as much as possible. Try to surround yourself with only positive people. Good luck xo

[faerie_moon_x]

Well, I don't know about changing a Dx but I'm Bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) because they hadn't decided what was wrong exactly. I don't have euphoric mania like in BP1 but I have mixed states instead.

At first they were saying I had BPD, then BPD with Bipolar and Schizoid, then not BPD but just Bipolar. And anxiety all around.

I think because there isn't a chemical test it is hard to figure out. Once they get that chemical test all of this will become easier. And I have known so many people who say "I'm bipolar because I was happy today and sad yesterday...." So yeah... a lot of people just blow you off if you say you have bipolar.

[Ashleigh28]

One of the ways to distinguish the two conditions is that people with bipolar can function pretty normally in between mood episodes, whereas borderline personality disorder generally involves chronic mood instability. But with rapid cycling of Bipolar... you also suffer from chonic mood instability.

I just read this and thought I would share it with you:

“Another complicating factor is that bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder often occur at the same time. In fact, almost 20 percent of people with borderline personality disorder also have bipolar disorder, and a similar percentage of people with bipolar disorder may also have borderline personality disorder!”

My old pdoc use to say that the major difference was trauma, that people with borderline have a lot of unresolved childhood trauma, I have no idea how true that is.

My personal story: I was dx with borderline first, then with bipolar I... my current pdoc doesn't care much for labels, he just wants to find something to work for me. I know with borderline, you don't get much symptom relief from meds, cognitive, psychotherapy tends to work best. I also believe I am in the 20% because I fit really into borderline but have cycling and crazy mania.

[lad007]

I know a guy that went from bp2 to bp1 and ended up in the state hospital.
My T also told me it can happen to us.
She told me to watch my triggers and do a mood chart to see if I may be going to bp1.
I know it's scary.

I started out as bipolar 1 and it is worsening over time. This worsening effecting very common with bipolar. Sad but true. There are some theories as to why, one of which is called the kindling theory.

As far as I know a bipolar 2 diagnosis can turn into a bipolar 1 dx at any given time. All it takes is one manic episode. I know all that sounds discouraging and I myself have been hospitalized for mania/psychosis. And the episodes are indeed long lasting. But it can be overcome in the same ways as bipolar II. I would educate myself on delusions and other psychotic features just in case. It is a lot less scary with insight and knowledge.

[choocha]

Thanks for everyone's replies xo

[BipolaRNurse]

Originally Posted by dark_heart_x

Well, I don't know about changing a Dx but I'm Bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) because they hadn't decided what was wrong exactly. I don't have euphoric mania like in BP1 but I have mixed states instead.

That's my dx too.....for the moment. I have the feeling it's going to be upgraded to at least a 2, because I'm still coming down off my first 'real' manic episode ever, and my pdoc has me coming in tomorrow for an urgent appointment. He told me a while back that he probably would change the dx if/when I had a new episode of any kind; well, I had to go and do a bang-up job of it. I've been hypomanic for weeks and tipped over into mania a little over a week ago, but I don't think that qualifies me for a BP 1 dx because I never lost contact with reality, didn't get delusional, didn't have hallucinations.

[BlueInanna]

How are you doing now Choocha? Did the new dx make sense?
Hope you're well

[choocha]

Hi BlueInanna. I am doing so-so right now. I now understnd why my dx was changed but I am still scared about it worsening and about the possibility of me becoming less highly functioning. Right now I just manage to hold down a job, but I just got down over a mini-breakdown. If I had taken longer I woulda had to go to hospital and give my job up. I'm really scared I'm not going to be able to hold down a job. My abilities to cope with life's lessons and trauma's are worsening. Medciations are no longer working either. My doc just scratches his head but most of his psych patients and patients oin long-term narcotics like me don't have to work, like I do. I have a mortgage + rent I pay + all of my credit debt so not working is not an otpion.
How are you going?

[ultramar]

Originally Posted by choocha

Hi BlueInanna. I am doing so-so right now. I now understnd why my dx was changed but I am still scared about it worsening and about the possibility of me becoming less highly functioning. Right now I just manage to hold down a job, but I just got down over a mini-breakdown. If I had taken longer I woulda had to go to hospital and give my job up. I'm really scared I'm not going to be able to hold down a job. My abilities to cope with life's lessons and trauma's are worsening. Medciations are no longer working either. My doc just scratches his head but most of his psych patients and patients oin long-term narcotics like me don't have to work, like I do. I have a mortgage + rent I pay + all of my credit debt so not working is not an otpion.
How are you going?

Choocha, I remember at some point you saying that you were being treated by your GP --is this still the case? Because you say the meds aren't helping anymore, you're really struggling, and the doc seems to be at a loss as to what to do next. I wonder if seeing a pdoc (if you're not already) might help to put you on the right track, treatment-wise.

Also, you've been given a pretty radical change in diagnosis, and I think your doctor should be able to explain this better. Having longer episodes doesn't make a lot of sense to me -hypomania can be just as long in duration as mania, it's a matter of severity, usually some form of psychosis.

Are you in therapy? The support might help, if you don't already have a therapist. Hope you start feeling better soon.

I have bp1, went from probable but undxed cyclothymia. I have never had hallucinations or delusions, just manic behavior as described on the list, lack of sleep, goal directed behavior, hypersexual, activities with painful consequences, interspersed with severe depressions, I had 2 of each in one year, thus my dx of bp1 in 06. With medication I have been able to keep my episodes down pretty well, I've had one big episode in 10 that was most likely triggered by my pdoc adding prozac to my effexor and a short one this spring caused by caffeinated diet pills. I do have blips with spring and fall but they are minor and always caught and kept short. My ther says this is cause I am not in denial, for me taking my meds is never a question. If I don't feel right I call and say fix it. All this despite having been through 5 pdocs because of their moving or retiring. I only fired 1 and he was the one who gave me prozac then acted offended that I ended up in the hospital (my one and only time). I dont really feel like its gotten worse, I think my anxiety problems are what cause me to have more difficulty with the idea of work. Not to mention I was a stay at home mom for 18 yrs and out of the work force.

My diagnosis was BP2, but last time I went off meds and I went hypomanic for quite a few months, untreated it morphed into a mixed episode. I had never had a mixed episode previously, and it was hell. Luckily I got back on good meds that have kept me relatively stable ever since. As far as I know my diagnosis has not changed, I did ask them recently if they were sure I was bi polar as I felt I was fine but they said yes, I definitely have Bi Polar but they did not say either 1 or 2.

The BPD issue confuses the hell out of me. Every person I know personally who has been diagnosed with both BPD and BP has recovered with correct therapy, and now live unmedicated with no mood episodes, they have concluded that they were diagnosed wrong and the BPD was causing the BP symptoms. I suspect that this is the case for many BPD people, although not many would admit it.

[ultramar]

Originally Posted by Supanova

My diagnosis was BP2, but last time I went off meds and I went hypomanic for quite a few months, untreated it morphed into a mixed episode. I had never had a mixed episode previously, and it was hell. Luckily I got back on good meds that have kept me relatively stable ever since. As far as I know my diagnosis has not changed, I did ask them recently if they were sure I was bi polar as I felt I was fine but they said yes, I definitely have Bi Polar but they did not say either 1 or 2.

The BPD issue confuses the hell out of me. Every person I know personally who has been diagnosed with both BPD and BP has recovered with correct therapy, and now live unmedicated with no mood episodes, they have concluded that they were diagnosed wrong and the BPD was causing the BP symptoms. I suspect that this is the case for many BPD people, although not many would admit it.

I think when you combine the horrific stigma of BPD (I don't care what anyone says, BP doesn't even come close, you can at least claim it's your brain, true or not) with tendencies towards externalizing, and this is what you get. You seem to be the only other person on this forum who is concerned about this, Supanova, at least I'm not alone.