[chesspie3]

but it seems like the disorders overlap, or symptoms are at least very similar. So what is the distinctive difference between borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder? I must be difficult to discern if say, a person with bipolar experiences mostly mixed and fast cycling episodes. Can you have both? It's all so confusing to me.

The biggest #1 difference is that bipolar is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can almost always be cured or treated successfully with drugs. It sometimes takes a while to discern which drugs, but once those are found the difference can be night and day for the sufferer. Borderline is believed to be almost 100% learned. Drugs may sometimes be used to take the edge off to help people cope, but drugs cannot cure it as far as we know right now.

Also, a BPD person can cycle insanely fast. They can feel a half dozen distinct, strong emotions in just a minute or two. Bipolar, even fast cycling ones, don't do that. And then there's the relationship and abandonment issues that most BPD have. I don't believe bipolar have those as well. I'm not an expert on bipolar, however, and it may be better to talk to someone who is.

And yes, it is possible to have both. I have at least one friend on here who fits that description.

[chesspie3]

Thanks! I think I sort of get it now. How do you tell the if someone is having a mixed bipolar episode with plenty of mood swings (but one distinct energy level) or bpd though?

Mara is mostly right although i don't believe that "cure" is a good word to use with BP since I don't believe anyone is ever cured of it. Since it's a brain issue, the medicines can many times get rid of the symptoms for the most part but being cured would imply that the meds would at one point no longer be needed.

Besides the distinction of causal differences between bpd and bp, the other thing would be the traits. Although they can overlap, there are distinct differences, where although bpd has emotional dysregulation surfacing in the form of mood swings, the bp will have these mood swings based on the brain alone whereas the bpd usually has a trigger that causes a mood swing, even though many times it "seems" as though it just "happened". I know that when I'm really analyzing my emotions, I can almost always find something that caused the swing. Most times the negative mood shifts are caused by fears. That's my experience anyway.

Read up on bpd. It's detailed enough that if you do that you'll probably know one way or the other whether it's bp or bpd.

[chesspie3]

Oh 'cause I feel irritable and paranoid and don't want to be social, but at the same time I have the highest self-esteem I've probably ever had and the most normal sleep pattern I've probably ever had. My energy level is normal, and I have ambition, but what motivates me and my beliefs are what people call outlandish, and I feel apathetic towards what other people worry about. I feel like people's way of thinking is simple and petty, and it makes me irritable towards them. I feel separated from the world but superior at the same time. I'm obsessed with human mortality and our similarities with animals. I feel like everyone's sheep and I don't mind being different anymore, but it makes me annoyed when I have to be in the presence of other people. I'm genuinely not depressed though. I love me. I just wish I was the only one around at all times.

Originally Posted by s4ndm4n2006

Mara is mostly right although i don't believe that "cure" is a good word to use with BP since I don't believe anyone is ever cured of it. Since it's a brain issue, the medicines can many times get rid of the symptoms for the most part but being cured would imply that the meds would at one point no longer be needed.

Besides the distinction of causal differences between bpd and bp, the other thing would be the traits. Although they can overlap, there are distinct differences, where although bpd has emotional dysregulation surfacing in the form of mood swings, the bp will have these mood swings based on the brain alone whereas the bpd usually has a trigger that causes a mood swing, even though many times it "seems" as though it just "happened". I know that when I'm really analyzing my emotions, I can almost always find something that caused the swing. Most times the negative mood shifts are caused by fears. That's my experience anyway.

Read up on bpd. It's detailed enough that if you do that you'll probably know one way or the other whether it's bp or bpd.

So "cure" wasn't the best choice of words...I know what I meant!!

Originally Posted by s4ndm4n2006

...It's detailed enough that if you do that you'll probably know one way or the other whether it's bp or bpd.

I was dx'd bp and it never felt quite right. I knew enough about bpd that it definitely sounded more like me and when I was officially diagnosed, I knew it was right.

[Ultra Darkness]

Rapid cycling bipolars have mood swings every few days or so, and it is a chemical thing. Borderlines can swing in just a minute or two, and it's more personality-based. Drugs help bipolars, but not borderlines so much. That's the difference as I see it.

Originally Posted by Ultra Darkness

Rapid cycling bipolars have mood swings every few days or so, and it is a chemical thing. Borderlines can swing in just a minute or two, and it's more personality-based. Drugs help bipolars, but not borderlines so much. That's the difference as I see it.

The hard part about people with bpd (careful about calling people borderlines, a lot of people don't like that term btw) is that there are so many symptoms for the disorder that it gets complex and may in the end seem difficult to take care of all the symptoms this way. I mean the meds work but for which symptom? The anxiety, the depression, the mood swings..etc?

[Ultra Darkness]

Originally Posted by s4ndm4n2006

(careful about calling people borderlines, a lot of people don't like that term btw)

Sorry if I offended anyone...I didn't realize it was a touchy subject.

[Girl_interrupted89]

I had meds before that made my depression go away (forgot the name) but then it made me feel angry all the time. As of now I don't take any medication because I stopped going to see the Doc because I was scared when I was suggested to be "taken in" due to a few attempts of trying to go to heaven. (might trigger someone if I say the proper word) Anyways going to the clinic next week thou as new changes of my condition has arised having anxiety from being more paranoid and people around me kept saying I have an eating disorder (which I call as dieting). So as for the meds, I hope and presume that they'll try not to give me different ones since I have a tendency to take em all when I feel hopeless..

Originally Posted by Ultra Darkness

Sorry if I offended anyone...I didn't realize it was a touchy subject.

Don't feel bad about it, not a biggie. We just need to remember that we're a big community here and everyone has their own "triggers".