[Starling.]

Hey. I'm pretty new to having a BPD diagnosis and still trying to get my head round it. Most of what I've been reading seems to talk about mood swings that last a relatively short time (which does sound very difficult to deal with). But I was just wondering if any of you have mood swings that last longer (weeks-months) and how you deal with it.

I'm doing really well at the moment but I've had a few days of feeling a little on the low side, and I would like to make sure it doesn't go any further than that. I tend to have lows that last months and get progressively worse. I end up feeling like I am using all my energy just to keep breathing and basically stop functioning. The thought of going through that again is genuinely terrifying.

So I'm just wondering what you've found helps with keeping your mood stable, or at least managing to keep functioning as well as possible.

[Harmacy]

I have extreme moods that change rapidly and last maybe an hour or so and then lift. I can have a severe up, down and a "normal" mood all in the same day.

Not having a stable personality/sense of identity is difficult because I will often behave completely differently depending on my mood state.

What keeps my moods stable is trying to find a balance between alone time and time spent around other people. Unfortunately though it often feels out of my control. My aim is to have a flexible social network (any social network would be nice right now) and a job that didn't involve being stuck around people for 8 hours a day.

[youwillrise]

im not diagnosed...some of my moods are short lived (a few hours) and i can be different "people" all in the same day. happy as can be, crying, laughing, throwing things...and then usually by the ene of a particularly moody day...tired! but i also have moods that stick and last a bit longer (a few days or so)....whether up or down. i think im going through this now (down)...its been about 4 days so far.

[growlithing]

Mood swings that last for weeks or months sounds like bipolar, not BPD. I'm not trying to suggest you have that because I obviously don't know you. I just wanted to point that out.

My mood swings last anywhere from a few minutes to about two hours. It's a very quick emotional trip. I've been dealing with them by, well, being used to having rapid, extreme emotions and knowing that they last so short. You see, if I'm super depressed and wanting to SI, I tell myself to wait a few hours because I know the emotion will have changed by then. I also challenge emotions/thoughts all the time.

[beloiseau]

I go through multiple phases throughout a day, but I'm almost always 'down'. I can feel very productive and uplifted after accomplishing a lot of errands or cleaning, I can get super irritable during errands, then once I'm alone, I can feel lonely and depressed. I'm trying to recognize my moods and realize that my mood will change. Once I'm in a mood, I feel like it's never going to end, but once it's over, I have trouble recalling it.

[technigal]

My longest mood swing has lasted about 12 hours. I suffer from MDD as well so I am generally down but my mood swings go lower then normal/rage to feeling "up" and very positive.

[beloiseau]

A great example has been my day today:

Woke up feeling extremely tired, thought I would probably spend all day in bed.
Got on the computer and started messing around, made breakfast, watched some TV.
Thought I would probably get together with a friend later, which made me feel good.
Decided to go to Target on an impulse to buy a skirt.
Got home from Target feeling anxious, like I shouldn't have spend money.
Wanted to go lay in bed again but didn't.
Decided not to meet one friend but to meet up with another one, in a less stressful place (noisy bar vs. someone's house).
It just goes on and on.

[beloiseau]

Update:

Decided not to meet my friend at her place because I thought maybe she didn't really want to get together because she was going to a movie beforehand.
Painted nails and got aggravated when design didn't go right
Friend now says not going to movie, making dinner and I am invited to come over whenever, so now I feel bad and I'm angry/irritated for no reason.

[facingdemons]

My moods usually change quickly, between a few minutes to a few hours. I can be sad, happy, irritable, excited, panicky, hyper, depressed, sweet, hateful, and everything in between... all within a day. I have, however, had moods that lasted longer. I've had periods of depression that have gone on for days, including suicidal thinking. And I've had "ups" that have lasted as long as 48 hours.

The longer mood "swings", I believe are actually referred to as mood "states". Longer episodes of certain mood states are typically associated with Bipolar, rather than BPD, but only a doctor would know for sure of course.

I was previously diagnosed bipolar, but one of the red flags that I had been misdiagnosed is that I change moods TOO quickly, even for rapid cycling bipolar. (There were other factors, but that was a big one)

[greentires4me]

Lately I have been sleeping into 2-3 pm I have just been tired and sleeping but awaking up during the night several times in the night then when it reaches about 5-7 am I am dead asleep after that.

I have been very depressed...but with rob here I try to be chipper but its not working. become sleepy around him and just want to hit the hay. he's up by 9:30am and I am struggling to get my butt out of bed while I am half asleep.

I am drinking pop because its the less expensive then booze....lol!!!!

when I am depressed I have 4 voices talking to me inside my head I think thats where they are coming from and I am going through anger, sadness and wicked bouts of tears, worthlessness its always a spiral downwards...I haven't gone through a day where it was just stellar

My mood swings can last most of a day, but not usually longer than that.
However I can be in a depressed state for up to a month at a time.
I do have a secondary diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder so maybe the long-term depressive cycles are related to that and not BPD.
I empathize with you, I had a really low period in November. Was contemplating things I shouldn't be contemplating.
It will pass though, hang in there.
-Hugs-

[Starling.]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, I really appreciate it and I'm sorry you all have so much to deal with. Thank you for sharing the things that help, I will definitely try to take them on board.

I was also under the impression that longer 'mood swings' weren't in themselves part of BPD and have always thought of what I experience as depression, and have always been told that is what it is, but I saw the letter that the psychiatrist sent my GP and it was pretty clear that what I go through is not depression at all. I know that a diagnosis isn't set in stone and not sure that it matters a great deal, but I guess I was hoping to find that other people could relate.

How it is for me; when I'm 'okay' my mood does change to a certain extent throughout the day but not to extremes, and I really appreciate it - it's one of the main ways I know I am doing well; that I can have feelings without it affecting my overall okay-ness. If something good happens, it is nice to be able to feel happy about it, instead of being unable to feel anything except low, and if something bad happens, it is reassuring to be able to feel sad about it instead of feeling so bad already that there isn't any space left for anything else. I hope that makes sense!