[Phoenix1985]

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in September last year. The last few weeks I've been having a lot of problems getting to sleep which has really been affecting my moods. So today I went to the Mental Health Services section of the Ipswich Health Service to see if there was something that could be done for me, ie medication wise because a councellor at uni suggested it. Anyways I saw a social worker who is convinced I DON'T have bipolar, but have borderline personality traits instead. He's going to ring me tomorrow to most likely set up a psychiatrist assessment for me to see what's going on. May I just say oh yay. Went in for some 'simple' sleeping problems and came out most likely going to get a psych assessment and different diagnosis!!

Well, hopefully that makes sense.

[Lexi232]

Aw ...

BPD traits just mean that you don't have enough of the "traits" to be diagnosed with full BPD, but it's enough that it's affecting your life.
If I remember correctly you have to have 5 of the traits out the list that there is (sorry I can't remember what they are right now) to have BPD, and below five traits, you still have BPD, but in the books it's just a lesser form of it..

[Michah]

Hi there, you can have both although that is not a given. I have been dx with Bipolar II 2007 and 15 years ago I was dx borderline and schizoeffective.

I now have borderline traits. There are some things I have resolved to some degree but others that persist. I am more comfortable with who I am. Bipolar and borderline can mimic each other quite well. It takes a lot of therapy to distinguish the two and nut out borderline mood swings and hypomania. Sweetie, is ipswich providing you with ongoing therapy? I live in Brisbane and know that you can access outside resources. Ask ipswich to refer you to a psychologist. You need personality testing and talk before someone can dx you with borderline........traits or not. Traits can be just as debilitating as full blown. A psychiatrist can't give you the time that you need to nut this out.

Hold on.......you will eventually get an answer.......it is a bottomless and frustrating process.......but stand up for yourself, you deserve the best treatment. I am also a product of QLD mental health services. I had a good psychologist for 7 years whilst battling borderline through the public system.
You can also seek private therapy by completing a mental health care plan with your GP. Medicare will pay almost all the session. I pay $10 a session! You only get 12 sessions a year though. I think you need something more intensive initially.

By the way, I was treated early on in my borderline dx with lithium due to the severity of my mood swings and now I am back on it again for bipolar! Go figure! But it did work........kept me out of hospital for a year.

In stillness........