If you think you might have bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder (BPD), understanding the difference can be confusing. Maybe you’ve struggled with mood swings, thoughts of self-harm, or making impulsive decisions—all of these are common among people with both conditions. But despite their similarities, bipolar disorder and BPD also have a lot of differences. Understanding these differences can help you decide what steps to take to improve your mental health. Show Mood disorder vs. personality disorderBipolar disorder is a mood disorder—it primarily involves changes in your mood. People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of mania and depression. Mania involves feeling extremely energetic and excited. Sometimes people with mania lose touch with reality (this is called psychosis). Depression is feeling extremely sad and exhausted for several weeks at a time. In between bouts of mania and depression, people with bipolar disorder may feel relatively stable. Unlike bipolar disorder, BPD is a personality disorder. Personality disorders involve patterns of thinking and behavior that affect all aspects of a person’s life. People with BPD often have an insecure attachment style—meaning that they have a hard time trusting other people to stick around. Their emotions and even their identity can depend heavily on their relationships with other people. Timing and TriggersWhen you’re manic, you might feel very energetic and excited for weeks or even months at a time. You might feel invincible, like nothing can bring you down. Often, your mood will stay positive even if bad things happen to you. Likewise, depressive episodes also last for a long time, and you might stay depressed even if something really good happens. Sometimes these episodes come out of nowhere, with no obvious reason why you feel one way or the other. While mania and depression can last for weeks or months, people with BPD might experience extreme ups and downs within a single day. These changes in mood are usually triggered by something. The trigger is usually related to the person’s relationships. Maybe you feel really good, and then someone looks at you the wrong way and you are suddenly depressed. But then they say something nice, and you’re back on top of the world. You might be able to identify a reason for why you feel a certain way, but you also may start to notice a lot of overreactions to relatively small events. TreatmentBipolar disorder and BPD are both treatable. Making lifestyle changes, going to therapy, and/or taking medications are common ways of dealing with mental illness. Many people with bipolar disorder feel better with medication. Mood stabilizers can alleviate symptoms of mania and depression. It also helps to learn how to recognize mania and depression, and to develop healthy habits that add stability to your life. People with BPD usually get better by learning to regulate their emotions and engage in healthy relationships. These skills are the focus of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), the most common treatment for BPD. Is a dual diagnosis possible? Bipolar disorder covers a spectrum of mood disorders characterized by major shifts in mood. The shifts in mood can range from manic or hypomanic high moods to depressed low moods. Borderline personality disorder (BPD), on the other hand, is a personality disorder marked by instability in behaviors, functioning, mood, and self-image. Many of the symptoms of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder overlap. This is particularly the case with type 1 bipolar disorder, which involves intense manic episodes. Some symptoms shared between bipolar disorder and BPD include:
Some argue that BPD is part of the bipolar spectrum. However, most experts agree that the two disorders are separate. According to a review on the relationship between BPD and bipolar disorder, about 20 percent of people with type 2 bipolar disorder receive a BPD diagnosis. For people with type 1 bipolar disorder, about 10 percent receive a BPD diagnosis. The key to differentiating the disorders is looking at them on the whole. This can help determine if you have one disorder with tendencies of the other disorder, or if you have both disorders. When a person has both bipolar disorder and BPD, they’ll display symptoms unique to each condition. Symptoms unique to bipolar disorder include:
Symptoms unique to BPD include:
Most people who have a dual diagnosis of bipolar disorder and BPD receive one diagnosis before the other. That’s because the symptoms of one disorder can overlap and sometimes mask the other. Bipolar disorder is often diagnosed first because symptoms can change. This makes it more difficult to detect BPD symptoms. With time and treatment for one disorder, the other may become clearer. Pay a visit to your doctor and explain your symptoms if you think you’re showing signs of bipolar disorder and BPD. They’ll likely conduct an assessment to determine the nature and extent of your symptoms. Your doctor will use the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) to help them make a diagnosis. They’ll review each of your symptoms with you to see if they align with the other disorder. Your doctor will also consider your mental health history. Often, this can provide insight that can help distinguish one disorder from the other. For example, both bipolar disorder and BPD tend to run in families. This means if you have a close relative with one or both of the disorders, you’re more likely to have them. The treatments of bipolar disorder and BPD are different because each disorder causes different symptoms. Bipolar disorder requires several types of treatment, including:
BPD is primarily treated with talk therapy — the same type of therapy that can help treat bipolar disorder. But your doctor may also suggest:
Experts don’t recommend that people with BPD use medications as their primary treatment. Sometimes medication can worsen symptoms, especially suicidal tendencies. But sometimes a doctor might recommend medications to treat specific symptoms, such as shifts in mood or depression. Hospitalization may be necessary in treating people with both disorders. The manic episodes that go along with bipolar disorder combined with the suicidal tendencies sparked by BPD may cause a person to attempt to take their life. If you have both disorders, you should avoid drinking alcohol and doing illicit drugs. These disorders increase a person’s risk for substance abuse, which can worsen your symptoms. Suicide preventionIf you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:
If you think someone is considering suicide, get help from a crisis or suicide prevention hotline. Try the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. A dual diagnosis of bipolar disorder and BPD can sometimes cause severe symptoms. The person may need intense inpatient care in a hospital setting. In other cases, people with both disorders may need outpatient care, but not hospitalization. It all depends on the severity and intensity of both disorders. One of the disorders may be causing more extreme symptoms than the other. Both bipolar disorder and BPD are long-term conditions. With both of these disorders, it’s very important to work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan that works for you. This will ensure that your symptoms improve rather than worsen. If you feel your treatment isn’t working as well as it should, talk to your doctor right away. What is the difference between borderline personality disorder and bipolar?People with bipolar disorder tend to experience mania and depression while people with BPD experience intense emotional pain and feelings of emptiness, desperation, anger, hopelessness, and loneliness. Time: In BPD, mood changes are often more short-lived. They may last for only a few hours at a time.
Can BPD be mistaken for bipolar?BPD Looks Like So Many Other Mental Health Conditions
In particular, there is evidence that BPD is commonly misdiagnosed as Bipolar Disorder, Type 2. One study showed that 40% of people who met criteria for BPD but not for bipolar disorder were nevertheless misdiagnosed with Bipolar Type 2.
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Is bipolar disorder the same as borderline personality disorder
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