#mind.org.uk

[donaldjreynolds]

Paranoia

Explore Mind's information about paranoia - including what it is, how to take care of yourself, and ways to support somebody else.

[mental-health-advice]

hi there! I'm just wondering what the differences between bipolar and borderline personality disorder are because i was diagnosed with depression 2 years ago and was on meds and although i felt very low most of the time i had mood swings which would happen occasionally and now they are getting worse and i'm wondering if i should see a therapist again because i think i might have another disorder and I feel like I'm getting worse!?!? Please help, thankyou! ~ SavT

Hello lovely!

So borderline personality disorder and bipolar can often get mixed up because of some of the symptoms. Someone with borderline personality disorder cna have mood swings, and so can someone with bipolar, however in BPD these swings tend to be much more rapid. For example, my mood swings from one extreme to the other many times a day! Someone with bipolar will experience depression and mania- each lasting around a month or two on average but can be longer or a bit shorter- but even rapid cycling bipolar still has around 2 weeks between the swings. There are also many other symptoms of BPD and bipolar which help to seperate the two disorders. These symptom lists are taken from the mind.org.uk website.

"Bipolar-

If you have bipolar disorder you will experience extreme swings in mood – from periods of overactive, excited behaviour – known as ‘mania’ or ‘manic episodes’ – to deep depression. Between these severe highs and lows, you may have stable times.

Some people also see or hear things that others around them don’t (known as having visual or auditory hallucinations) or have uncommon, unshared, beliefs (known as delusions).

Manic episodes

You may experience one or more of the following symptoms. However, it is unlikely that you will go through all of them. Symptoms may include:

feeling euphoric – excessively ‘high’

restlessness

extreme irritability

talking very fast

racing thoughts

lack of concentration

having a lot of energy

a reduced need for sleep

a sense of own importance

poor judgement

excessive and inappropriate spending

increased sexual drive

risky behaviour

misusing drugs or alcohol

aggressive behaviour.

You may feel like you are a genius and that you are the only person in the world who can see it the right way.Because you feel so elated and full of energy, you may take on commitments and responsibilities that you cannot fulfil. For example, you may take on a large loan or mortgage because you think you can earn extra money from work or projects you are planning. When the high mood drops, you may find it hard to cope with all the commitments you have taken on.Family, friends or colleagues may have expressed concerns while you were going through a manic episode. At the time, their comments and worries may not have made sense to you. After the manic episode, you may see it differently and understand their concerns.

You may experience a milder form of mania known as hypomania – this is less severe and lasts for shorter periods. During these periods you can become very productive and creative and so may see these experiences as positive and valuable. However, if you don’t get treatment for hypomania, it may develop into more serious mania, and it could be followed by an episode of depression.

Depressive episodes

Symptoms may include:

a sense of hopelessness

feeling emotionally empty

feeling guilty

feeling worthless

chronic fatigue

difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much

weight loss or gain

changes in appetite

loss of interest in daily life

lack of concentration

being forgetful

suicidal feelings.”

There is so much more information about it on the actual webpage which I’ve linked here.

'Borderline personality disorder-

BPD is one of many personality disorders listed in the manuals used by doctors when they are giving someone a psychiatric diagnosis.

Below are the symptoms of borderline personality disorder according to government guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE] 2009). A doctor may diagnose you with borderline personality disorder if you have five or more of these symptoms and if the symptoms have a significant impact on your everyday life.

you have emotions that are up and down (for example, feeling confident one day and feeling despair another), with feelings of emptiness and often anger

you find it difficult to make and maintain relationships

you have an unstable sense of identity, such as thinking differently about yourself depending on who you are with

you take risks or do things without thinking about the consequences

you harm yourself or think about harming yourself (for example, cutting yourself or overdosing)

you fear being abandoned or rejected or being alone

you sometimes believe in things that are not real or true (called delusions) or see or hear things that are not really there (called hallucinations).’

Once again there is loads more information on the webpage which I have linked for you here

You do not have to have every thing listed as a symptom in order to have that disorder, and things can cross over between different disorders. You mentioned you were wondering whether to go back to your therapist- I think regardless of whether you feel like you fit one or neither of these particular disorders, you should go and seek their advice anyway, because that is the only way to really be sure. If you like you can read through the booklets on mind.org.uk and write down any symptoms that you feel match you- and you can take this with you to your doctor/therapist. You could also try and log what you are feeling and when- this might help you in tracking your moods and you can take this to your doctor/therapist too!

Take care,Adrienne xx

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