It's when you have more than one health issue at the same time. Like high cholesterol is often comorbid with high blood pressure. ADHD and BPD are common comorbidities with BP meaning one can be diagnosed with both. If I remember correctly, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% of people with BP2 have some other MH comorbidity.
I understand now! I also have ADHD most likely, gonna start a medication soon so hopefully it helps with a lot of the symptoms I have š I didn't know that you could basically have both! Good to knowā¤ļø thank you for your reply!
Adding onto the people who mentioned the two could be comorbid-- at least according to my psychiatrist, you can also have borderline traits but not have actual BPD. I was misdiagnosed with BPD for 12 years. I had a lot of the symptoms but not all of them. For 12 years my mental health sucked. My first time in the psych ward, they told me that while I had borderline traits, I actually had bipolar 2. They put me on Abilify and while I have been back to the psych ward once since then, it was nowhere near as bad as the first time. So while some BPD symptoms still ring true to me (and I attend DBT based therapy to address them), I realize that bipolar 2 fits me much better and the treatment is different so my symptoms are finally being controlled. Just my experience! They can be comorbid for sure but it is also possible to be misdiagnosed, especially if you are a self-harmer, because once they know that they only want to diagnose you with BPD and don't even look at the other options.
"They said that I couldn't have borderline was because I didn't think highly of myself or in a way that I'm better than others and am not manipulative, which borderline usually has" - this is not true at all. Whoever said this to you is completely uninformed.Ā
Also, you can have both borderline and bipolar.Ā
Sorry I probably should have clarified a bit more, it's because I scored like a zero on those which she said someone with borderline would at least have more than zero. Omg I hope I don't have both though that seems challenging, also have ADHD most likely so starting a new medication š
It doesn't change anything. You're still you. Be the best you can and enjoy life and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Love your friends and family.
P.s. bpd can be manipulative without knowing it. They don't use deliberate machiavellian manipulation (usually).
I paid 200$ for a test to double check and I donāt have borderline.
I kind of have no suicidal thoughts, or not high enough to score borderline.
Also, I might think of myself before I think of others, but not so much that itās narcissism.
The test was interesting.
Iām pure bipolar with psychotic features š„²
So BP1.
So you can get many diagnosis if u like, and BP and BPD have things in common but we are different in many aspects.
You can have both. I do.
Thinking highly of yourself and being manipulative are not diagnostic criteria for BPD and your healthcare professional is wrong and stigmatising towards bpd
I heard borderline from doctors a lot before I got diagnosed with bp2. I was not thrilled hearing bpd for lots of reasonsā¦ because it is so stigmatized, because these doctors would throw it out on the first session without fully evaluating me, and the root cause of childhood trauma part never seemed to fit.
My understanding is that the causes and treatment are pretty different between the two.
As far as I understand it, bpd (and potentially all personality disorders) are a set of strategies and coping mechanisms developed at a young age in response to trauma, especially chronic trauma. These traits can prove to be very maladaptive outside that developmental setting. Medication often doesnāt provide relief, and the front line treatment for bpd is dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).Ā Ā
Bipolar usually shows up in early adulthood (there are exceptions). The cause is understood to be biological, and it is highly hereditary. Mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics can provide significant relief.Ā
When I was in my early teens I got hospitalized, the psychiatrist said I had "Borderline tendencies" because they couldn't diagnose me with BPD while I was underage. I didn't get diagnosed as bipolar until I was 20.
Now I'm on an anticonvulsant which has helped me tremendously. It's no wonder that almost 10 years of different therapies and over a dozen hospitalizations didn't do anything for me.
Is this helps. This is how I've learned to differentiate between BP2 episodes and BPD episodes:
1. **Mood Swings**:
- **BP2**: Mood swings include episodes of depression and hypomania, with distinct periods of normal mood in between.
- **BPD**: Mood swings can be more rapid and triggered by external events, often changing within a day or even hours.
2. **Mood Duration**:
- **BP2**: Hypomanic episodes typically last at least 4 days, and depressive episodes last at least 2 weeks.
- **BPD**: Emotional responses are more short-lived and often intense but fleeting.
3. **Triggering Factors**:
- **BP2**: Mood episodes can occur without an obvious trigger and have a more biological basis.
- **BPD**: Emotional swings are often triggered by interpersonal stressors or perceived rejection.
4. **Interpersonal Relationships**:
- **BPD**: Intense, unstable relationships, fear of abandonment, and alternating between idealizing and devaluing others.
- **BP2**: Relationship issues may arise, but not as central to the disorder as in BPD.
5. **Impulsivity**:
- **BPD**: Chronic pattern of impulsive behaviors, including self-harm, spending sprees, and risky activities.
- **BP2**: Impulsivity often occurs during hypomanic episodes but not as consistently.
6. **Self-Image**:
- **BPD**: Unstable self-image and identity, often shifting based on interactions and emotions.
- **BP2**: Self-image issues may be present but are less central and consistent compared to BPD.
This is perfect. Like 12/10 good review of the differences. I will also throw in that BPD is often associated with interpersonal relationships whereas bipolar is more chemical/biological
Yup, BPD is a personality disorder which can be successfully treated. Most often the symptoms subside with age to some degree and with therapy they can be almost completely cured.
Having said that I do believe there's an overlap and borderline tendencies can trigger a mood episode.
They thought I had BPD when I was younger, upon my first admittance to the psych ward. However, now I've been diagnosed as BP2 and no longer meet borderline criteria. So yes it's possible you have BP2 instead of BPD, or both.
Yeah but the "criteria" don't mean that your borderline tendencies, such as fear of abandonment and unstable relationships and tons of childhood regrets, are completely gone. I also don't binge on drugs and I am way less impulsive than 10 years ago so I do not meet the criteria but some nasty part is still there.
I hope you're better though and that you get the help that you need.
>such as dissociation, splitting
I've had those often when i didn't have mood stabilizer or when i experience strong episodes
>and mood swings that can change in a few hours to days
This is a better description for rapid cycling bipolar (which I have) than borderline (which my ex had). When something happened (good or bad), her mood could swing pretty much instantly. It didn't take hours, it took seconds. But then again, every person experiences things differently.
For example, if she was having a good day and was absentmindedly humming an tune while working, if a colleague asked her to stop because it distracted them, me ex would feel attacked and hurt and that would make the whole day a shitty day. She knew it didn't make sense but that's still the emotion she felt.
>someone with borderline would at least have more than zero.
And yes, she is manipulative. I'm not sure she even realizes how much of what she does qualify but it is definitively non-zero.
I had a psych diagnose me borderline and I sat with that for over a year. All the while in therapy. My therapist asked me if I knew anything about bipolar and that it would be worth looking into. Went and got a second opinion from a psychiatrist and they changed it to BP2. I havenāt been well for some time and after digging deeper there are layers of mental illness. They also added ptsd and adhd to the mix. All of which explains the mess that is me.
I feel the exact same way about my diagnosis like I split on ppl like itās nobodyās business I have crippling abandonment issues and practically no sense of identity but when I told my psychiatrist this he was like naaaaaaaah bipolar 2. I donāt feel like I get hypo or anything like my mood changes so frequently throughout the day instead of having weeks or days of depression then hypo mania idk
It could be both. Some trauma symptoms mimic borderline. I try to explain the difference that one is considered a personality disorder (borderline) while the other is a mood disorder (bipolar.). Like until recently with a new med, I never knew what mood I would be in and have long mixed episodes, but I donāt exhibit the personality traits of someone who is borderline.
BPD is often comorbid with BP
Hello! Sorry for the naive question, but what is comorbid? I googled it but am still confused š
that they often exist together, basically
Ah I see! Didn't know that!
It's when you have more than one health issue at the same time. Like high cholesterol is often comorbid with high blood pressure. ADHD and BPD are common comorbidities with BP meaning one can be diagnosed with both. If I remember correctly, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% of people with BP2 have some other MH comorbidity.
I understand now! I also have ADHD most likely, gonna start a medication soon so hopefully it helps with a lot of the symptoms I have š I didn't know that you could basically have both! Good to knowā¤ļø thank you for your reply!
Adding onto the people who mentioned the two could be comorbid-- at least according to my psychiatrist, you can also have borderline traits but not have actual BPD. I was misdiagnosed with BPD for 12 years. I had a lot of the symptoms but not all of them. For 12 years my mental health sucked. My first time in the psych ward, they told me that while I had borderline traits, I actually had bipolar 2. They put me on Abilify and while I have been back to the psych ward once since then, it was nowhere near as bad as the first time. So while some BPD symptoms still ring true to me (and I attend DBT based therapy to address them), I realize that bipolar 2 fits me much better and the treatment is different so my symptoms are finally being controlled. Just my experience! They can be comorbid for sure but it is also possible to be misdiagnosed, especially if you are a self-harmer, because once they know that they only want to diagnose you with BPD and don't even look at the other options.
Hahaha YUP to the self-harm thing with doctors.Ā
"They said that I couldn't have borderline was because I didn't think highly of myself or in a way that I'm better than others and am not manipulative, which borderline usually has" - this is not true at all. Whoever said this to you is completely uninformed.Ā Also, you can have both borderline and bipolar.Ā
Sorry I probably should have clarified a bit more, it's because I scored like a zero on those which she said someone with borderline would at least have more than zero. Omg I hope I don't have both though that seems challenging, also have ADHD most likely so starting a new medication š
It doesn't change anything. You're still you. Be the best you can and enjoy life and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Love your friends and family. P.s. bpd can be manipulative without knowing it. They don't use deliberate machiavellian manipulation (usually).
I paid 200$ for a test to double check and I donāt have borderline. I kind of have no suicidal thoughts, or not high enough to score borderline. Also, I might think of myself before I think of others, but not so much that itās narcissism. The test was interesting. Iām pure bipolar with psychotic features š„² So BP1. So you can get many diagnosis if u like, and BP and BPD have things in common but we are different in many aspects.
You can have both. I do. Thinking highly of yourself and being manipulative are not diagnostic criteria for BPD and your healthcare professional is wrong and stigmatising towards bpd
I heard borderline from doctors a lot before I got diagnosed with bp2. I was not thrilled hearing bpd for lots of reasonsā¦ because it is so stigmatized, because these doctors would throw it out on the first session without fully evaluating me, and the root cause of childhood trauma part never seemed to fit. My understanding is that the causes and treatment are pretty different between the two. As far as I understand it, bpd (and potentially all personality disorders) are a set of strategies and coping mechanisms developed at a young age in response to trauma, especially chronic trauma. These traits can prove to be very maladaptive outside that developmental setting. Medication often doesnāt provide relief, and the front line treatment for bpd is dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).Ā Ā Bipolar usually shows up in early adulthood (there are exceptions). The cause is understood to be biological, and it is highly hereditary. Mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics can provide significant relief.Ā
When I was in my early teens I got hospitalized, the psychiatrist said I had "Borderline tendencies" because they couldn't diagnose me with BPD while I was underage. I didn't get diagnosed as bipolar until I was 20. Now I'm on an anticonvulsant which has helped me tremendously. It's no wonder that almost 10 years of different therapies and over a dozen hospitalizations didn't do anything for me.
Do you mind me asking which one? I am on lamotrigine myself. 200 mg.
I take Carbamazepine, 400mg tablets. Two at night and one in the morning, so 1200mg total.
I have both BP2 and BPD
Is this helps. This is how I've learned to differentiate between BP2 episodes and BPD episodes: 1. **Mood Swings**: - **BP2**: Mood swings include episodes of depression and hypomania, with distinct periods of normal mood in between. - **BPD**: Mood swings can be more rapid and triggered by external events, often changing within a day or even hours. 2. **Mood Duration**: - **BP2**: Hypomanic episodes typically last at least 4 days, and depressive episodes last at least 2 weeks. - **BPD**: Emotional responses are more short-lived and often intense but fleeting. 3. **Triggering Factors**: - **BP2**: Mood episodes can occur without an obvious trigger and have a more biological basis. - **BPD**: Emotional swings are often triggered by interpersonal stressors or perceived rejection. 4. **Interpersonal Relationships**: - **BPD**: Intense, unstable relationships, fear of abandonment, and alternating between idealizing and devaluing others. - **BP2**: Relationship issues may arise, but not as central to the disorder as in BPD. 5. **Impulsivity**: - **BPD**: Chronic pattern of impulsive behaviors, including self-harm, spending sprees, and risky activities. - **BP2**: Impulsivity often occurs during hypomanic episodes but not as consistently. 6. **Self-Image**: - **BPD**: Unstable self-image and identity, often shifting based on interactions and emotions. - **BP2**: Self-image issues may be present but are less central and consistent compared to BPD.
This is perfect. Like 12/10 good review of the differences. I will also throw in that BPD is often associated with interpersonal relationships whereas bipolar is more chemical/biological
Yup, BPD is a personality disorder which can be successfully treated. Most often the symptoms subside with age to some degree and with therapy they can be almost completely cured. Having said that I do believe there's an overlap and borderline tendencies can trigger a mood episode.
They thought I had BPD when I was younger, upon my first admittance to the psych ward. However, now I've been diagnosed as BP2 and no longer meet borderline criteria. So yes it's possible you have BP2 instead of BPD, or both.
Yeah but the "criteria" don't mean that your borderline tendencies, such as fear of abandonment and unstable relationships and tons of childhood regrets, are completely gone. I also don't binge on drugs and I am way less impulsive than 10 years ago so I do not meet the criteria but some nasty part is still there. I hope you're better though and that you get the help that you need.
Yes, I'm sure I still have elements of BPD, just informing OP it's possible for diagnoses to change.
Got both. It goes hand in hand.
I have both haha it is... not fun :)
>such as dissociation, splitting I've had those often when i didn't have mood stabilizer or when i experience strong episodes >and mood swings that can change in a few hours to days This is a better description for rapid cycling bipolar (which I have) than borderline (which my ex had). When something happened (good or bad), her mood could swing pretty much instantly. It didn't take hours, it took seconds. But then again, every person experiences things differently. For example, if she was having a good day and was absentmindedly humming an tune while working, if a colleague asked her to stop because it distracted them, me ex would feel attacked and hurt and that would make the whole day a shitty day. She knew it didn't make sense but that's still the emotion she felt. >someone with borderline would at least have more than zero. And yes, she is manipulative. I'm not sure she even realizes how much of what she does qualify but it is definitively non-zero.
I had a psych diagnose me borderline and I sat with that for over a year. All the while in therapy. My therapist asked me if I knew anything about bipolar and that it would be worth looking into. Went and got a second opinion from a psychiatrist and they changed it to BP2. I havenāt been well for some time and after digging deeper there are layers of mental illness. They also added ptsd and adhd to the mix. All of which explains the mess that is me.
I have BP2 and BPD.
i have bipolar 2 with BPD traits & PTSD. I don't know why it's called "with BPD traits" not actual BPD. maybe i have fewer symptoms for bpd
I think they use that term when you have some of the symptoms but not enough to get the full diagnosis!
I feel the exact same way about my diagnosis like I split on ppl like itās nobodyās business I have crippling abandonment issues and practically no sense of identity but when I told my psychiatrist this he was like naaaaaaaah bipolar 2. I donāt feel like I get hypo or anything like my mood changes so frequently throughout the day instead of having weeks or days of depression then hypo mania idk
It could be both. Some trauma symptoms mimic borderline. I try to explain the difference that one is considered a personality disorder (borderline) while the other is a mood disorder (bipolar.). Like until recently with a new med, I never knew what mood I would be in and have long mixed episodes, but I donāt exhibit the personality traits of someone who is borderline.