Bipolar v. Borderline

Hi all. I'm new here so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. (Please correct if needed). I was just wondering if anyone knew of any good websites with information regarding the differences between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder? I've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for over ten years, but I read a little bit about borderline and I'm starting to question my diagnosis. Any advise/info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

[paranoid_cataclysm]

I hope I explain this right.  Here is the difference between mood swings in both as well as a few things about them...  Bipolar disorder usually involves a mood swing for no apparent reason or because of a trigger from either depressed, manic, mixed, or OK.  Borderline personality disorder doesn't usually involve elation and the mood swings are usually caused in response to an event and shift from OK to distressed or depressed or something negative along those lines.  Borderline personality disorder also can cause the person to perceive rejection or abandonment when there is none there such as someone goes on vacation and the sufferer feels they were greatly rejected or abandoned.  They also can shift from idealization of a person to downright devaluation.  They can also have chaotic behavior, identity, self-image and relationships.  Both can involve psychotic states.  Bipolar disorder distinguishing feature from borderline personality disorder is it involves mania or hypomania or mixed states of mania and depression.  A manic person is probably easy to spot if you are educated in these matters because they appear very sped up with things such as pressured, rapid talking or shopping sprees when they don't have the money.  Thoughts will come and go usually too fast for them to get a hold of when the person with bipolar disorder is manic and it will be apparent.  I hope I explained enough to separate the two for you.  Find small details in yourself and let your psychiatrist know if you honestly believe you have borderline personality disorder and let them determine if you do with their expert opinion.  It is possible you were misdiagnosed if you explained your problem wrong because the two can overlap in symptoms.  Borderline personality disorder in general does not (I wish I had bold letters to use) respond as well to medication as bipolar disorder does because there is no chemical imbalance going on with borderline personality disorder.

[moonpanda]

This website is really great for just about every question on BP, but they have a section about this very question:
http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/borderline.htm

There are a lot of similarities and differences, so it might be worth asking your doctor or therapist if this is something that they've ever considered. Tell him/her that you have some doubts, and ask is they can explain to you their perceptions. If they don't think you have it, maybe they can explain to you why. Chances are they have encountered both disorders. Keep in mind that a person can have both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder at the same time.

The mother of a friend of mine has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for over 20 years but she started seeing a new therapist who said that she might have been misdiagnosed the whole time, and instead her problem was borderline personality disorder. That was quite a shock to her... especially since the treatments for the two disorders are so completely different. So yeah, it might be worth just asking about if you are having these serious doubts.

[LittleRottenPea]

They can also co-exist. I have both.

[jbaurley]

i have bipolar and was diagnosed 8 yrs ago by my family dr.....  then last year or the year before my counselor said i had borderline personality.  my family dr did not agree with the diagnosis.  we quickly ruled that out.  it all varies on who you go to.  i would get someone to give you a definate diagnosis and then go from there.

[starbunny]

I can relate, because although diagnosed with bipolar disorder, my CPN has always thought borderline because for the last two years I have rarely been symptom free, and she stated that she would have expected long gaps between episodes where I would be 'normal' (whatever that is).
However I still feel I can identify more with bipolar because of the periods that I feel elated and euphoric (and sometimes irritable -but this is due to other people not keeping up). I have crashed cars whilst thinking I was invincible , jumped onto roofs naked in the snowy sub zero temps waiting for aliens, spent more than I earn in a year in a couple of weeks on ridiculous things, jumped on planes and disappeared out the country without telling anyone as well as the embarrassing things that I will prob never talk about...and then there's the paranoia..not sure if borderlines get quite to the point of feeling that 'high', and generally my relationships with people are really good ..up until the point where I get paranoid.
However I can really relate to the identity probs experienced with borderline pd. I have a low self image usually and feel total remorse at the things I have done when feeling invincible / happy - to the point where I wonder who I really am. Surely the 'real' me would never have done those things....but I have, and that's really hard to accept. Every time I think I've rebuilt my self image to someone I can like and trust, off I go again on a happy happy party journey of self-destruction! and so it continues.....Can anyone else relate?

[yarrow]

"Every time I think I've rebuilt my self image to someone I can like and trust, off I go again on a happy happy party journey of self-destruction! and so it continues.....Can anyone else relate? "

I am so sorry for your pain.  Our son was diagnosed with Bipolar II about a dozen years ago, refused treatment (until possibly quite recently), and over the years has accused us of horrible things, really awful things, and has several times attacked his father physically.  That's hard to bear, as you might imagine, but I feel so bad, so bad, for the way our son must feel when he is aware of his behavior.