Borderline Depressive Disorder

[pdr7686]

Can someone tell me the difference in being Bi-Polar vs BPD? I used to be dx as Bi-Polar -- now I am told I am BPD

[budicca]

The way the difference between BP and BPD was explained to me was this:
Bipolar Disorder has to do with the way you feel.
Borderline Personality Disorder has to do with the way you think.

Bipolar is believe to be a physiological problem in the brain, presumably with chemicals and synaptic activity and whatever other magic goes on up there. So the disease responds well to drugs.

Borderline Personality Disorder is something of a mystery in that no one really knows what causes it (at least I haven't heard an theories). In any case, it's a function of thought.  DBT or Dialectical Behavior Therapy (which is great BTW) works to make one aware of their thoughts so that they can change it and their actions.

That's my understanding of the subject anyway.  

[paranoid_cataclysm]

They told me at the place I go to DBT that DBT can work for everyone (including people without mental illness) and I found some of the stuff there already came natural to me such as nonjudgmental stance or not thinking about things all over the place, whatever that skill is called... I think one mindfully in the moment.

[Seph1212]

Here is an article on the differences/similarities between bipolar (affective) and borderline (personality) disorders.

http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/borderline.htm

It seems there is a great overlap in symptoms. But in diagnosis the primary difference is that one is an axis I affective disorder and the other is an axis II personality disorder. Is the axis I versus axis II distinction arbitrary? I don't know, but it seems that bipolar disorder responds best to drugs to treat the underlying disorder (cognitive therapy has limited success), whereas the symptoms of borderline personality disorder can be treated by drugs, but not the underlying disorder. In this case cognitive therapies are best at getting to the root.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I've seen it like this: Personality disorders are pervasive patterns of maladaptive thinking. The erroneous thought processes are perpetuating and cause the disorder. In affective disorders, the disorder causes the strange ideations.

Sure one can have both, but barring that, I've seen very different presentations in clinical settings. I worked in a hospital for seven years.

[LuvMyGoldnz2]

I have been diagnosed as BOTH bipolar 2 AND borderline personality . I am currently taking meds AND now enrolled in DBT classes (SKILLS FOR BORDERLINES!!!).I meet weekly with my DBT Class (REQUIREMENT =ONE YEAR, No ABSENCES ALLOWED). I meet weekly with my personal therapist to discuss ANY ISSUES.
I also meet with a case manager on a bi-weekly basis for extra support.I just wanted to add my story. BOTH BIPOLAR 2 & BORDERLINE PERSONALITY!!!!!

[bernie40]

As with BP, get as much information as you can and learn about both and how to manage them.

Good luck :-)

[monkeyc]

I would also say that your psychiatrist is the best person to give you information, hes the expert on this stuff.

[pdr7686]

Thank you for helping me to distinguish the difference between the two

[pdr7686]

Oops! I have Borderline Personality Disorder and Major Depression

[bernie40]

I've just realised that I went off on a tangent about Borderline Personality Disorder as per your post but have just noticed that your post heading was Borderline Depressive Disorder.

For clarification is the diagnosis Borderline Depressive Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder as they are very different.

Sorry :-(

[monkeyc]

BPD is borderline personality disorder

You can find a wealth of information on BPD with a basic google search.

Here are 2 links to get you started.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorder
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/borderline-personality-disorder.shtml
http://www.sane.org/information/factsheets/borderline_personality_disorder.html

Good luck and if you need so more advice or support we are here.

[bernie40]

I'm afraid i can't help you on this one other than to tell you about a book about BPD called "I Hate You Don't Leave Me" and I can't remember the name of the author - sorry!

I think there are various signs/symptoms present in BPD that are not present in BP, but I am not sure what they are and i would not want to mislead you and give you wrong information.  There is a BPD forum on here and it may be worth posting this question on there also.

Hopefully somebody will be able to shed some light from either this forum or the other forum.