Depression Vs. Borderline...?

[ihatedoingthis]

What is the difference between borderline personality disorder and major depression? This may sound like a dumb question but I'd like to know in as much detail as possible, the differences? What makes them different? And if you could explain I guess the difference between a person with borderline and a person with depression?
Oh, and is it common to have a lot of mood swings with depression?

[Jaquta]

Hi
Their defintions can both be found in the dsm-iv.  There are different criteria for both BPD and depression.
Depression is more a feeling of sadness or of feeling down or blue.  It is different for every person though.  Depression usually affects sleep, appetite, energy levels, motivation, etc.  It is usually diagnosed if someone experiences those symptoms for at least two weeks and is not due to grief (due to death).
BPD is more about existing, I think.  BPD affects how we function and is not just due to being depressed, etc.  Usually with depression, once it is treated or lifts, people are able to resume normal lives.  With bpd nothing is normal.
People with bpd are often depressed.  Not all people with depression have bpd though.

People with depression generally feel down, have little energy, have trouble initiating activity, have trouble sleeping, typically tend to eat less.  Often the reverse is also true.  Some people will sleep less (some more), some eat less (some more), etc.
Body posture my help you identity a person with depression.  Their heads are usually down, their shoulders slumped, they may have poor eye contact and appear very slow.
People with depression also have trouble concentrating, etc.

I'm not sure about mood swings with depression.  If the person is severely depressed I would have said no.  But then, they could be psychotic, and ... well, who knows?
I'm no expert.

Mood swings can be associated with bipolar though.  In which case, there are mood swings.

J

[ihatedoingthis]

thanks. :)

[fowerman]

Depressive illness is associated with feelings of dysphoria (opposite of euphoria) and feelings of not wanting to partake in activities that you once found enjoyable and rewarding. Also sufferers can have thoughts of suicide and harming themselves, but don't actually go through with them. Motivation and oversleeping and insomnia are also characteristics of this disorder as well as not wanting to take care of personal appearance and feelings of having nothing to live for anymore.

Borderline Personality Disorder is an disorder of the emotions, an inablity to regulate emotions, and can have rapid mood swings from feeling on top of the world to feeling extremely flat and deflated. People with the disorder also have a high rate of thoughts of suicide and self harm and actually carrying out these thoughts, also people can go from having an intense like of someone to disliking them in an instant, unstable relationships, intense fear of abondment and impusivity in at least two area's, eg dangerous driving and overspending or risky sexual activites. Also sufferers can feel anxious and high (manic), usually lasting minutes or hours and no longer than couple of days at a time.

I have written this with my own experiences of both disorders, so some things may not be accurate as its in my own opinion, if you would like to chat, then i would be pleased to help. I have come a long way since i was diagnosed around 2 years ago