either*, Though*

hi, I have a dual diagnosis of bipolar and autism spectrum disorder. The bipolar was diagnosed first.

I think you can have mood swings and "frantic behaviour" with just asperger's - it's a matter of degree and causes that would suggest whether bipolar or borderline is also present.

In bipolar the frantic behaviour would not be related to any immediate cause but would come from a generalized speeding up, of speech, thoughts and activities. It might be associated with a detachment from reality, faulty thinking possibly going on to delusions and hallucinations.

what do you experience?

I'm comorbid Aspgerger's/Schizaffective.

I think that it basically comes down to....everyone's unique.

About diagnosis. They don't change Who you are. And don't always even describe you...but they help other medical personnel understand and help you better. It's also a clue to if medication will help or not.

Asperger's/ autism/ autism spectrum are mostly thought to be brain wiring issues. So when helping someone with the condition, medical personal are not trying to "fix" them; they're trying to help them cope, and function. (Example: Most people use cars to get to work, someone with another issue might do better with a bicycle. The issue isn't that we all don't use things to help us function, but that what someone with Autism needs may be different from what most people need.)

Bipolar is thought to be chemical. Medication is thought to be helpful to even out the highs and lows.

Borderline is thought to be a psycho-social issue with emphasis on how you were raised. (Kids with more challenging biochemistry, wiring, even infections, and other issues being more susceptible. History of child abuse is common but not needed.)


It's not about blaming parents, or blaming the clients. It's about trying to figure out what would help you the best. All of what I wrote above is extremely simplistic. Which is why it's your therapist is figuring this out...and not me. For better or worse, the diagnosis tend to stay with people a long time if not for life, the therapist is right to take their time.



As far as: "Asperger's syndrome doesn't cause mood swings...": no it doesn't. But poor response by parents and teachers to Aspergers (or some other issue) CAN cause exactly those things.

actually if you have observed adults with Asperger's they can exhibit mood swings.

I agree with many points made by Patti22, and I would also add that diagnoses are simplifications, and the interactions among various aspects of your emotional state and life history are hard to define neatly and easily. Your therapist may simply be being cautious not to seem to cut-and-dried by saying X caused Y. instead, he may be encouraging a broader view of you, your feelings, and your life. One thing to consider is whether the labels are the most important thing or whether a deeper, fuller understanding of yourself is the key.

I hope you'll keep us up to date on how you're doing.

labels are important because they lead to an appropriate treatment - both Borderline and Bipolar can be treated, actually bipolar really needs to be treated or it will probably get worse and that can wreck lives. Remember the bipolar suicide rate is 10-20 times greater than the rest of the population.

However the treatment for Borderline and Bipolar are totally different and the label, not the symptoms, indicate the correct treatment.

A lecture from Stanford on how research is looking at trying to understand mental health.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4XaslROyQQ&index=11&list=PLpGHT1n4-mAsd1SQKDV143zUQLF0K6O2s

im diagnosed with personality disorder, depression,anxiety,eating disorder and aspergers.