What are the major point of having boarderline personality disorder? I read some but I am taking Lithidum and forget everything.

I can understand why you may think BPD is similar in some ways to BP, while one a mood disorder the other is a persoanlity disorder. If you want to message me I can give you the whole presentation of BPD that I've already posted once and don't want to bore anyone with it again. I got it from my psychiatric nursing book.

Interesting you should ask this. I just went to another thread and copied what Anonbp posted last night on this very topic.
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Let me further point out the differences between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder:

Borderline Info.
People with Borderline Personality Disorder experience such violent and frightening mood swings that they often fear for their sanity. They can be euphoric one moment, despairing and depressed the next. There are an estimated 10 million sufferers of BPD living in America today -- each displaying remarkably similar symptoms:

a shaky sense of identity

sudden violent outbursts (like at moderators who are just doing their jobs)

oversensitivity to real or imagined rejection, frequently getting off on the wrong foot with people

brief, turbulent love affairs

frequent periods of intense depression

eating disorders, drug abuse, and other
self-destructive tendencies (self-injury, ie: cutting)

an irrational fear of abandonment and an inability to be alone

Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, is a medical illness that causes extreme shifts in mood, energy, and functioning. These changes may be subtle or dramatic and typically vary greatly over the course of a persons life as well as among individuals. Over 10 million people in America have bipolar disorder, and the illness affects men and women equally. Bipolar disorder is a chronic and generally life-long condition with recurring episodes of mania and depression that can last from days to months that often begin in adolescence or early adulthood, and occasionally even in children. Most people generally require some sort of lifelong treatment. While medication is one key element in successful treatment of bipolar disorder, psychotherapy, support, and education about the illness are also essential components of the treatment process.

The symptoms of mania may include:

--either an elated, happy mood or an irritable, angry, unpleasant mood
increased physical and mental activity and energy

--racing thoughts and flight of ideas
increased talking, more rapid speech than normal

--ambitious, often grandiose plans
risk taking

--impulsive activity such as spending sprees, sexual indiscretion, and alcohol abuse

--decreased sleep without experiencing fatigue

Depression is the other phase of bipolar disorder. The symptoms of depression may include:

--loss of energy

--prolonged sadness

--decreased activity and energy

--restlessness and irritability

--inability to concentrate or make decisions

--increased feelings of worry and anxiety

--less interest or participation in, and less enjoyment of activities normally enjoyed

--feelings of guilt and hopelessness
thoughts of suicide

--change in appetite (either eating more or eating less)

--change in sleep patterns (either sleeping more or sleeping less)

I mention this because there is a great deal of self-diagnosing going on and since BP and BPD can look so similar sometimes, it's good to see the differences. Only a doctor or psychologist can give a true diagnosis.

Ok, so now everyone can go ahead an hate me. That's fine. I'm not too concerned.

Reply #48
04/13/2007
4:41 pm

anonbp Oh, I forgot to mention that "mood swings" in Borderline Personality Disorder tend to be extremely frequent throughout the day whereas Bipolar mood swings tend to last for weeks or months, a major difference.
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She's right on target on all of this -- hope it helps with your questions -- It is important to get the right dx so you can treat it the right way. Good luck.