What's the Difference Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder?

It is often difficult to distinguish between differences in bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Bipolar and borderline personality disorder (also called personality threshold disorder) are two mental health conditions that affect millions of people each year. Although both mental health conditions with similar symptoms, they still have differences. What are the differences between bipolar and borderline personality disorder?

 

Differences in bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD)

 

Although bipolar disorder and BPD at a glance look the same, there remains a difference in both symptoms. How to tell the difference?

 

Bipolar disorder

 

This disorder is called bipolar (which means two poles) because the sufferer shows two very different emotional poles. The first is mania, that is the phase or episode of extreme and explosive happiness. The second pole is depression. This second pole is the drastic opposite of the mania. The sufferer will enter a phase that is so sad, sad, lackluster, and very lethargic.

 

Symptoms of bipolar disorder are divided into two, namely the phase of mania and depression phase. Here is the phase phenomenon of mania.

 

• Can not be silent, have to move on or pace back and forth.     
• Feel the jubilant excitement.     
• So be more vigilant about the surrounding environment, ranging from falling goods, touch of others, to the voices that he heard.     
• Talk very quickly without a clear (elusive) direction.     
• Can not sleep, stay up all night but do not feel sleepy or tired in the morning.     
• Acting recklessly, like frenetic shopping, arguing with teachers or superiors, withdrawing from corporations, having sex with strangers without condoms, reckless driving, or drinking.     
• Psychosis, ie, can not distinguish what is real and which only exists in his mind.     

While in the depressive phase, you will show features such as:

 

• Withdraw from the environment and the nearest person.    
• Losing interest in activities that were previously enjoyed.     
• Drastic energy and energy losses, usually the patient can not leave the bed for hours or days.     
• Talk is very slow, sometimes like a person who is rambling.     
• Impaired memory, concentration, and reasoning.     
• Obsessed with death, suicide, or attempted suicide.     
• Diet changes drastically, whether the appetite is lost or increased.     
• Constantly feeling guilty, useless, or unworthy.  

 

What distinguishes bipolar disorder with mood swings is generally its intensity. Bipolar sufferers will show a very severe phase of mania and depression that they may lose control of their own emotions.

 

Borderline personality disorder

 

People with BPD conditions have an unstable mindset. This instability makes them difficult to regulate emotions. People with BPD tend to have a history of unstable relationships. They will try hard not to be ignored by the surrounding, in any way. This is one of the differences compared to bipolar.

 

People with borderline personality disorder are more likely to have other mental health problems as well. They also tend to have some type of trauma as a child compared to people who are bipolar.

 

In addition to having other mental health problems, BPD usually also has problems with eating disorders, body image, and anxiety. People with BPD experience emotional responses that are too strong, they often have a chaotic relationship with those around them.

 

A person with BPD disorder has problems controlling pikrian and managing his feelings, and often has impulsive and reckless behavior. 

 

These are the symptoms of BPD:     

 

• Excessive fear of rejection or abandonment.     
• Feelings of anxiety, worry, and depression.     
• Has an unstable (drastic) romance history of a love so profoundly transformed into hatred.     
• Experiencing constant mood changes, lasting for several days or just a few hours.     
• Has an unstable self-image.     
• Difficulty feeling empathy towards others.     
• Impulsive, risky, self-destructive behavior. For example, likes to physically hurt yourself, drive recklessly, or do drugs and alcohol abuse.     
• Paranoid.     
• Feelings of isolation, boredom, and emptiness.

 

So where is the difference between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder?

 

At first glance, both of these disorders are very similar. However, the key to distinguish it is its intensity. In people with borderline personality disorder, this mood swing will continue to exist. Whereas in people with bipolar disorder, there will be a time in which they will not feel the symptoms of mania or depressive at all. They will look calm like people in general.

 

In addition, experts also believe that bipolar disorder can occur without a clear trigger alias suddenly appear. Different again with borderline personality disorder. In BPD, usually a mood swing or emotional outburst will appear when triggered by factors such as conflict with the nearest person.

 

 If you suspect you or your nearest person is experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, see your doctor immediately.