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Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) are two commonly diagnosed mental health conditions. These conditions are considered rather serious. When left untreated, both bipolar disorder and BPD can significantly impair a person’s life. Although bipolar disorder and BPD have some similar symptoms, they are caused by completely different things. In this piece, we will explore the similarities and differences between the two.
A Brief History
Borderline as well as bipolar disorder were added to the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published in 1980. Although both conditions have many similar symptoms including mood swings, impulsivity, and suicidal ideation, the two are not linked. The National Library of Medicine reports, “If bipolar disorder and BPD are part of the same spectrum, a certain degree of overlap with regard to genetic vulnerability to these conditions would be expected. That does not seem to be the case. Despite several clinical similarities between BD and BPD, available evidence suggests that both conditions are, from a nosological standpoint, distinct. Still, considerable overlap seems to exist between both conditions.”
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar is considered a mood disorder. Cleveland Clinic defines a mood disorder as “a mental health condition that primarily affects your emotional state. It's a disorder in which you experience long periods of extreme happiness, extreme sadness or both.” People with Bipolar I, Bipolar II or Cyclothymic Disorder experience periods of extreme depression as well as varying degrees of elevation from hypomania to manic episodes. Bipolar disorder is a mood condition that dysregulates an individual's mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. When extreme shifts in these moods are occurring, it can feel difficult to accomplish everyday tasks. If you’d like to learn more about the different types of bipolar disorder, check out this article.
Causes for Bipolar Disorder
The exact cause of bipolar disorder is not known. Researchers suggest it is a combination of factors that include:
- Genetics: There is a genetic component to bipolar disorder, though the degree to which it impacts people is still unknown. BD often runs in families, suggesting a certain gene pool is more susceptible to developing the condition.
- Environment: Stress, poor sleep, substance abuse and trauma can all play a role in triggering the onset of bipolar disorder.
- Chemical Imbalance: “Three brain chemicals, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, are involved in psychiatric disorders, and norepinephrine and serotonin are linked to mood disorders,” according to the UNC School of Medicine.
Borderline Personality Disorder
BPD is considered a personality disorder as compared to a mood disorder. The American Psychiatric Association classifies a personality disorder as “a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from the expectations of culture, causes distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time. The pattern of experience and behavior usually begins by late adolescence or early adulthood and causes distress or problems in functioning.” With BPD, people often suffer with a deeply insecure attachment style, convinced that abandonment is inevitable with all who are close to them. The disorder results in paranoia, angry outbursts, and impulsivity.
Causes for BPD
Environment plays a huge role in BPD. A history of child abuse or neglect can lead to symptoms of borderline personality disorder later in life. Typically surfacing in adolescence or young adulthood, BPD is often triggered by serious trauma. Other factors may include genetics or changes in the brain, though the exact cause is still unknown.
Treatment
The good news is that both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are treatable. With a combination of the right medication, therapies and lifestyle adjustments, many people thrive while living with either condition.
Most individuals with bipolar disorder respond well to psychiatric interventions combined with talk-therapy. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications can mitigate symptoms of both depression and mania.
People with BPD usually thrive when they learn emotional regulation and make healthier choices. Typically BPD is treated with DBT or dialectical behavioral therapy to help build and strengthen new habits and thought patterns. Unfortunately, because BPD is a personality disorder, there are no medications to chemically treat this condition. It can however be improved by treating both anxiety as well as depression.
If you or someone you know needs help, do not wait. Seek professional medical interventions immediately. And if you’d like to discuss your mental health, join us on the PatientsLikeMe platform.
