This is simply a curiosity. I don't expect many people to be interested.
That said, there's been a lot of discussion about borderline disorder, but very little about bipolar disorder.
If you've read the difference, now you have a general understanding of what we're talking about.
So, how do we distinguish between a woman and the other?
Have you ever had relationships with women who have had bipolar disorder and women who have had BPD, and how did they differ?
That said, there's been a lot of discussion about borderline disorder, but very little about bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder, which involves what are called mood "episodes." An episode is a period of time, at least several days but usually 1-2 weeks or more, in which there are significant and persistent changes in overall mood compared to a normal, well-functioning baseline. A depressive episode is the one most familiar to most people, because it essentially has all the characteristics of major depressive disorder (in fact, MDD is also known as "unipolar depression," as opposed to bipolar). The other pole is what's called a manic episode, during which the person with the disorder experiences at least several days of very elevated or expansive mood, though often very unstable; They also typically have increased general activity, initiate unrealistic plans, and act very impulsively. They may also be paranoid and develop severe delusions, and typically feel as if their need for sleep has decreased. Sometimes, mania feels GREAT for sufferers while they're in a manic state, and they can put themselves in real danger due to the resulting delusions and impulsivity.
Borderline personality disorder is somewhat less understood, and while the DSM has a fairly stable description, there's a bit more criticism and some alternative ideas. But, as we currently understand it, BPD is a personality disorder: while we believe bipolar disorder is caused by problems with brain function that lead to the emergence of mood episodes, BPD is more related to habits, relationships, and cognition. To simplify, we think of bipolar disorder as more related to the "brain" and borderline is more related to the "mind." Characteristics of BPD include a lack of a strong sense of self, extreme fear of abandonment (and concomitant extreme reactions to real or perceived abandonment), unstable emotional reactions, and impulsivity. People with BPD tend to rapidly alternate between emotional extremes, lacking a stable middle ground between despair and euphoria, and often seem to change personality on a whim. Unlike the mood episodes of bipolar disorder, which typically last at least several days, mood swings in BPD can be extremely rapid, with sufferers going from euphoria to despair and back again, sometimes in the space of a single conversation.
Borderline personality disorder is somewhat less understood, and while the DSM has a fairly stable description, there's a bit more criticism and some alternative ideas. But, as we currently understand it, BPD is a personality disorder: while we believe bipolar disorder is caused by problems with brain function that lead to the emergence of mood episodes, BPD is more related to habits, relationships, and cognition. To simplify, we think of bipolar disorder as more related to the "brain" and borderline is more related to the "mind." Characteristics of BPD include a lack of a strong sense of self, extreme fear of abandonment (and concomitant extreme reactions to real or perceived abandonment), unstable emotional reactions, and impulsivity. People with BPD tend to rapidly alternate between emotional extremes, lacking a stable middle ground between despair and euphoria, and often seem to change personality on a whim. Unlike the mood episodes of bipolar disorder, which typically last at least several days, mood swings in BPD can be extremely rapid, with sufferers going from euphoria to despair and back again, sometimes in the space of a single conversation.
If you've read the difference, now you have a general understanding of what we're talking about.
So, how do we distinguish between a woman and the other?
Have you ever had relationships with women who have had bipolar disorder and women who have had BPD, and how did they differ?
