The exact cause of bipolar disorder is not known, much like other mental disorders. People with bipolar disorder have extreme mood swings which range from mania to depression that may last for weeks and even up to months. Unlike those who have bipolar disorder, the mania and the depression or the mood swings of patients with borderline personality disorder would only last for a couple of hours to almost a day.

Bipolar patients, like those afflicted with borderline personality disorder, also have suicidal tendencies due to feelings of worthlessness and loneliness. But another difference between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder is that bipolar individuals do not always commit self-mutilation. Self-mutilation and substance abuse are the fastest relief patients with borderline personality disorder use.

Bipolar disorder is not associated with childhood trauma as much as borderline personality disorder is. Bipolar disorder is reliant on genetic and environmental factors. People who have had family members with bipolar disorder are at high risk of developing the disorder.

Borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder are similar in that both disorders are more prevalent in women than in men. Women are affected by hormonal imbalance during their period, menopause and pregnancy while men tend to be naturally competitive in work which contributed to the development of stress, which leads to either depression or mania and then finally the onset of the disorder.

Patients with bipolar disorder have the following signs and symptoms:
1. Lethargic
2. Increased sexual drive
3. Do not enjoy the same things anymore
4. Have sleeping disorders

Patients with borderline personality disorder and those that have bipolar disorder have another in symptom in common which are having eating and anxiety disorders.

Bipolar patients are also known to be aggressive but those who have borderline personality disorder are termed as impulsive aggressive. People with severe cases of bipolar disorder may have psychosis or a disorder that creates hallucinations and delusions. Although people with borderline personality disorder can often create their own realities and fantasies, it is not quite similar to being psychotic. 

Being bipolar is often associated to borderline personality disorder because of the highs and lows experienced by the patient. But other than that characteristic symptom, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are quite distinct from each other.

Bipolar disorder patients can be treated using psychotherapy and other similar forms of therapy such as cognitive therapy and ‘talk therapy’ and taking in prescribed medication continuously.

Filed under: Borderline Personality Disorder • Borderline Personality Treatment

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