Compare And Contrast Bipolar Disorder And Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar disorder are two of the most commonly mixed up conditions I have seen personally and then after doing research, found that I am definitely not the only one. While borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder are similar in many ways, that being the mood swings, impulsive thoughts/tendencies, as well as general instability. The disorders are different in their classifications, one is a mood disorder, the other a personality disorder. Whether it be because these disorders were abbreviated and then jumbled together somewhere along the thousands of years these conditions have been around, or just overlap symptoms so much so that they get confusing, they are different disorders. Combined,

adults (Allison, n.d.). While that percentage may sound small, that’s 5 million people being afflicted with a condition that curses them to be an outsider. 5 million people that were cast out because they were seen as just weird or acting out, when in reality they are being held hostage by their own emotions. Bipolar disorder is most commonly known for its mood swings described as a “…shift between periods of euphoric or elevated mood, or manic episodes (mania), and periods of depression. They may have intervening periods of normal moods.” (Nevid, 2021, 512). Mania means that a person would feel on top of the world, this is when the symptom of impulsive decision making/thinking would present itself. It could also potentially be where suicidal tendencies actions and more vivid thoughts may start to form. The depression period is as described, the exact opposite. When individuals who suffer from this disorder go onto this side of the bipolar spectrum they often find it near impossible to even get out of their own bed to complete a basic hygiene regime. This is also when the suicidal idealation will come in, the wanting to be gone, but not actually forming a coherent plan yet. Lastly, as stated from the book is the momentary feelings of normalcy that cycle in and out along with the other mood swings experienced. A person with a mood disorder such as this will occasionally get a break where they get to feel normal, whereas a person with a personality disorder is altered in all aspects, never