PandorasBox Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 I was wondering, if someone is fine one minute and then the next, they all of a sudden change, or you never know what to expect from one day to the next with a person, I would think that might be more along the lines of BPD. Its like their personality changes from minute to minute or from day to day. I have heard people say that would be more like bi-polar. But I thought bi polar was more like when someone was high as a kite about something/or really down about something as far as moods shifting, from being excited to being depressed about something. Just thought someone could share their thoughts on the differences. Thanks.
JackJack Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 I'm sure someone here can answer that for you. Personally I can not. I'm sure there is some differences as to why it might be bi-polar vs, bpd.
shadowplay Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 I was wondering, if someone is fine one minute and then the next, they all of a sudden change, or you never know what to expect from one day to the next with a person, I would think that might be more along the lines of BPD. Its like their personality changes from minute to minute or from day to day. I have heard people say that would be more like bi-polar. But I thought bi polar was more like when someone was high as a kite about something/or really down about something as far as moods shifting, from being excited to being depressed about something. Just thought someone could share their thoughts on the differences. Thanks. People who are bipolar typically have emotional swings that last MONTHS. They'll be manic for a couple of months and then depressed for three months, for example. Also the ups and downs are pronounced. When they're manic they will often be delusional to the point of needing to be hospitalized. Or they'll engage in extremely self destructive behavior. Going on a shopping spree and wasting thousands of dollars. Not all bipolar people have the depressive side. Those who do may get so low that they attempt suicide, when they're off their medication. People with smaller, less pronounced emotional swings may be what's called hypomanic. People who are borderline are more consistently self destructive, and there's no medication they can take to minimize their "symptoms." They also don't tend to get delusional, at least not as often or to the same degree. They don't usually need to be hospitalized.
Author PandorasBox Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 People who are bipolar typically have emotional swings that last MONTHS. They'll be manic for a couple of months and then depressed for three months, for example. Also the ups and downs are pronounced. When they're manic they will often be delusional to the point of needing to be hospitalized. Or they'll engage in extremely self destructive behavior. Going on a shopping spree and wasting thousands of dollars. Not all bipolar people have the depressive side. Those who do may get so low that they attempt suicide, when they're off their medication. People with smaller, less pronounced emotional swings may be what's called hypomanic. People who are borderline are more consistently self destructive, and there's no medication they can take to minimize their "symptoms." They also don't tend to get delusional, at least not as often or to the same degree. They don't usually need to be hospitalized. Thanks so much for your reply. I was wondering this, becasue it became a topic of discussion, when a friend of mine was telling me about her boss at work. She has told me about him many times before, and she mentioned once before she wondered if he was bi polar. I told her I had no clue, and the reason she had mentioned that was, she had said she never knows how he is going to act from one minute to the next. One minute he seems fine then 10 minutes later he acts like a completely different person. Almost like some kind of Jeykal/Hyde personality. Except that might be an extreme. She was saying, just when she thinks he might be an ok person after all, he will turn around and do something that puts that thought of him having changed right out of her mind. I don't know why she would feel that is a bi-polar situation. But maybe it was the first thing that popped into her mind. From what you described it doesn't sound much like BPD either. I do know she has said he makes her feel like she has to walk on eggshells. Maybe he is just a PA (Passive Agressive) kind of person? I don't really know how to say what a person is that acts one way one minute, and another way the next.
Lauriebell82 Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 People who are bipolar typically have emotional swings that last MONTHS. They'll be manic for a couple of months and then depressed for three months, for example. Also the ups and downs are pronounced. When they're manic they will often be delusional to the point of needing to be hospitalized. Or they'll engage in extremely self destructive behavior. Going on a shopping spree and wasting thousands of dollars. Not all bipolar people have the depressive side. Those who do may get so low that they attempt suicide, when they're off their medication. People with smaller, less pronounced emotional swings may be what's called hypomanic. People who are borderline are more consistently self destructive, and there's no medication they can take to minimize their "symptoms." They also don't tend to get delusional, at least not as often or to the same degree. They don't usually need to be hospitalized. Exactly. Just to add to the difference between the two is that borderline cleints also have more trouble with damaging relationships, more likely to be abused as well. Thsi is usually the result of childhood abuse or some kind of trauma. Usually their relationships are destructive to both their self esteem and self-image and are usually abusive in some manner. Borderlines lack boundary control as well. They also may have a lot of problems with self harm which plays out in ways such as "cutting" (i.e. slitting wrists/arms with a sharp object). Like shadowplay said meds are generally not effective in treating BPD. I work with clients on what is called Diactic Behavioral Therapy which is basically being aware of triggers that cause "episodes" and coping skills to deal with stressful situations. It helps minimize syptoms but generally you can't treat BPD like you can Bipolar. They are overdiagnosing Bipolar now in my opinion. I have clients who come in and say they are Bipolar and that some doctor told them they were, yet they don't have symptoms that show evidence. Most of them are just stress and anxiety that feeds off the depression, and the misconception is that it is Bipolar.
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