Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Vs. Bipolar Disorder: Key Differences Explained
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar disorder are both profoundly misunderstood conditions that are often confused. BPD and bipolar disorder are not the same disorder. In reality, these two conditions are entirely different. There are some important differences between them. Here, we’ll break down the facts to help you better understand these two disorders.
BPD Vs Bipolar: Similarities
Borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder share a few similarities.
Mood Shifts
Both borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder both cause extreme mood shifts.
Stigma
There is a significant stigma attached to both of these disorders, even among healthcare providers. People may hold harmful and false beliefs about BPD and bipolar disorder. The perception in the media of both disorders is damaging.
Which is worse: borderline vs bipolar stigma? Recent studies have found that the stigma for BPD tends to be worse. That’s because the public perception of people with BPD is that they are toxic and manipulative. In the medical world, people with BPD may be seen as “unfixable” or “untreatable.” This perception can be very disheartening and harmful for people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Suicide Risk
People with BPD and bipolar disorder are both at a higher risk of self-harm and suicide. Up to 60 percent of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder attempt suicide. Nearly 70 percent of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder attempt suicide at least once in their lifetime. The rates of completed suicide are about the same for both disorders (10%).
Depressive symptoms are the main driver of suicide in people with bipolar disorder, while impulsivity and intense emotions tend to drive suicide in people with BPD. People with borderline personality disorder may turn to self-harm because of extremely heightened emotions.
If You Are In Crisis, Reach Out
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, call or text the 988 Lifeline to talk to a trained counselor 24/7. If you have a plan to harm yourself, contact 911 (in the USA) for immediate assistance.
Outlook
Both of these disorders are highly treatable. There’s help out there for both. With hard work and consistent treatment, a person can live a normal life with either disorder.
BPD Vs Bipolar: Differences
These two disorders can look alike, but there are some important differences.
Diagnostic criteria
The first thing that separates these disorders is how they are diagnosed. These two disorders are listed in different categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Bipolar disorder is listed in the Bipolar and Related Disorders category of the DSM-5. This condition is characterized by extreme shifts in mood. A person will typically experience periods of mania or hyponamia that alternate with depressive episodes. Depressive episodes are not required for a bipolar one diagnosis, but they are typically present. During these mood episodes, a person will have extreme shifts in mood, activity levels, and behavior that affect their functioning.
BPD is a personality disorder. Personality disorders are lasting, fixed patterns of feelings and behaviors that deviate from the norm. To receive a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, a person must have at least five of the following:
Unstable sense of self
Issues controlling anger or rage
Significant mood shifts that last several hours or more
Significant efforts to avoid abandonment
Self-harm or suicidal ideation or behavior
Persistant feelings of emptiness
Pattern of intense or unsatble relationships
Impulsive, dangerous behaviors like unsafe sexual encounters or drug use
Depersonalization or feeling cut off from reality
At its core, borderline personality disorder significantly affects how a person feels and thinks about themselves, as well as others. It causes uncertainty in how a person views themselves and others. People diagnosed with BPD have an intense fear of close relationships ending. This unstable sense of self and fear of abandonment is typically not present in bipolar disorder. Also, people with BPD not only have mood shifts, but they also have intense feelings that accompany the mood shifts.
Mania and hypomania (abnormal elevatations in mood), which are core features of bipolar disorder, are typically not present in BPD. Also, people with borderline personality disorder do not have a decreased need for sleep, which typically occurs with bipolar disorder.
Prevalence
Borderline personality disorder is less common than bipolar disorder. It is estimated that approximately 1 percent of the population experiences borderline personality disorder. About 4.4 percent of people in the United States have bipolar disorder.
Treatments
The treatment plan for both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder typically involves a combination of therapy and medications. However, the first-line treatment for bipolar disorder is a solid medication regimen.
Medications are usually not specifically recommended as a primary treatment for BPD. Doctors may prescribe people with BPD medications, but these are usually prescribed for co-occurring conditions like depression.
The first-line treatment for BPD is therapy. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), in particular, is especially effective for BPD. Therapy can also be beneficial for people with bipolar disorder. Therapies for bipolar disorder include Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Borderline personality disorder vs bipolar: Here’s what people are asking about.
Can Someone Have Both Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder?
Yes, research indicates that approximately 10 percent of people with bipolar I and 20 percent with bipolar II also have borderline personality disorder.
Which Is Worse: Bipolar or BPD?
Both borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder are serious conditions that require lifelong treatment. Both also vary in severity.
