Borderline personality disorder & bipolar: any link?

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Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder are two separate diagnoses that in some cases appear very similar and in some cases can go hand in hand. Both involve the patients transitioning from manic moods, characterized by high energy, positive emotions and impulsive behavior, to depressive moods in which the person feels sad, irritable and lethargic. Patients with borderline personality disorder tend to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder somewhat more frequently than patients with other personality disorders, indicating a possible link between the two. However, the underlying causes of the two disorders appear to be different; bipolar appears to be linked to chemical imbalances in the brain, while borderline personality disorder appears to be closely linked to delayed personal and emotional development.

The symptoms of borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder can often be the same, although there are factors that differentiate them. The main feature of both disorders is the change from manic to depressive moods; patients can go from feeling happy, euphoric, and energetic to having low energy and feeling negative. The presentation of these symptoms differs, however, in how often patients change mood; those with bipolar disorder typically maintain the same mood for weeks or months before having a change, while people with borderline personality disorder can switch between moods very quickly, every day or even every hour.

There appears to be a possible connection in the likelihood of being diagnosed with both borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder. Studies have found that there is a greater chance of being found to have bipolar disorder in combination with borderline personality than with other types of personality disorders. The connection isn’t considered strong, though, and could also be a result of a misdiagnosis due to the similar symptoms of the two.

While borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder can often present in similar ways, it is generally accepted that the root causes of each are very different. Mood episodes in bipolar patients, for example, often seem to occur for no apparent reason; this is indicative of problems with brain chemistry thought to trigger them. Those with borderline personality disorder, on the other hand, often experience mood changes in response to environmental or situational stressors. This is typically attributed to the fact that these patients are considered to suffer from a lack of emotional maturity which causes them to see situations in black and white, making them very sensitive and capricious.

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