Bipolar and borderline personality?

does these disorders usually go hand-in-hand??
Answer:
Yes, they often do.

People with Bipolar Disorder are not typically Borderline as well, but many times, people with Borderline Personality Disorder are (or were) diagnosed with some form of Bipolar Disorder (1, 2 or not otherwise specified).

Bipolar is a shift from manic (grandiose, irritable, sleepless, tireless, with unrealistic beliefs about the self) to depressive (hyposomnia, depressed mood, loss of interest, fatigue, irritability, loss of concentration) states.

Borderline is a pattern of insecurity and self-defeating behaviors and attitudes, as well as unstable relationships, often in which a person goes from idealizing others to devaluing them. This pattern is also described as splitting (people are either ALL good or ALL bad).

So you can see how both disorders involve swinging from one extreme to another.

The big difference between them is that Bipolar is a mental disorder, which can be expected to change or be treated with psychotropic medications and therapy, while Borderline is a personality disorder, meaning it is only diagnosed in adults, and is therefore much less liable to change, and for which only one intensive model of therapy has been found to have marginal success (Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy).

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Yes, and schizofrenic disorders could easily be in this pack.

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Very often but not absolutely every time. Bipolar seems to have major ups and downs, highs and lows, feeling great and depressed as HECK, borderline personality leans more toward scizo behavior though not necesarily paronoid scizo Hope it's not your problem and that is why you are asking. If it is your self or a family member delve very deeply into behaviors with therapist and books and the net. Either of the conditions require support and life long cooperation to deal with and some semblance of a good quality of life...plus these do help you qualify for medical disability

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I have BPD but I am not bi-polar.

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Borderline Personality Disorder rarely occurs alone and it is usually diagnosed with another mental illness. So, I was surprised to find that, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), only 15% of people with Bipolar Disorder also have Borderline Personality Disorder. It is much more likely to be seen with depression.

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