Question:
I had a boyfriend once who insisted I had borderline personality disorder,
and I have read some research on it that perfectly describes me, but my doc
said no way, because I have never mutilated myself and I don't have gender
issues. All I know is something isn't right. I hate how I feel. I feel very unstable and my emotions shift without any apparent change in my environment. Any info or links would be very appreciated?
Answer:
My doc a couple years ago diagnosed me as clinically depressed, with bipolar
symptoms. I don't know if this means I AM bipolar, and would like to learn
more about the disorder to figure out if it applies to me. My symptoms are wide mood swings-from elation to serious depression over the
course of a day or two. Sometimes I have this weird feeling of kind of a
mixture between elation and sorrow, like I want to cry but I don't know if I
am happy or sad. Sometimes I can't sleep for days at a time. I am very
sensitive to stress and fall apart easily.
I had a boyfriend once who insisted I had borderline personality disorder,
and I have read some research on it that perfectly describes me, but my doc
said no way, because I have never mutilated myself and I don't have gender
issues.
Good question. My bipolar qualities are brought out by medication to
treat, treatment resistant depression. I struggle with the implications
of this. Those certainly are bipolar symptoms. Getting a good nights sleep is
key to wellness with bipolar disorder. You should make a point of
getting this symptom treated. Just a day without having to deal with the mood swings would be a
holiday indeed. You need to have a certain number of specific symptoms out of a whole set of
them to have Borderline. The diagnostic criteria depends on which country you're
in too, go to this web page to see the American vs. the European diagnostic
criteria: http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-pe05.html
Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder can coexist at the
same time.
I have enclosed 2 article which address this issue. I hope they are
helpful to you. bipolar symptoms. I don't know if this means I AM bipolar, and would like
to learn more about the disorder to figure out if it applies to me.
My symptoms are wide mood swings-from elation to serious depression over the
course of a day or two. Sometimes I have this weird feeling of kind of a
mixture between elation and sorrow, like I want to cry but I don't know if I
am happy or sad. Sometimes I can't sleep for days at a time. I am very
sensitive to stress and fall apart easily. For people who are ignorant of the facts, it's easy to sling the term
"borderline" around... I bet he used the term in the context of a fight,
right?
To a lot of people (therapists included), "borderline" is an implied slur.
To them, it essentially means "I don't understand why you act this way. Why
don't you behave properly?" It's essentially like calling someone a schizo.
I would go with your doctor's informed opinion.
As Lynda NP posted in an earlier article, borderline personality disorder
and bipolar disorders are often comorbid....
actually thats the way i felt last year. i was trying to get a therapist
to work with.. and he kept insisting i was 'borderline'.. i felt that
was insulting, in that he was -dismissing- my 'behaviors' into an 'easy'
dx for him to 'deal with me' by. to me that meant he didnt have any interest in the complexities of the situation.
i may be borderline or part borderline, but i felt that my symptoms were
far more consistent with something a lot more complicated.
the major difference i didnt like was that people with true borderline
are thought to have 'trouble forming consistent relationships' and i
always fought that. i am still friends with my very first boyfriend, we
met at 18, lived together for 5 years, and today we live in the same
town and he just came over a couple days ago. same with my two other
boyfriends. i form deep and lasting relationships. i dont see myself as
emotionally 'needy' to that degree as he seemed to.. to be completely
unable to form relationships... that didnt seem right to me.....
so i rejeected the idea that i was 'histrionic' or 'emotionally shallow'
which is what his dx of 'borderline' -seemed- to imply. it did feel very
insulting at the time, nothing against -real- borderline people, but the
way he said it made me feel bad.
he didnt seem to care that i was taking meds and responding for being
bi-polar.
i didnt trust him so i didnt see him.
