Understanding Bipolar Disorder
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) is a mood disorder that is defined by extreme mood swings that include episodes of mania or hypomania (high energy and mood) and depressive states (low energy and mood).
The symptoms of bipolar disorder can negatively disrupt your daily life and make the following challenging:
- Ability to think clearly
- Have stable relationships
- Stay or be interested in hobbies or activities they like
- Manage energy levels
A mental health professional can help with the mood fluctuations caused by bipolar disorder by using proven treatment options like dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Both are forms of psychotherapy that address the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
Studies haven’t shown the exact cause of bipolar disorder, but researchers believe it involves a combination of factors such as:
- Genetics
- Biological influences
- Environmental surroundings
- Family history
At Ocean View, we provide acute care that includes coping skills to improve your well-being.
What Are Manic Episodes?
A manic episode is characterized by a highly elevated mood and high energy.
These episodes can increase your sense of self and feelings of invincibility, and lead to risky behaviors.
What Are Depressive Episodes?
During depressive episodes, you may have feelings of persistent sadness, fatigue, and loss of interest in social or personal hobbies or activities.
Depressive episodes affect how you feel, behave, and think, leading to various emotional and physical issues.
You may also have suicidal thoughts while experiencing a depressive episode. If you have thoughts of self-harm, harming others, or suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately.
What Are the Types of Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is separated into three different types: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder.
Severe episodes of depression and mania mark bipolar I disorder. When a person is experiencing a manic episode, their behaviors can include overspending, having sex with people they usually wouldn’t have sex with, actively pursuing unrealistic plans, becoming delusional, or being bizarre.
Bipolar II disorder has severe depression and hypomania episodes, but the mood levels are milder than those of bipolar I disorder. Those with bipolar II disorder can go for periods between episodes and often live healthy lives. They are usually fun people at a party and can be gregarious.
Hypomanic episodes can progress into manic episodes that lead to instances of overspending, having sex people that they usually wouldn’t have sex with, an increased frequency of sex, or seeking out risky activities.
Instead of extended periods of depression or hypomanic symptoms, those experiencing cyclothymic disorder have episodes that alternate at a shorter rate.
If you are struggling with bipolar I or II, you may also experience what is known as rapid cycling. An individual with bipolar I or II can also be diagnosed with rapid-cycling when they have four or more mood swings in one year.
Furthermore, it is possible with bipolar disorder to experience a mixed episode, which can include hypomania, depression, and manic episodes that occur at the same time.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
What Are the Common Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?
If you have bipolar disorder, you may experience extreme mood shifts that are out of your control, which lead to mood episodes.
With bipolar disorder, you will experience the following symptoms:
- Mania (high energy, euphoria, irritability)
- Depression (low energy, loss of interest in enjoyable activities, sadness)
However, there are other symptoms that you may experience with bipolar disorder, which can lead to unstable relationships in your personal and professional life.
What Are the Symptoms of Manic Episodes?
Manic episodes are marked by periods of intense feelings of high energy or mood elevation.
If you are experiencing a manic episode, you may have symptoms that include:
- Euphoria
- Increased activity
- Racing thoughts
- Impulsive behavior (impulsivity)
What Are the Symptoms of Hypomania?
The symptoms of hypomania are similar to those of mania, except they’re not as severe.
If you are experiencing hypomania, you may have the following:
- Elevated mood
- Increased energy levels
- Being more talkative
- Racing thoughts
- Impulsive behavior
- Lack of ned for sleep
- Increased self-esteem
What Are the Signs of Depressive Episodes?
If you have depressive episodes, you may go through periods of over two weeks during which you experience:
- Persistent low moods
- Loss of interest in activities they enjoy
- Fatigue
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Low self-esteem
- Feeling worthless
The severity of depressive symptoms can vary and can be improved with evidence-based therapies.
At Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility, our medical and mental health professionals work together to ensure you receive the finest acute psychiatric care.
Can Manic and Depressive Episode Symptoms Co-Occur?
Yes, you can have manic and depressive episodes at the same time.
When this happens, it’s called dysphoric mania or mixed episodes. A mixed episode is intense and often confusing.
Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
What Is BPD?
Borderline personality disorder is a severe mental health disorder that affects your ability to regulate your emotions.
Emotions tend to run high for those with a borderline personality disorder. Often, an emotionally triggering event can start an episode of BPD. During an episode, you may struggle to maintain stability in your moods, self-image, behavior, and daily functioning. You may experience your emotions intensely, and those feelings can last for a few hours or days.
BPD is one of several conditions named “Cluster B” personality disorders. Cluster B personality disorders include dramatic and inconsistent behaviors.
Personality disorders like BPD are long-term, dysfunctional, inflexible behavior patterns that can negatively affect personal and work relationships as well as create distress.
In some cases, if you have BPD, you can have a co-occurring disorder such as:
- Substance abuse
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety
What Triggers a BPD Episode?
Triggers of a BPD episode often include:
- Fear of abandonment
- Perceived rejection
- Feelings of isolation
- Experiencing thoughts of loneliness
- Perception of criticism
The triggers of BPD can create extreme emotional reactions as well as intensify its symptoms.
What Does a Manic Episode of BPD Look Like?
People with BPD can experience several symptoms during a manic episode, including:
- Impulsivity
- Heightened energy that lasts for at least a few hours or a few days
- Intense emotional highs
- Feelings of loneliness
- Irritability
The difference between a bipolar manic episode and a BPD episode is that relationships often cause the mood changes and can quickly shift from one to another.
Symptoms of BPD
What Are the Symptoms of BPD?
The symptoms of BPD include:
- Severe fear of abandonment
- Quick changes in self-image
- Extreme emotional mood changes
- Unstable relationships
- Impulsive, often risky behaviors
If you have BPD, you can also experience the following symptoms:
- Acts of self-harm or suicidal behavior
- Unexplained, inappropriate anger
- Feeling empty
If you or a loved one expresses or acts on thoughts of self-harm or suicide, seek help immediately. You can call or text 988. Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility is also here to help you seek treatment for your acute crisis.
When Do BPD Symptoms Peak?
The symptoms of BPD often are at their highest during early adulthood, usually between late teens and early 20s.
The severity and occurrence of symptoms will vary between individuals. That’s why at Ocean View, your treatment plan is tailored to your unique needs.
How Can Symptoms Affect Relationships?
The symptoms of BPD often create unstable and intense relationships.
These relationships are usually affected by:
- Fear of abandonment
- Impulsivity
- Emotional dysregulation
The symptoms of BPD can create unstable relationships where you may swing between devaluing and idealizing your partners. The swing between moods can make maintaining healthy relationships challenging.
Manic Depression vs BPD: Differences & Similarities
Is Borderline Personality Disorder the Same as Bipolar Disorder?
No, but the symptoms of borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder can be similar.
Mental health professionals assess you and make a diagnosis based on the guidelines in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM sets a protocol for borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder that is recognized across the country.
Do BPD and Bipolar Disorder Have Different Causes?
Yes, the two disorders have different causes.
Bipolar disorder is often linked to:
- Family history
- Genetic factors
- Brain chemistry
BPD is strongly connected to:
- Childhood trauma
- Environmental stressors
- Neglect
While both mental health conditions can have overlapping symptoms, those with BPD usually have more significant relational and emotional elements associated with the development of their symptoms.
Do BPD and Bipolar Disorder Have Similar Symptoms?
Yes, bipolar disorder and BPD can have similar symptoms.
However, the cause of those symptoms is different.
What Is the Difference Between a Mood and a Personality Disorder?
There are key differences between a mood and a personality disorder.
Mood disorders are usually influenced by:
- Stress
- Traumatic life events
- Genetic factors
- Biological issues (abnormalities in brain function or structure)
A complex combination of factors typically influences BPD and other personality disorders, such as:
- Adverse childhood experiences (trauma, neglect, abuse)
- Inflexible patterns of behavior
- Maladaptive behaviors
- Genetic factors
Diagnosis of Manic Depression vs BPD
What Are the Diagnostic Criteria for BPD and Bipolar?
Therapists use the DSM-5 for an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder and BPD.
An individual with BPD must have at least 5 of the 9 symptoms of BPD.
These 9 symptoms are:
- Mood instability connected to intense emotional reactions
- Unstable relationships
- Impulses and risky behaviors (sex, reckless driving, spending more than you can afford)
- Distorted self-image
- Suicidal behaviors or acts of self-harm
- Irrational anger
- Persistent feelings of loneliness or emptiness
- Dissociation or paranoia understress
- Fear of abandonment or extreme efforts to avoid it
If you are in the process of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you must undergo a comprehensive assessment performed by a mental health or medical professional that includes:
- Physical exam
- Mental health assessment
- Conversation about behaviors and mood patterns
- Family mental health history
After the assessment is completed, you can be diagnosed if you have the following symptoms:
- Manic episodes
- Hypomanic episodes
- Depressive episodes
- Mixed episodes
How Do I Tell if I’m Bipolar or Have BPD?
Knowing whether or not you are experiencing the symptoms of bipolar disorder or BPD is challenging, but differentiating between the symptoms of manic depression vs BPD with a mental health professional can help you come to a formal diagnosis.
If you have the following symptoms, you should seek help or talk to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder include:
- Episodes of mania or hypomania
- Depressive episodes (bipolar depression)
The symptoms of BPD are intense and include:
- Fear of abandonment
- Distorted self-image
- Impulsive behaviors
- Unstable relationships
Recognizing the symptoms of both disorders is a step towards understanding your intense emotional reactions. While taking these steps to learn about your mental health condition can be scary, it does mean you can take further steps towards clinical improvement, healthy choices, and coping skills.
Are People Sometimes Misdiagnosed With BPD When They Have Bipolar?
Yes, sometimes individuals are misdiagnosed with borderline personality disorder when, instead, they have bipolar disorder.
BPD and bipolar disorder have similar symptoms, such as impulsivity and mood swings, which can make diagnosing bipolar disorder challenging.
Treatment for Bipolar and BPD
When Should I Seek Help?
If you or a loved one has the following symptoms of BPD or bipolar disorder, you should seek help:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Thoughts of self-harm
- Unstable relationships
- Extreme mood swings
Mental health treatment, like talk therapy, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or antipsychotics, in the early stages, often significantly improves your well-being and quality of life. Early treatment can also help you monitor, maintain, and recognize signs of worsening symptoms.
Do Bipolar and BPD Require Medication?
Medication for BPD and bipolar disorder is not always needed.
However, your doctor or mental health provider may prescribe an antipsychotic, mood stabilizer, or antidepressant if medication can benefit your mental health.
What If I Experience Severe Symptoms?
If you experience severe, harmful symptoms, you should seek help immediately.
You can go to your local emergency room or call 988 if you have suicidal thoughts or behaviors, including self-harm.
Ocean View’s admissions team is available 24/7 to help you through the admissions process if you are experiencing an acute mental health crisis.
Can Lifestyle Changes Help With Treatment?
Yes, lifestyle changes can make a difference if you are diagnosed with BPD or bipolar disorder.
These changes can include:
- Stress management techniques
- Life skills
- Physicalexercise
- Healthy diet
- Well-regulated sleep behaviors and patterns
FAQs
Why is bipolar disorder no longer called manic-depressive illness?
The term manic-depressive illness was changed to bipolar disorder in 1980 to reduce the stigma and allow for a clearer, more precise diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
The change from manic depression to bipolar disorder provided an ability to diagnose and treat the various forms of bipolar disorder (bipolar I, bipolar II, hypomania, and mixed episodes) with improved treatment options that fit an individual’s type of bipolar disorder.
Can someone with BPD live alone?
Yes, individuals with BPD can live alone.
However, they can face challenges in managing their emotions and feelings of isolation and loneliness. To help alleviate the feelings and symptoms of BPD, it is helpful to remain involved in talk therapy and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships.
It can also be beneficial if loved ones maintain social connections by:
- Listening without judgement
- Involving them in activities
- Asking what they can do to help
What is the rarest type of BPD?
Mental health experts report that the rarest and hardest to diagnose type of BPD is Discouraged (Quiet) borderline personality disorder.
Discouraged BPD can often go overlooked because the individual with this form of BPD appears to be put together or high-functioning to others, but is internalizing feelings of emotional turmoil and self-hatred.
The key symptoms of Quiet BPD are:
- Self-destructive behavior
- Internalized anger
- Withdrawal and moodiness instead of uncontrollable, visible rage
- Challenging to set positive, healthy boundaries
- Feelings of existential angst and hopelessness
What triggers BPD splitting?
Events that cause or evoke intense emotional responses, like miscommunication, disagreements, and perceived abandonment, can trigger splitting in BPD.
These events can create severe mood changes that switch between devaluing and idealizing a loved one or friend. Mental health professionals report that BPD splitting is a defense technique to protect an individual from their personality or external influences. BPD splitting can negatively affect personal relationships and an individual’s mental well-being.
At what age does BPD manifest itself?
Typically, the symptoms of BPD begin in an individual’s late teens to early 20s.
The symptoms of BPD will vary in intensity and frequency from one individual to another.