Borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder are psychological diseases that affect many people, including some who don't even realize it. The medical community has long struggled to distinguish a diagnostic difference between the two disorders as they are easily confused. The course of treatment is different for each, so it's important to diagnose a patient correctly.
Instructions
1. Take a moment to compare the diagnostic criteria for each disorder. Although you will find that many signs are the same, bipolar people don't generally possess an overwhelming fear of abandonment or a chronic feeling of emptiness while those with borderline personality disorder do. Borderlines are also susceptible to idealization and devaluation, more so than those with bipolar.
2. Understand that many borderlines cut themselves. The purpose of this is to help relieve emotional pain by inflicting physical pain, mostly in the form of cutting. This usually happens while the borderline is in a state of emotional turmoil and acting irrationally; thus, the risk of suicide is very high for borderlines. Many people cause self-injury, though, so this factor is not mutually exclusive.
3. Investigate the history of someone you suspect has one of these disorders, specifically their career path. Bipolar sufferers tend to get fired for missing too many days at work while in a depressive episode or for expressing grandiose ideas to their bosses during a manic phase. Borderlines tend to get themselves fired for having angry outbursts or being vindictive since they don't know regulate their impulses around others very well. They are more sensitive in general.
4. Analyze the interpersonal relationships of the person you're evaluating. Borderlines tend to have stormy relationships, alternating between extreme joy and all-out screaming matches. This happens because borderlines see things in black and white terms; there are no shades of gray for them. This "all or nothing" view is prevalent throughout their relationships as well as other aspects of their lives.
5. Step back and consider how well the person copes with different stressors and situations. Borderlines overreact in many cases; it can seem as if someone flipped a switch and the person changes into someone else. Bipolars, on the other hand, react according to their current cycles (manic or depressive).
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