Can You Have Bipolar Disorder + Borderline Personality? |Here’s Why It Matters

Can you have bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder at the same time? I've been asked this question several times and the answer is yes. In fact, some people will refer to this as borderpolar. This isn’t an official term but one that's coined by professionals in the field.

One of the key places bpd and bipolar disorder overlap is in the mood instability. With bpd, you can get rapidly shifting mood states that last hours or a day. Whereas episodes of mania or depression last a minimum of 4 days for hypomania and 2 weeks for depression.

The latest research has shown is about 20% of people have both disorders. Twenty percent is still a low frequency, it’s less than half. But even so, the people who have both of these going on at the same time tend to have a more severe illness course.

This matters with the treatment you get. The primary treatment for bipolar disorder is medication first and therapy second. Helpful therapies are social rhythm and interpersonal therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy.

For borderline personality disorder, the primary treatment is therapy first and maybe medication if there is something else to treat like depression, anxiety or ADHD just to name a few. The gold standard therapy for borderline personality disorder dialectical behavior therapy.

If you have both disorders, you need medication and DBT or some other comparable therapy for your borderline personality disorder. Medication alone is probably not going to be enough.

This is something your doctor or therapist could help you navigate and determine the best course of treatment.

Reference

Patel RS, Manikkara G, Chopra A. Bipolar Disorder and Comorbid Borderline Personality Disorder: Patient Characteristics and Outcomes in US Hospitals. Medicina (Kaunas). 2019;55(1):13.

Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

[ljn]

You’re one of the few who haven’t gave up on us

[fionafilippafrost]

Im borderpolar and Its like Living in a hell. I wish I only had my bipolar disorder. Living with Bought disorder makes it impossible to have close relations. People Think you are crazy and the never know What to expect from you. And the thing you a longing most for, love and emotionel close relationships, end up in kaos.

[hemprope]

I think we should really look into how mental illnesses affect a person when combined together. It seems to change them significantly.

[eleni]

I have bipolar 2 and BPD, along with some other things. While it is hard, know that you're not alone, a lot of people go through it. I've gotten so so so much better with time, medication, therapy, journaling, exercise and doing everything in my power to have a better quality of life, it truly gets better, I mean, you learn to better deal with it so it starts to lose power over you. While it never really goes away, you're not doomed to an unhappy life, you can be a happy, functional being while battling with these disorders. I'm not saying it's easy, it is definitely not, I've been through living hell, even being rejected by health care professionals, until I decided this would not be my life. I have my moments, of course. I have really hard times, but I also have really good times, and those are the ones I focus on, the ones that are worth living for. Never give up. You're not alone, you're not doomed, you're not en evil, crazy, manipulator that has no feelings even if people say that to you. I see you, keep going 💙

[katherinemorelle]

Just gotta day- you have the best hair on YouTube! It’s gorgeous, and I’m highkey jealous.

[martydyer]

As a fellow border/polar, I have had to come to the realization that I have to take these ailments as seriously as someone who is struggling with heart issues. It is exhausting, having to be constantly aware of triggers, harms, foods I eat, people I'm around because all of the individual things add up and have a total effect on my mind and how easily my will to live is defeated. As a survivor if more attempts than I care to say, I literally have had to come to the point if realizing every day of my life is a battle to keep me alive and help my children to avoid the pitfalls that have ensnared me many times simply because of my own ignorance.

[Angelajein]

Thank you so much for this! I’ve been diagnosed as bipolar by psychiatrists and told I don’t have bpd, but went to the hospital multiple times and the psychiatrists diagnosed me as borderline. It’s been frustrating because I think it’s important to know in order to get the right help.

[misterzicold]

"Your have your episodes of depression and mania that come and go but then you can still have this level of distress, sadness, or dissatisfaction with life that doesnt seem to change, even when your depression or mania have passed. If fact it can be hard to tell if your depression or mania have passed if you're still feeling emotionally unstable."
^ this
I rammaged through so many sites in different languages and I couldn't find clear explanation of do I have borderpolar or not. And finally I understand - this so relieving. Thank you for your channel and all your works!

[monitogeorge]

I have this. Hell is an understatement, it’s a battle every second of every day. It’s difficult to understand and difficult to explain.

[ashiyachocoholic]

Omg thank you so so much for making this video. I have been obsessively digging the internet for boderpolar info and it's just so hard to find them. I've been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder about 5 months ago and the medication helped tremendously... But only for a couple months. At that point, I thought I just needed an increase in my antidepressant dose coz the depression is not going away and was suddenly more intense than ever. Then I saw your video about BPD. Immediately, I wanted to talk to my psychiatrist so badly coz I was starting to realize that I might have 6 out of the 9 BPD symptoms in me, but with the pandemic and all, my next appointment is pushed to August, which is driving me insane coz I really need to talk to her. I was afraid that I was misdiagnosed and the medications I'm taking are not suitable for me. ....That is until I came across the term 'borderpolar'. Only then I know that it is possible to have both bipolar and BPD. And thanks to this video, I've learned something new and I will be ready to talk about this with my psychiatrist as soon as I see her again. I just hope I can get through until the time comes.... Thank you again, Dr.

[darrylparedes]

It feels like my world is like a never-ending winter with perfect storms everyday.

[sssaiddddd]

I was recently diagnosed with both BD1 and BPD, life is improving since. After reading about my illnesses I’ve found that I tend to be in four moods (I hope my insights are useful for whoever is reading this): manic idealization, manic devaluation, depressive idealization and depressive devaluation

[spaceknight]

This was so very true for me.

I had to try not to cry :(

It was like someone was holding up a mirror to my face and was saying; 'this, this is you'.

It was not a bad thing; it gives me more insight into what is happening with me and why.

My assessment report from my Psychiatrist was very thought and my 'Dual- Diagnosis' was completely in line with what you were saying.

The video helped describe what is happening to me in a different way, contributing to the report that I had received previously.

Thank you Dr. Marks

[taylorspringer]

This video helped me come to realization I have not been the partner I needed to be. I appreciate the way you explained the priority in treatment it is something that if I knew then what I know now I could have made their life much easier and I hope this helps anyone who watches it in the future.

[Nicole-iiwd]

You are the first doctor that made a video about this. You saved me really, thanks. It would be amazing if someone can translate it to spanish

[JazzSongs]

Thank you so much for this video Dr Marks! I have bipolar with BPD traits (used to be diagnosed with full BPD), plus other psychiatric disorders, and I have to say for me personally after finding the right combination of an understanding doctor, medications, a therapist, and the appropriate therapy for me personally (DBT, ACT, and some CBT approaches), I’m doing SO much better!

It’s finally manageable. Sure, I’ve had periods of multiple hospital stays, years where I couldn’t work, ptsd, and the painful frustration of finding the right doctor and therapy, but now even through that I can finally breathe again :’)

It’s taken a while to get here and I still have down days, but not nearly as intense as before.

I never thought managing these illnesses would be possible for someone like me, but it can be!

Watching this channel has helped me so much and supplemented my healing journey too. Thank you so very much Dr Marks for providing us all with these invaluable resources.

Don’t give up hope, beautiful YouTube commenters. I’m living proof things can get better.

Sending out so much love and rooting for you all!

We are all brave survivors ❤️

[rosa_jbb]

I am borderpolar diagnosed by health professionals several times. But as I approach my 30s and after a lot of psychotherapy, I notice that the borderline's symptoms are almost undetectable. On the other hand, I feel that the symptoms of bipolarity become more and more severe.

[Ch-rice]

No one talks about the combo of the two. Thank you.

[Lidia.Bella.Italiana]

I have both. 😔
BPD all day everyday day struggles. Bipolar pops in every couple/ few times a year.
Took foreverfor me to explain what I was feeling and that the differences were different they were not feeling the same and I finally understood that those other episodes were bipolar 2.

I also have OCD, PTSD, general anxiety, panic, and social anxieties and a few severe phobias and Dysthymia.

The features I have are... Dissociation, derealisation, chronic paranoia, ideas of reference, transient stress-related psychosis, and then when the depression or hypomania kick in I get grandiose or severely paranoid and depressed or super angry agitated and irritable.
My last concussion pushed out and worsened these issues.

[readingsbyrea]

You truly are a gift to society!!! Amazing ❤️