Biology,  Borderline Personality Disorder

Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder: The Differences Between The Two And How To Avoid Misdiagnosis

According to a study published in Psychiatry, a large number of bipolar patients (up to 69 percent) are misdiagnosed initially, and up to one-third remain misdiagnosed for a long time afterward.

Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder: The Differences Between The Two And How To Avoid Misdiagnosis

May 28, 2015 09:00 AM
By Lecia Bushak

While bipolar and borderline personality disorder have similar symptoms — such as extreme mood swings — that can oft confuse the two, they’re completely different conditions that have their own unique treatments.

Diagnosing either of the disorders is extremely difficult and requires extensive questioning, medical history, and information about the person’s background and symptoms to get to a proper conclusion. It’s especially tricky, since many of these disorders overlap and seem to play off one another.

According to a study published in Psychiatry, a large number of bipolar patients (up to 69 percent) are misdiagnosed initially, and up to one-third remain misdiagnosed for a long time afterward. Many bipolar patients are first diagnosed with depression and prescribed antidepressants — which can actually be dangerous to bipolar patients, since they can induce hypomania and trigger the mania to depression cycle over and over again.

“Missing the diagnosis of bipolar illness is all too common in clinical practice with devastating consequences for patients and families,” said Dr. Prakash Masand, CEO of Global Medical Education.

Bipolar disorder is often confused with borderline personality disorder, so here are the things you should look out for if you or someone you care about is experiencing these muddled symptoms.

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