How to Tell the Difference Between Bipolar Disorder and BPD in Youths
It’s not uncommon for teenagers to be misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder - which is more widely understood - when they might be actually struggling with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Bipolar disorder and BPD can often be confused with each other because they both typically develop in adolescence, involve intense emotions and dramatic mood swings, and can lead to dangerous behavior.
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The Child Mind Institute has shared some resources about the key differences between BPD and bipolar disorder. For example, episodes of mania or depression last weeks or months with bipolar disorder and can arise without a clear trigger.
In BPD, emotional shifts are rapid and reactive, with moods lasting only minutes or hours and typically triggered by interpersonal stress, rejection, or disappointment.
The Child Mind Institute’s resources explain how to recognize the earliest signs of both disorders in teenagers and why it’s important to catch them as soon as possible. Treatment for the two disorders are very different, and the longer they go untreated or misdiagnosed, the more disruptive they can be to a person’s life.
The resources include: