https://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-and-borderline-personality-disorder-dual-diagnosis
Here are some links to articles that attempt to describe life with the dual diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder plus Bipolar Disorder. It is no joke. I have suffered symptoms of BPD since early/ mid teens & I'd say Bipolar 2 from about 17 throughout my 20's & 30's with emphasis on long periods of depression, up to 9 months at a time - changing to mostly hypomanic through my 40's culminating in a full blown manic episode & a graduation to Bipolar 1 at 48.
The BPD elements, which have been constant & concurrent but have gone unrecognised by me as well as everyone else for such a long time have been a bit like carrying a invisible dead body with me at all times, that is constantly interfering with my concentration & my emotional balance. Crippling, as well as very very misunderstood, with extremely high levels of ignorance & stigma from much mainstream society.
There is some overlap with the symptoms of the 2 conditions but the insight I have gained from having the dual diagnosis has been transformative. I'm still experiencing difficult/devastating Amygdala hijack but have more tools & more self awareness with which to unscramble.
I know that diagnostics in mental health gets a bad rap from various quarters these days & I was very sceptical myself back in the day. 20 years ago I went to an official Mental Health website with a friend & read through the symptoms associated with the major severe mental illnesses; Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Borderline, Depression, Anxiety & discovering I had symptoms of *all of them* I concluded that the criteria must, in some important way be wrong & I used that to shy away from Mental Health Services a while longer, despite endless & worsening suffering.
I am not overly attached to keeping the diagnosis's if & when they no longer fit my experience, but until that very very welcome day I am comfortable & helped by the use of the "Map" & description that is a diagnosis.
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