How do I get help for bipolar & borderline personality disorder please ? x?

Question

I seem to have symptoms of both bipolar and borderline personality disorder.

It's very hard for me to tell which disorder I have , I feel like I show more symptoms towards borderline personality disorder but I have taken several self tests online and they all say I seem to be more bipolar more than bpd.

I am only 16 and I know I need to get help but I don't know how to do this exactly or how this is all works. I have told my parents and they said I should wait a while , so I am going to tell them I can't wait anymore and I need to kind of get this fixed , who do I book an appointment with exactly? My GP ? A therapist ? I'm so confused and I don't know who to contact to get a full diagnosis from. What happens once I talk to someone ? How do I exactly get help with this?

I feel alone in this situation because everyone around me doesn't understand the thoughts and feelings I endure and I become more and more panicked. :-(

Thank you for answering :) x

Answer 1

Self diagnosis is dangerous. You'll convince yourself you have a mental illness and you'll start to 'develop' the symptoms you've been reading about. A psychiatrist trains for over 13 years to be able to diagnose complex illnesses such as bipolar and BPD; there is no way you can do it over the internet!



The only way to access mental health services in the UK is via your GP. You're 16 so you have the same rights to confidentiality as an adult when it comes to NHS healthcare. Phone up your GP practice tomorrow and make an appointment to see the GP you like the most; you are registered with the practice not just one GP. If you don't like any of them you can change to a different practice. You don't need to tell them that you're leaving, you simply walk into a different surgery and ask to register as a new patient. They will most likely ask for one or two forms of ID. The registration form is quick and easy to fill in.



When you see a GP about mental health go a list of symptoms, not a list of self diagnosed conditions. Many symptoms you just can't see in yourself as it's impossible to be objective about your own personality and behavioural traits. Besides reading a list of symptoms so you know what it's like to be bipolar? Have you ever met anyone with BPD? I'm not talking youtube clips here or self diagnosed school friends. Unless you've lived it or at least supported a best friend through either condition the 'list of symptoms' is just a hint at the enormity of these complex, sometimes dangerous conditions.



Because of your age a GP cannot diagnose or treat you so you'd be referred to CAMHS [child and adolescent mental health services] for an assessment and either counselling or therapy. If there was concern that your problems aren't just emotional then you would be seen by a psychiatrist. No psychiatrist would rush into a diagnosis and it can take years of symptoms at your age to be diagnosed with a severe mental illness such as bipolar disorder. Few psychiatrists would risk diagnosing a personality disorder such as BPD in an adolescent while their personality is still forming. It is possible to receive psychological treatment without a specific diagnosis.



If you do have either condition then your symptoms would be affecting your day to day life and friends and family would notice. You can't just hide either condition from people around you, neither comes with an on/off switch or a mute button. Typically if people around you aren't begging you to get help then you don't have either. This is good!

Answer 2

Please do not attempt to self diagnose yourself. Not only will this create the idea in your mind that you "absolutely DO have bipolar disorder", but it could make your mind begin to mimic the symptoms of bipolar disorder.



You are 16 years old, growing and changing. Mood swings are typical. If you're in a depressed state for over two weeks, and then a manic state for over 7 days, then is the time to see someone about this.



But if it only lasts hours, or a few days, then that is 100% normal.



Self tests are not made by professionals. Professionals with screenings would cost money, they would never be free.



Not to mention self tests are never accurate.



If you're taking a test on bipolar disorder, they will say yes or no to BIPOLAR DISORDER, not yes or no to any other things that might be going on with you. Same with BPD.



Please don't rely on these self tests to self diagnose yourself with these disorders. They are very serious.



As I said before, if your depression state lasts over TWO WEEKS, and your manic state lasts over SEVEN DAYS, then you should see a psychiatrist.



Any less is just your teenage hormones :)



Nothing to worry about! You are completely normal

Answer 3

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder which effects a persons mood and is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. In bipolar disorder a person has mood swings from depression to mania which have to last 7 days each to be diagnosed but generally last weeks or months at a time. I developed bipolar when I was 15 and diagnosed at 18, when I was depressed I would sleep constantly, cry, wouldn't leave bed for days, didn't eat, wash, dress, constantly felt suicidal, hopeless and worthless, withdrew myself from family and friends and stopped going to school. This lasted for 6 months. Then I switched into mania when I was constantly full of energy and felt like I was on top of the world I was so happy, didn't sleep for days and if I did I would sleep up to 3 hours only but felt completely awake and full of energy, went out every night abusing alcohol and drugs, got into meaningless relationship, had sex with strangers, had so much confidence, spent every penny I had and even stole from my mum, shop lifted, racing thoughts, aggressive and irritable, psychotic when I would hallucinate and be delusional to the point I stabbed myself and almost my boyfriend, I was constantly doing one thing to the next and I nearly failed college. This lasted for 4 months. Bipolar disorder is something that is very severe and effects your everyday life. I ended up being hospitalised because I was psychotic, hallucinating and delusional.



Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is an emotional disorder which effects a person emotions (not mood) and it is not caused by chemical imbalances in the brain but how someone has processed their emotions over time usually due to childhood trauma. Symptoms include rapid mood swings due to emotional instability, thinking in only black and white, self harm, suicidal ideation and reoccurring attempts, impulsive and/or risky behaviour, fear of abandonment, eating disorders, unstable self image and sense of self, unstable relationships with family and friends, anxiety, depression, anger and aggression. Take me as an example, I have BPD and my emotions are everywhere. I will wake up feeling so happy bouncing off the walls for no reason and then the smallest thing like not being able to turn my computer on will make me so angry and when I say angry I mean so angry I will smash my things against walls and hit my boyfriend to get all my anger out and this will last around 2 hours until I break down crying for hours just because I couldn't turn my computer on! I self harm almost every day, attempted suicide over 6 times, only think in black and white, have bad anger outbursts and switch from one emotion to the next in seconds. I also have struggled with eating disorders for 3 years and engage in risky behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse as well as impulsively spending all my money and taking overdoses on a daily basis. I was even hospitalised for it. Because it is not a chemical imbalance the best treatment is therapy for the person to learn techniques on how to control their emotions better. Some medications can help for symptoms such as depression and anxiety but it mainly therapy that is used to help people with BPD and it is curable through therapy.



I have both these disorders. Do not self diagnose. If you think you have a mental health problem then you need to go to your doctor and explain your symptoms and ask for a psychiatric referral. A psychiatrist is the only one who can diagnose either disorder. Good luck.

Answer 4

You see your regular doctor and if he thinks something is wrong he will refer you to a psychiatrist. Then after you see the psychiatrist a few times they may be able to make a diagnosis and will put you on medication and recommend therapy if necessary. They will not diagnose Borderline before you are 18 and they also hesitate to diagnose Bipolar at you age also unless the symptoms are so severe that you require hospitalization. So they are likely to not diagnose you with anything but may give you something to help with your moods.

Answer 5

Firstly, a lot of teens think they have symptoms of disorders like borderline and bipolar, but really it's normal teenage changes. I'm not saying those changes are easy to deal with, but often they are part of normal teenage development. Aside from that, bipolar and borderline are not very common disorders. Trying to self-diagnose, especially when it comes to complicated disorders like those, isn't really a great idea. There's a reason why people take special training and only certain professionals are able to diagnose.



That said, it sounds like this is distressing for you and that's not good. You could see your doctor, or a psychiatrist. Usually GPs aren't really the best option to get a psychiatric diagnosis. If you are diagnosed, they will talk with you about treatment options. Usually this involves a combination of medication and counselling.