What's the difference between bipolar disorder and "Borderline Personality Disorder"?

Answer 1

"Borderline" means slight, and can be applied to almost any personality disorder (mental illness). Bipolar is one type of personality disorder, also known as manic-depressive or, in common parlance "schizo."

Answer 2

Bipolar is a mood disorder associated with mood cycling and episodes of mania or depression and sometimes both.

Borderline Personality disorder is a personality disorder which is associated with borderline emotional instability (e.i crying hysterically after breaking a dish).

Answer 3

They are both different disorders and many of the symptoms overlap between them and it is not uncommon to have both at the same time. It is better to ask a professional this question, but in the meantime, you can go ahead and read about the disorders on the internet.


Bipolar:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/DS00356/UPDATEAPP=0

Borderline:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/borderline-personality-disorder.shtml

Here is a good answer to your question:

"While a person with depression or bipolar disorder typically endures the same mood for weeks, a person with BPD may experience intense bouts of anger, depression, and anxiety that may last only hours, or at most a day."