Does bi-polar, partial personality disorder, and addiction have a natural progression?

Question

How does this condition progress from mild to serious and or, from serious to debilitating?

Cluster B Personality Disorder

Borderline - not personality....

sorry

oleo - thanks you are dead on.

oleo - thanks you are dead on. I will look it up in my DSM-IV

Answer 1

I have never heard of a partial personality disorder and this is not in the DSM IV. I suspect you mean borderline personality disorder, this often goes along with addictions and bipolar disorder. Every person's progression or progress within their mental illness is unique. Alcoholism however has a fairly common course, progressing to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome which i described in my answer to your last question.

Answer 2

I never heard of "Partial Personality Disorder" and I have worked in mental health since 1987. Are you sure you got the name right? Do you mean "Paranoid Personality Disorder?"

Progress of mental illness can vary greatly from one person to another. Some people have very severe symptoms and then they go away completely and never come back. Some people seem to keep getting worse with little or no improvement.

If you are referring to drug abuse ("addiction"), yes, many mentally ill people also abuse drugs. It's really better to stay away from that stuff and stick to the medications you get from a doctor.

I am mentally ill, I have been diagnosed with Major Depression and Dysthymic Disorder. I used to have problems with drinking and drugs, but I gave that up completely. The only drug I still use is caffeine, I tend to drink too much coffee but I haven't seen any evidence that it causes me any harm.

I have had periods in my life where I was very close to killing myself. Now, I am doing reasonably well, I hold down a job, pay my bills, etc. There are still thoughts of depression, anxiety and suicide that never go away, but medication helps me to keep it under control.

That's true about Borderline Personality Disorder being closed related to Bipolar and having a tendency to abuse drugs, but there are other features that you didn't mention--identity crises, dissociation, intense fear of abandonment, and outrageously intense relationships that alternate between idealization and absolute hatred. I don't like to give people too many ideas like that when they don't give a full diagnostic picture. Also Borderline PD has a weird pop culture connotation for some people in this forum--I have read were some say things like "how can I get my therapist to diagnosis me with Borderline Personality Disorder" as if they thought it was a cool thing to have.

Answer 3

You will always be you, regardless of whether you are cured or on meds The fact is: you have some mental health issues. The mental health issues do not have you. It is just "one part" of who you are as a person. Diagnosed bipolar at 27, now 50, been off and on meds numerous times to see how it would affect who I am and you know what? I'm still the same me. Want to be cured? NO, I don't, there is no cure,, Want to stay on meds? YES! The power of this illness is remarkable to say the least. When you feel up and manic you have no comprehension of being depressed and can't believe you ever were and vise versa. Once I accepted the illness, truly accepted it, I found I still feel with intensity, I can now recognize the symptoms and manage them better. The thing is depression can kill you and I never ever want to be in that frame of mind again. And there is no such thing as normal! No one is normal !

Answer 4

All three conditions have tragic natural progressions if left untreated. Addictions can be further fueled and aggravated by one's weakness to confront them. ALL addictions can be controlled by one's genuine effort. Mental disorders can be controlled by the patient's genuine will and help from doctors and psychological professionals.

It comes down to the affected and their will to confront and control their conditions---or at least make their effort the best fight to do so.

Answer 5

Different thing's can trigger a progression in mental illness.
I've had 2 friends, one bi-polar, the other paranoid schizophrenic and both were triggered by drug use.

A friends mom was triggered by stress (bi-polar). Generally onset occurs in early teens or early twenties.

Answer 6

hmm kind of im bipolar/ skitso, and i didnt know it until i freaked out and started seeing things that werent there and heard voices and etc. is someone telling you that you have these things? because you would know if you had something wrong, and ya its natural.