QUESTION:

I am a 17 yr. old female, struggling to understand myself. I have been diagnosed with Manic Depression, and my mother seems to think I have BPD too. The more I read up on the disorder the more it related to my life. I have been to countless therapists, and they all deny that I have BPD. That I am too young to know for sure, or because of all the knowledge I have. I am searching for the right therapist to maybe give me a diagnosis. I am crying out for help, before I destroy myself and my family. If it is possible to give any kind of help, it'd be so greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

DR. HELLER'S ANSWER:

The simplest way to determine bipolar - f.k.a. manic depression - and BPD is this... Bipolars do their self destructive behaviors from progressively feeling great and then invincible. Borderlines do their self-destructive behaviors as a consequence of doing terribly and doing anything to stop their pain.

Sometimes therapists don't want to make the diagnosis for fear of "labeling" you. If you feel you fit the criteria, write down a number of examples of each criteria and get an additional opinion, asking why the therapist feels you do or don't have the diagnosis. So many health care professionals have their own criteria that it confuses and hurts patients such as "you can't have the BPD, I like you," or "you can't have the BPD, you don't self-mutilate," or "you can't have the BPD, you haven't tried to commit suicide."