The Differences Between Major Depression And Borderline Personality Disorder
Each one of us is unique and unrepeatable. Each of us has our own way of seeing the world, of thinking, of relating to others, of living, of acting. Each of us has our own personality, acquired throughout life through accumulated learning from our experiences (although there is a certain genetic component that predisposes us to be a certain way). None of them is better or worse than the others.
However, sometimes personality develops in such a way that it generates characteristics that cause us in our relationship with ourselves or with the world to experience deep suffering or cause it to others, or to cause us to be unable to adapt to the environment and relate properly. efficient way.
We are talking about personality disorders, of which one of the most severe and painful is borderline personality disorder or BPD. Although it generally tends to be confused more with bipolar disorder, the truth is that some aspects of its symptoms often resemble those of major depression and it is not uncommon for them to appear comorbidly.
This means that depression and BPD are sometimes confused or not separated correctly, even though they are different problems. In order to help distinguish them, throughout this article we are going to highlight some of them. The main differences between major depression and borderline personality disorder explained in a way that is easy to understand.
We understand borderline personality disorder (BPD) as that type of personality which is characterized by the existence of a very high level of instability at an emotional level with an extreme experience and great difficulty in recognizing and managing emotions, and which usually involves the existence of deep feelings of emptiness and high impulsiveness.
There is generally a very low level of self-esteem, with a marked perception of uselessness and lack of value as well as a perception of the other that can oscillate between veneration and contempt. It is common for there to be a great fear of abandonment and for desperate behaviors to be carried out to avoid being abandoned, as well as for frequent conflicts and fights to appear in social relationships. There are difficulties especially in anger management, and it is not uncommon for dissociative and identity integration symptoms to exist.
Self-harming behaviors are also common, as are recurrent thoughts of death and even suicide attempts. We are talking about a personality disorder given that although this pattern of behavior, perception and thought has been established throughout life, it is deeply maladaptive for those who suffer from it by limiting the functioning of the subject, or it generates a high level of discomfort and suffering. psychological.
major depression
Regarding major depression, It is one of the most common psychological disorders or alterations in the world The presence of depression implies the appearance, for almost the entire day almost every day for at least two weeks, of a sad mood and severe difficulties in perceiving pleasure or satisfaction in carrying out activities that are generally appetitive for the person. .
It is also common for great passivity, clinophilia or a tendency to lie in bed, a great sense of guilt, sleep and appetite problems, and even thoughts of death and suicide.
Usually those who suffer from depression come to have a perception of learned helplessness, in which there is hopelessness as to whether the situation they are experiencing can improve. Cognitive biases appear in the relationship with oneself, with the environment and with the future. They also tend to manifest attention problems, tendency to self-absorption and rumination, and progressive isolation and seclusion Depression represents profound suffering for those who suffer from it, in addition to implying great alteration and limitation of day-to-day functionality.
Main differences between major depression and borderline disorder
Major depression and borderline personality have a lot in common: in both cases there are feelings of sadness and hopelessness, emotional instability, a tendency to cry, and a tendency to present aversive cognitive biases.
Also These are disorders in which self-destructive thoughts and behaviors may appear, and in which there usually exists to a greater or lesser extent a certain feeling of emptiness. In fact, it is very common for people with borderline personality disorder to develop depression, being one of the disorders with which they have the greatest comorbidity.
However, these are different constructs, which have distinctive characteristics that allow us to separate both concepts. Some of the most marked differences are the following.
1. Relationship with the psychic structure of the subject
One of the main differences between depression and borderline personality disorder has to do with the level of connection that the alteration has with the subject’s usual way of functioning. A depression can be more or less long and affect more or less the way of being of the person who suffers from it while it lasts, but as a general rule it implies the existence of a difference with respect to the subject’s usual way of functioning, thinking or feeling.
In the case of borderline personality disorder, we are faced with an alteration of personality, that is, the pattern of thinking, perception and acting of the person that has been acquired throughout life. So, The characteristics of a person with this disorder are much more integrated into their usual way of doing things being in fact part of his personality.
This does not mean that it cannot be changed (after all, personality can change), but it implies a therapeutic process that is generally more complex and requires an effort to change on the part of the subject, restructuring little by little their way. of being and seeing the world.
2. Focus of discomfort
In both depression and borderline personality disorder, it is common for there to be a feeling of sadness, anguish and suffering. However, while as a general rule In depression, suffering and sadness are derived from thoughts linked to loss and feelings of guilt In the case of borderline personality, it is usually related to conflicts regarding one’s own identity or the presence of relationships of dependence/independence with other people.
Linked to the previous one, another difference between both alterations is related to the existence of alterations in the perception and assumption of one’s own identity. Although in depression the person may doubt or criticize his life position and who he is, he generally maintains an undervalued idea of ​​himself but consistent with his identity.
In the case of borderline disorder, it is more common for the person themselves to have severe difficulties accepting themselves and much of their discomfort derives from identity problems, in which great inconsistencies are observed and which usually includes the feeling of being empty and/or being nobody.
4. Dependence-independence
Interpersonal relationships are also a differentiating aspect between both entities. It is possible that a certain dependence on another person appears in depression or that the cessation of a relationship in a dependent person can cause depression, but nevertheless the type of social relationships established are not a fundamental element of the disorder.
However, In the case of borderline disorder, the search and maintenance of relationships and the fear or panic of being abandoned largely prevail so the general tendency is to maintain relationships of dependency towards loved ones.
5. Interpretation of neutral stimuli
It is common for both depression and borderline personality to have negative cognitive biases, placing greater focus on aversive information and generally having negative beliefs about oneself, the world around them and the future.
However, it has been observed that in the case of people with borderline personality there is not only a prioritization of negative information but also the aversive interpretation of most ambiguous or neutral information
6. Difficulties in anger management
Another noticeable difference between borderline disorder and major depression is that, as a general rule, people with borderline personality tend to have great difficulties when managing anger, with strong and even explosive reactions to frustration and anger. . Although in some cases depression also produces reactions of hostility and anger, It is usually more of a punctual discharge than a general difficulty when managing it.
