Mental Health Disorders · Parenting Adult Children Today

Mental Health Disorders

In our last class, some of you requested the definitions of certain mental health disorders. I have posted a few below. Let me caution you to be slow to diagnose people with these definitions because there is specific criteria that must be met for the different disorders. However, it is helpful to learn the various conditions people can experience.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterized by intense emotional instability, fear of abandonment, unstable relationships, a shifting sense of self, and impulsive behaviors. People with BPD often experience rapid mood shifts and difficulty regulating emotions..

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, an intense need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. People with NPD often have an inflated sense of their own importance, while being highly sensitive to criticism.

BPD and NPD are personality disorders that reflect more enduring patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating to others. BPD and NPD can sometimes look similar on the surface (emotional intensity, relationship difficulties) but have different core features and treatment approaches.

Bipolar Disorder is a mood disorder marked by alternating episodes of mania (or hypomania) — periods of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and high energy — and depression. These mood episodes can vary in length and severity and are distinct from a person's usual baseline mood.

Bipolar disorder causes distinct episodes that are a departure from the person's normal functioning. Between episodes, a person with bipolar may feel and behave quite differently than they do during a manic or depressive episode.

Here is the difference between the two categories: A personality disorder is like the climate of a place (consistent and defining), whereas bipolar disorder is more like weather events (distinct episodes that disrupt an otherwise different baseline).

The two can sometimes co-occur, and bipolar disorder can influence personality over time, which is part of why they can occasionally be confused or misdiagnosed.

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