The differences between major depression and borderline personality disorder.

A review of the differences between these disorders linked to self-destructive ideas.

Each 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 one of us has our own personality, acquired throughout life through the accumulated learning from our experiences (even if it is not the only one). 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 the personality develops in such a way that it generates characteristics that cause us to experience deep suffering in our relationship with ourselves or with the world, or to provoke suffering in others, or to be unable to adapt to the environment and relate efficiently.

We are talking about personality disorders, of which one of the most severe and painful is borderline personality disorder or BPD. Although it usually tends to be confused more with bipolar disorder, the truth is that some aspects of its symptomatology often resemble those of major depression and it is not uncommon for them to appear comorbidly.

This means that sometimes depression and BPD are confused or not correctly separated, despite the fact that they are different problems. In order to help to distinguish between them, throughout this article we will highlight some of the following the main differences between major depression and borderline personality disorder, explained in a way that is easy to understand.explained in a way that is easy to understand.

Borderline personality disorder: basic definition

We understand by borderline personality disorder (BPD) that type of personality which is characterized by the existence of a very high level of instability at the affective level, with an extreme experienceIt is characterized by an extreme experience and a great difficulty in the recognition and management of emotions, and usually presents deep feelings of emptiness and a high level of impulsivity.

Generally there is a very low self-esteem levelwith a marked perception of worthlessness and lack of value as well as a perception of the other that can oscillate between veneration and contempt. It is common that there is a great fear of abandonment and desperate behaviors are carried out in order not to be abandoned, as well as frequent conflicts and fights in their social relationships. There are difficulties especially in anger management, and dissociative and identity integration symptoms are not uncommon.

Self-injurious behaviors are also frequent, as well as recurrent thoughts of death and even suicide attempts. We are talking about a personality disorderAlthough this pattern of behavior, perception and thought has been established throughout life, it is profoundly maladaptive for the sufferer as it limits the functioning of the subject, or generates a high level of psychological discomfort and suffering.

Major depression

As far as major depression is concerned, it is one of the most frequent psychological disorders or alterations worldwide, it is one of the most frequent psychological disorders or disturbances in the world.. The presence of depression implies the appearance, almost all day almost every day for at least two weeks, of a sad mood and severe difficulties in perceiving pleasure or satisfaction in the performance of activities that are usually appetizing for the person.

It is also common to have great passivity, clinophilia or tendency to stay lying in bed, great sense of guilt, sleep and appetite problems and even thoughts of death and suicide.

Usually those suffering 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, a tendency to self-absorption and rumination, and a progressive isolation and seclusion.. Depression is a deep suffering for those who suffer from it, in addition to involving a great alteration and limitation of functionality in day-to-day life.

Main differences between major depression and borderline disorder

Major depression and borderline personality have much 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 is usually 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 it has the greatest comorbidity.

However, these are different constructs, which have distinctive characteristics that allow us to separate the two concepts. Some of the most marked differences are the following.

1. Relationship with the subject's psychic structure

One of the main differences between depression and borderline personality disorder has to do with the degree to which the disturbance is linked to 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 sufferer 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 dealing with a personality disorder, i.e. the pattern of thought, perception and action of the person that has been acquired throughout life. Thus, the characteristics of a person with this disorder are much more integrated into his or her usual way of doing things, as they are in fact part of his or her personality.as they are in fact part of his or her 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 his or her way of being and seeing the world.

2. Focus of distress

In both depression and borderline personality disorder there is usually a feeling of sadness, anguish and suffering. However, while as a rule in depression, the suffering and sadness derive from thoughts linked to loss and guilt.In the case of borderline personality, it is usually related to conflicts with respect to one's own identity or to the presence of dependent/independent relationships with other people.

3. Perception of self-identity

Linked to the previous one, another difference between both disorders 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 or her vital position and who he or she is, he or she generally maintains an undervalued idea of self but coherent with his or her identity.

In the case of borderline disorder, it is more frequent that the person has severe difficulties in accepting himself/herself. and much of their discomfort stems from identity problems, in which there are major inconsistencies and which often include the feeling of being empty and/or being no one.

4. Dependence-independence

Interpersonal relationships are also a differential aspect between both entities. It is possible that in a depression a certain dependence towards another person appears or that the cessation of a relationship in a dependent person can cause depression, but nevertheless the type of social relationships that are established are not a fundamental element of the disorder.

However, in the case of borderline disorder, the search for and maintenance of relationships and the fear or panic of being abandoned prevails to a great extent, so that the generalized tendency of the person is to seek and maintain relationships and the fear or panic of being abandoned.The generalized tendency is to maintain dependent relationships with loved ones.

5. Interpretation of neutral stimuli

It is common that both in the case of depression and borderline personality there are negative cognitive biases, with a greater focus on aversive information and generally 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 an aversive interpretation of most of the negative information. 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 in anger management, with strong and even explosive reactions to frustration and anger. Although in some cases in depression there are also reactions of hostility and rage, is more often a one-time shock than a general difficulty in managing it. rather than a general difficulty in managing it.