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 81 
 on: October 17, 2026, 12:10:19 AM  
Started by Tiger72 - Last post by Alz123
I have never done anything like this before but am really struggling and hoping someone out there maybe understands. Going through a dissolution after 20-year marriage to high functioning BPD spouse. Have a teenage son so no contact is not an option. It is amicable/friendly and we are separated but the emotional pain is brutal and just feeling hopeless, angry, sad and just devastated. Can anyone out there relate?

I can totally relate. It’s not quite the same for me as this is my 2nd marriage and we’ve only been together 4.5 years but I was utterly convinced that this time I’d found my person to share life with. He was loving, supportive, fun and (i thought) open and honest. Pretty much straight after our honeymoon things changed and 2 years later we are separating.

It’s heartbreaking, any break up is but especially after 20 years and with BPD in the mix. The emotional pain is real and it’s so important to get support around you. There’s a ted talk by a guy called Guy Winch called How to Fix a Broken Heart that’s worth a watch.

There’s also an independent podcast Relational Lives which has an episode on break ups.

You will get through this!


 82 
 on: October 16, 2026, 04:04:01 PM  
Started by happymeal - Last post by ForeverDad
Interesting that she's thinking of separation, not quite divorce.  A major difference between the two is that with a legal separation you're still married and possibly you would still be liable for her debts surprise overspending splurges.  Perhaps a consultation or interview with a local experienced lawyer or solicitor could forewarn about that concern and other traps she may spring on you.

Another lawyer question is what constitutes abuse in  your local area.  Is breaking items in the home considered DV?  It could be considered a type of threat or control intimidation.  A lot of conflict in a home may not be considered "actionable" but ask so you know where the line is drawn.

A separation would include a custody and parenting schedule, same as for a divorce.  One possible risk is that if you later divorced, then you'd likely have to go through all the hassle of a second court process to make a new custody/parenting order and perhaps get a worse order.

Be aware that she may claim to be a Stay at Home Mother (SAHM).  She's probably thinking that you will go away and keep paying all her bills because she is the mother.  It would probably be wise when in any legal discussions with lawyers or court officials that you always state she needs to find her own employment or career.  The last thing you should hint is that she's somehow disabled because of her mental health issues.  (And never ever let it be claimed you or the marriage made her this way, unless you want to give lifetime support to a "handicapped" person.)

How and what to say when speaking with a soon-to-be-ex (stbEx)...
This is different than trying to repair the marriage where you both would share information to rebuild the trust.  Rather, if the marriage is failing or has failed, then you limit what you share.  Ask your lawyer whenever in doubt, or ask here, but one obvious topic okay to share is about parenting matters.  Almost everything else... think twice or thrice before sharing in order to lessen the risk of being sabotaged.

One excellent handbook is Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder by William Eddy.

 83 
 on: October 16, 2026, 01:45:41 PM  
Started by mikejones75093 - Last post by CC43
Hi again,

I agree with Pook, that your attorney should have some ideas about dealing with your ex's weaponization of the court system against you.

My ex BIL did something similar--"filing" frivolous claims/disputes, not complying with court orders or documentation, not appearing in court when scheduled, etc.--and he was found in contempt.  Yes, the proper process needed to be followed, but the judge and court clerks saw through his ploys.  I tend to think that this sort of behavior isn't that rare, and an experienced judge should know BS when he or she sees it.  At the trial, even the GAL declared something like, "I've seen cases like this many times, and I'm telling you, it doesn't get better, it gets worse."  By "like this," he meant my ex BIL refusing to take his parenting responsibilities seriously, refusing to put his kids' interests ahead of his own, refusing to follow the agreed-upon parenting plan, refusing to abide by the GAL's recommendations (including taking parenting classes); and by "it," he meant his descent into deeper dysfunction.

 84 
 on: October 16, 2026, 11:59:22 AM  
Started by mikejones75093 - Last post by Pook075
Divorce has been final.  This is a custody modification.  Coached the kids to make false outcries, once PD CPS and who knows what else got involved it was proven fake.  Thankfully I know how to document and I have everything that shows the truth.  So we are under temp orders that match our basic original decree.  She plays a part, and once she wants to be this moral ethical amazing person that fights for the underdog that is who her part is in public and she gets all these supporters, even though she yells, screams, talks bad about me and all kinds of other terrible parenting.  The issue is that she lies, twists, exaggerates the truth to be what she wants, then when confronted with actual evidence showing the truth instead of backing down it turns into well its a conspiracy theory, she said her former attorney, the judge, DA, CPS and everyone else is involved in this giant cover up with me.  Then emergency filings saying kids are in danger.  Over and over and over again.  I'm just trying to figure out how this ends, sanctions?  she never paid.  Attorneys fees awarded?  She never paid.  This feels like legalized harassment and there has to be something that can be done to stop this. 

Bickering is common in divorce and custody proceedings, but ignoring court orders is not.  Why isn't this front and center for the judge to take action on?  If she's been caught lying under oath and/or filing false claims, there should be consequences and it sounds like there have been on paper.  Why has the court not followed through on any of it?

These are all questions your attorney should have clear answers for.

Getting a psych evaluation is secondary to standing court orders.  That's like driving a car with the oil light on, then saying you have to drive across town to check the tire pressure to see if that's the problem.  The tires could need air, sure, but that's clearly not the problem we're talking about and it doesn't solve anything.

If your attorney doesn't have a practical answer to make all of this stop, I would be seeking another attorney.

 85 
 on: October 16, 2026, 10:10:19 AM  
Started by happymeal - Last post by happymeal
My BPD wife says it's over, that she is getting legal council to get a separation agreement.

I honestly don't know what she will do. We have been sleeping apart since last Thursday. Eating apart (I get yelled at if I try to eat at the same time as my family). She could just be running an extinction burst. She just made a "farewell" post in my extended families fb group, and left the group.

TLDR; it's been 20 years. I'm tired.

What should I do?

 86 
 on: October 16, 2026, 08:45:53 AM  
Started by mikejones75093 - Last post by mikejones75093
We get it.  We comply and get little or no credit while the ex fights everything and gets few or weak consequences.  It's almost as though the court sees us as more responsible and thus more consequence-worthy but keeps acting more as a passive referee hoping the players figure it out, as though you're only bickering.

In my experience the problem is that a psych eval is quite limited.  My ex and I were both ordered to take psych evals when we initially separated.  I complied.  No surprise, the university grad student's report listed "anxiety".  My ex?  To this day, over 2 decades later, I don't even know whether she even took her psych eval.  And yes, no consequences.

What I learned from that experience is that when you both are ordered to do something, might be a good idea for your attorney to merely inform the other side you've got your part done and wait for them to appear and submit their part.  Otherwise you'll comply and be left whistling in the  wind.

As CC43 wrote, a mental health diagnosis by itself will mean little, it's the impact of her parenting on the kids.  In my case I had a few magistrates who were of no help but eventually the rotation came around to the no-nonsense magistrate.  Between the magistrates, a lengthy Custody Evaluation by a respected expert child psychologist, a GAL for our child and my lawyer... the disparagement, the obstruction and the legal sabotage were addressed.  Sadly, we didn't get to that point until long after my two year divorce.

That publicity posturing is somewhat rare here and we have to be careful not to speculate, but with your ex doing all this publicity amplifying all the issues, I wonder whether you might conclude she's co-morbid with Histrionic PD, where she must be the center of attention.

We had a member here over a decade ago who had an ex like that and that BPD/HPD combo was devastating and had their family court tied up in circles.

Are you still in the divorce process?  Are you still living under a temp order?  Do you have a Guardian ad Litem (GAL = lawyer representing the children)?  As with a Custody Evaluator, a GAL must be well qualified, experienced, unbiased and not easily gullible.  My divorce took 2 years, yet it took several more years before court finally addressed her antics.  Once I obtained full legal guardianship (custody) and went back successfully to get majority time, my ex's entitlement balloon deflated a bit and we never went to court again.  However, if your ex is Histrionic, whether diagnosed or not, even that may not resolve the conflict.

Divorce has been final.  This is a custody modification.  Coached the kids to make false outcries, once PD CPS and who knows what else got involved it was proven fake.  Thankfully I know how to document and I have everything that shows the truth.  So we are under temp orders that match our basic original decree.  She plays a part, and once she wants to be this moral ethical amazing person that fights for the underdog that is who her part is in public and she gets all these supporters, even though she yells, screams, talks bad about me and all kinds of other terrible parenting.  The issue is that she lies, twists, exaggerates the truth to be what she wants, then when confronted with actual evidence showing the truth instead of backing down it turns into well its a conspiracy theory, she said her former attorney, the judge, DA, CPS and everyone else is involved in this giant cover up with me.  Then emergency filings saying kids are in danger.  Over and over and over again.  I'm just trying to figure out how this ends, sanctions?  she never paid.  Attorneys fees awarded?  She never paid.  This feels like legalized harassment and there has to be something that can be done to stop this. 

 87 
 on: October 16, 2026, 08:38:13 AM  
Started by mikejones75093 - Last post by mikejones75093
Do the children have a GAL? Much can be done through a good guardian ad litem, since they are focused on representing the children's best interest.

We have so many third parties involved I really don't want another.  They do nothing but cost money.  Once the third party doesn't agree with her she destroys them with multiple posts on social media, multiple filings, calls them party of the conspiracy.  Absolutely nothing has been done.  This has been going on for years. 

 88 
 on: October 16, 2026, 08:14:53 AM  
Started by mikejones75093 - Last post by zachira
You only have to do the psych evaluation if it is court ordered. It sounds like your attorney is recommending you do one. In many cases, each party is given a list of three professionals to choose from. Make sure you know who to choose as like any profession some on the list could be good at what they do, and others might be easily taken in by whatever your wife tells them.

 89 
 on: October 16, 2026, 03:08:08 AM  
Started by Alz123 - Last post by Under The Bridge
You've been through the most wearying and draining relationship of your life and it's taken a huge mental and physical toll. It's going to take some time to get over but all of us here can tell you that it will happen eventually. Yes, some mental scars will remain, like normal memories would, but you won't let them dictate your future.

The most important thing is to know that you did everything you could in a relationship you had little control over. Despite your partner's many attempts to guilt-trip you, it was never you who had the problems. Once you realise this, it does start to get easier

Time to put yourself first, second and third  - you deserve it. I relied on my friends and many hobbies to keep me going. You had a life before this toxic relationship and you'll have a life again. The year after I finally ended my BPD hell I met someone who was the polar opposite in every way and the kindest, most decent woman I've ever met.

So work on your recovery and be ready, I've often posted that good things happen when you least expect them.

 90 
 on: October 16, 2026, 02:43:34 AM  
Started by capecodling - Last post by Under The Bridge
I think mine was more the 'sultry cheater' type too.. though I never knew if she ever actually did cheat on me or even if she went out with anyone while we were technically broken up.  She'd certainly threaten to 'let X take me home tonight' but she said this just to make me give her attention.

The hardest thing about BPD breakup is convincing yourself that you weren't to blame and you actually put more effort into this relationship than any other. Once you finally realise it was all beyond your control from the start then things improve rapidly. Still leaves mental scars though.

Pretty frightening how disconnected from reality they can be though, I think that's what finally finished it for me. I still can see her final - and most vicious - meltdown and I just didn't recognise the raging person with huge jet-black pupils (indicating total disconnection) that turned on me in a second. I thought she was heading towards violence too, which I'd never seen in her before.

This was a very long time ago and and I bumped into her sister in law some years back who said she'd never changed one bit and had even cut off from her family now.

I definitely dodged a bullet.

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