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May 01, 2026, 06:16:54 PM
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Board Admins: Kells76, Once Removed Senior Ambassadors: SinisterComplex |
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81
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / uBPD sister ripping my sanity
on: April 28, 2026, 10:59:00 AM
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| Started by Pushover_Pleaser - Last post by Pushover_Pleaser | ||
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So, it has been two weeks since my last encounter with my sister and I feel like I am losing my mind. I am unable to rest, if I sit still my mind wanders and thinks of all the various versions of conversations that I could be having with her when she decides to return to speaking to me. I know it is a matter of time before she reaches out again... I am scared of her, I am terrified of her influence on the others in my family. Everyone walks on eggshells around her (yes I have read that book too). I am unable to let go of the fact she has acted out like a child and made a permanent solution to a temporary problem. (basically she threw a fit and is refusing to talk to me or go to my wedding). She has made this narrative in her mind of my life, my relationship and my happiness. She is under the impression that I am not happy, I am in a bad relationship, and that I am isolating myself from my family. None of these are true but this is what she has been saying behind my back for months now. She is telling our family how bad my fiance is and how I am pulling away from everyone. I don't want to try to defend myself because her famous saying is "if you get defensive, it must mean it's true". She is delusional and I don't think I can go back to playing my role in the family of the rescuer (i think). I am normally the one that will apologize for something I didn't completely do, and give her everything she needs in order to keep the peace. She is my sister and I wish I could have a normal relationship with her, but I have to come to the terms that she will always bring me down every couple of months when she feels like it. I have been depressed for the past 2 weeks, I can't sit still, I have to keep my mind busy or I am going to spiral out and think the worst about everything. I have cried on numerous occasions to my fiance and even my kids saw me crying and I hate that. I am at the end of my rope and I don't know how to cope with this.
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82
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: Uncomfortable Solutions That Work With Disordered People
on: April 28, 2026, 10:38:52 AM
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| Started by zachira - Last post by Notwendy | ||
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Notwendy and TelHill, The golden rule really does not apply with these people. I promised myself that I will never get into a competition with a disordered person of who can treat the other person worse as a vendetta, though certainly I think those thoughts. With people on the NPD spectrum, they know the Golden Rule too. I think they assume the rules don't apply to them. I think for BPD- they feel like a victim defending themselves. It seems that being nice to them doesn't work to have them reciprocate and be nice too. It just makes you vulnerable . I don't want to treat people poorly in return. Their behavior is on them. To retaliate is to operate on that level. So going to neutral- gray rock, not reacting, ignoring them, or in a social situaton, being cordial but not too close is the middle ground. Also boundaries. |
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83
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: Uncomfortable Solutions That Work With Disordered People
on: April 28, 2026, 10:04:08 AM
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| Started by zachira - Last post by zachira | ||
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Notwendy and TelHill,
Thank you for understanding. It seems we need to have a special toolbox for disordered people who can never apologize for their bad behaviors, use love bombing as a tactic to win people over then become abusive. Our challenge is to not take their behaviors personally even though the abuse hurts especially when it is a close family member or someone we have to see on a regular basis. The golden rule really does not apply with these people. I promised myself that I will never get into a competition with a disordered person of who can treat the other person worse as a vendetta, though certainly I think those thoughts. |
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84
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: Uncomfortable Solutions That Work With Disordered People
on: April 28, 2026, 09:41:55 AM
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| Started by zachira - Last post by TelHill | ||
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It is the right thing.
Be prepared for lovebombing. When it fails, they'll try to get your attention in weird ways to make you talk to them. I stopped talking a few years ago. Don't plan to ever start. It makes them realize forever is a long time. |
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85
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: I’m drowning while living with my BPD sister and enabling elderly mother
on: April 28, 2026, 08:42:05 AM
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| Started by sunnysunglasses - Last post by CC43 | ||
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As for the moving out plan, I have started saving funds. . . . I’ve also taken the time to budget my monthly expenses and figure out what I can afford at the most at my current salary. It’s difficult but not entirely out of the question. Sunny, that's fantastic. Like they say, a goal without a plan is just a wish. I have a feeling you're going to make your dream come true, as long as you don't let your sister derail your plan! If I had another piece of advice, I think it would be this: you're young, and so you're just starting out. While you can save up by cutting expenses, typically a faster way to save up is to boost your income. Two straightforward options here are to get a promotion and/or work more hours. Sometimes they go together: if you work extra hours, you grow your skills faster, and it's easier to get promoted. And when you earn the extra income, try not to let "lifestyle inflation" eat it all up. Another tip is to try to find a work situation that offers what I call RUNWAY. Basically, runway is the opposite of a dead-end job. Runway is a clear path ahead for a takeoff--to a better job with better pay. Ideally, the runway is wide, meaning you could take off in a couple of different directions (OPTIONALITY), and maybe land at another company (with your transferrable skills). If your current situation doesn't offer any runway, you might think about finding it elsewhere. I'm mentioning runway because the adult pwBPD in my life seems not to understand it one bit. She's typically drawn to part-time, "easy" and "unstressful" employment situations, typically a micro business run by a lady or two--think boutique store or niche service situation. The way I see that sort of job is, while it may be OK for the moment (a part-time job is better than NO job after all), there's no runway. The small business owner has a tiny budget, there's no peer group, no training program, no benefits, no network, few clients, and, longer-term, no runway. Generally speaking, I think a safer bet would be to start at a bigger, more established organization offering the opposite: training, higher pay, benefits, a peer group, mentors, name recognition, quality projects, ample resources (e.g. technology), opportunities to hone transferrable skills, opportunities for professional growth and promotion, RUNWAY. I'm not advocating finding a job solely to maximize income. But money gives you options, which increases feelings of power and security--and ultimately, wellness. I'm just trying to advise you to think smart (and work smart) about how to save up for your dream situation. Just my two cents. |
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86
Relationship Partner with BPD (Straight and LGBT+) / Romantic Relationship | Detaching and Learning after a Failed Relationship / Ex to friends but now no contact from him
on: April 28, 2026, 07:39:34 AM
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| Started by Lifegivesyou26 - Last post by Lifegivesyou26 | ||
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Hi everyone,
I was with my partner for 12 months until he said he needed to pull back from the emotional and intimate intensity. We cried together, he said he loved me but our life doesn’t align and he is scared to lose me and wants to be friends. I had a feeling he had been building a close relationship with a good friend and was pulling away from me to give himself energy to focus on her. The pull back was 2 weeks ago, and the depth of separation was deeper than I expected. Initially he still messaged me regularly but kept it surface, continued to check in but hope you’re okay vs how are you curiosity, then a few days gap, a 10 minute call and a lie that said he was on his way home but snap showed he was in an area he’d been at more often. He ended up staying there Friday to Sunday and has ghosted me since. I had previously set a boundary that because my emotions were so raw I needed to step back to safely heal if he was seeing someone else. He had reassured me but seeing all the pieces together I said I’m going to step back a little and look after myself but I will still be his friend in a low pressure way. The message didn’t get read, but I know he saw it. It’s been 5 days since no contact. I have checked in once a day in a light way but I am going to stop for now. I understood the risks going in, and I completely understand why. I had an amazing 11 months with him he was my best friend. It is such a confusing shock to the system to be discarded abruptly though. Psychosomatic symptoms and grief cycle have been intense. Keen to hear experience on trying to maintain a low key friendship with someone after a rupture like this. That is if he chooses or has capacity to reconnect with me. |
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87
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: Uncomfortable Solutions That Work With Disordered People
on: April 28, 2026, 05:13:43 AM
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| Started by zachira - Last post by Notwendy | ||
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I saw my disordered neighbor today and she said "hello". I ignored her. Dr Ramani a well known expert on NPD, talks about how giving second chances over and over again does not work because the narcissist never accounts for their bad behaviors, act like they never happened, and then start being abusive again. I genuinely like to forget past problems with a person, and continue to be nice to them. Not going to do that again with this neighbor as she uses my forgiveness to restart the abuse cycle. It feels unatural to us to do this but I think you did the right thing. |
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88
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: I’m drowning while living with my BPD sister and enabling elderly mother
on: April 28, 2026, 05:09:20 AM
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| Started by sunnysunglasses - Last post by Notwendy | ||
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https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?topic=65164.0;all
I took water lifeguard classes. The first several lessons were about how to keep yourself safe. A main one was to not let the drowning person grab on to you. A drowing person is frantic and will grab on to you and push you down in an attempt to get air. They aren't being bad "bad" - they are frantic and want air. If the person is a conscious adult, able to understand instructions- use something you can extend to them- a float, handle of a pool net- tell them to grab it and pull them in. If none is available, we then practiced ways to hold on to them without them being able to grab on to us. We also learned ways to get out of the grip of someone who grabbed on to us. I didn't go on to become a lifeguard, but was interested in learning about it and it also was a good lesson about helping in general and understanding our own abilities. If you feel yourself emotionally drowning-- first get yourself to safety. |
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89
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: I’m drowning while living with my BPD sister and enabling elderly mother
on: April 28, 2026, 01:32:05 AM
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| Started by sunnysunglasses - Last post by sunnysunglasses | ||
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We often quote the instructions given at the start of every air flight... "In the event of an emergency, put on your own oxygen mask before attempting to aid others, and follow the attendants' directions." We can't help others if we haven't first ensured our own safety. That's just the reality, so we mustn't feel guilty about putting ourselves first in such scenarios. I’ve been thinking of that quote quite a bit. And thinking of my own versions with my therapists where I say our dynamic at home is like if I’m trying to keep them from drowning and surviving but meanwhile I’m barely breathing with my head just above water. I’m not emotionally and mentally equipped to do it anymore. To be fair I’m not always some altruistic selfless person. I get irritable, cranky, short and lazy or rebellious. |
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90
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD / Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD / Re: I’m drowning while living with my BPD sister and enabling elderly mother
on: April 28, 2026, 01:26:00 AM
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| Started by sunnysunglasses - Last post by sunnysunglasses | ||
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P.S. The pwBPD in my life shares that sort of thinking, which shows some narcissistic traits (on top of BPD). I used to call it her "magical" thinking. Granted, she's pretty, and that's a wonderful gift. However, given her disordered BPD and narcissistic thinking, she believed she'd be "discovered" as a top model or top online influencer, and she dreamed of living a Carrie Bradshaw lifestyle. She seemed entitled to it, as if she expected others to make her wildest dreams come true, for example by setting her up in a luxe apartment and paying for her travel abroad. Thus she set herself up to be continuously disappointed. The disappointment quickly turned to anger, even rage, directed at others who failed to make these dreams come true for her. Most of all, she refused to take responsibility for herself. This looks like blaming others for ruining her life. She's constantly mad that she doesn't get what she wants. Now she wants plastic surgeries to change her physical features, and she has asked her dad to pay for them. At one point it sounded like she expected him to pay as compensation for making her look the way she did. And the irony is, I think she's beautiful, she shouldn't change a thing, and even if she did, she still wouldn't be a model, not even close. She doesn't have the personality(!), and she's far too old, short and heavy (in model terms) anyway. Plus she couldn't handle the lifestyle, with all the rejection, critiques and stressful routines. She seems oblivious to the actual work that famous people do. It's the classic black-and-white thinking, where she idealizes the Princess life while disparaging the lives of "normal" people. Does that ring any bells? The narcissim manifests in some beguiling ways. One example is during a job search. The pwBPD in my life seems to think that certain jobs are beneath her. She doesn't want to start at the bottom; she wants to skip a few rungs and get paid a lot, and yet she doesn't want a "stressful" job, either. Her resume lists more aspirations and exaggerated roles than actual accomplishments and credentials. In some regards she lied outright on her resume (for example saying she was a candidate for an advanced degree without having taken any classes yet, let alone be accepted into a program). But I suspect that in her mind, if she wants something, it's the truth? Or maybe she thinks, everyone lies on their resume, and she should, too? Her online profile lists "moving to New York," but she hasn't done anything to move to New York yet. Does this sound like your Sis? I think it's the magical, narcissistic thinking coming through. There's some identity confusion as well. It would almost be funny how similarly these two PWBPD seem to think and act if it wasn’t also just plain freaky. My sister also has big plans to get plastic surgery because she truly thinks it will make her happier to be more beautiful. That people will treat her with more love and care. I really tried to express that beauty won’t solve all her problems since her insecurities will eat her up. It’s a slippery slope. Once you start and from an insecure place, you will become obsessed with fixing every other flaw. She also had that same issue with jobs when she was a few years younger. But nowadays she’s more accepting of the fact she won’t be able to just get a well paying job because she thinks she deserves it. She literally went to community college and got an art degree because she asked the school counselor to tell her what the easiest degree to finish would be. (She wasn’t even a good student. One of her professors criticized her inability to generally give a crap about her classes and almost got the Dean invovled for her rude email conversation with that professor.) |
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