New member, my story very briefly

[Depression = 72% of members]

My sister has BPD and a long previous history of mental illness including paranoid schizophrenia. She has had many years of alcohol abuse. I do not live with or near her but still have some dealings and interactions with her. These can still be quite difficult at times. I would like to be in contact with people dealing with similar situations.

[Dogwoody]

My sister has BPD and a long previous history of mental illness including paranoid schizophrenia. She has had many years of alcohol abuse. I do not live with or near her but still have some dealings and interactions with her. These can still be quite difficult at times. I would like to be in contact with people dealing with similar situations.

[Rapt Reader]

Hi, Dogwoody & 

You are certainly in the right place, if you are looking for others who are dealing with the same situation you are... .I'm so happy you found us!

What exactly does she do that brings you here? Having a loved one with BPD is a confusing, painful and stressful thing; they think and feel differently than we do, and until we learn how to communicate with them correctly, we tend to push every one of their buttons. One of the best things I did when I first found this site was learn about Communication using validation. What it is; how to do it and TOOLS: S.E.T. - Support, Empathy and Truth.

I'm here because of my adult (36) son who was recently diagnosed with BPD, and until I learned the communication tools linked to above, things were just as stressful and frustrating as I believe they are for you, in dealing with your sister. But, once I understood how his mind worked, and changed the way I communicated with him, he changed the way he reacted to me, and things improved between us right away!

I'm so sorry that you are under so much stress in your relationship with her, and I know how terrible that can be. Can you tell us exactly what is bringing you here tonight? How old is she? Is she in any type of therapy; does she know that she needs some sort of help? Continue to tell us your story, and ask your questions, so we can help you. You are in the right place 

[zone out]

Hi Dogwoody

I want to join Rapt Reader in welcoming you to BPD family.  This is a great site - my mother is uBPD and it was just such a sense of relief when I found my way to BPD family and discovered so many members had such similar experiences.  Support and practical advice is so important when you are dealing with challenging situations - there are very good articles and resources on the site.

Don't hesitate to start your own threads when you want advice on a particular topic.  Keep posting and let us know how things are going... .above all you are not alone in what you are dealing with.