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Author Topic: Guilt Over Ruining the BPD's Life  (Read 649 times)
idontcareanymore

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What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Ex-romantic partner
Posts: 4


« on: August 24, 2016, 11:26:28 PM »

Today marks 4 weeks NC (ugh) and today I found out she legit attempted suicide last night by overdosing on xanax + drinking a ton of hand sanitizer (she would drink it from time to time over the years as part of her self-destruction). I don't believe this attempt to be aimed at me or for attention from me, but it has me thinking more deeply about my actions on how I pulled the plug on our relationship.

After many 'false starts' of me attempting to leave her and getting charmed back in, near the end I finally went all out and kicked her out of my house, got her parents involved (for mental health treatment and truth reasons fearing I would be condemned by lies), as well as confronted her ex-boyfriend in another city (who believed they were still dating!), as well as the guy she was cheating on me with... .pretty much going on a crusade so people's lives can stop being triangulated and further destroyed by this person without a conscience.

Now I'm playing with guilt inside my head for not quietly walking away and letting her games continue with others. I am toying with the idea that I should have just cut myself out, dutifully warned the others, and went away without the whistle blowing. The 3 of us dudes became acquaintances out of this because we all understand how mentally ill this girl is, but I wonder now if she would be safer, living more productively, etc. had I been more professional and less emotional about the way I exposed her. I only knew her 4-5 months, but obviously love[d] her due to the intense lovebombing and classic BPD succubus suck-you-in magic powers. But I don't want her to die?

And to clarify, this is not her threatening me to get me to stay or acting out to get me back. I've read those threads and stuff. I'm not expecting to save her or take her back or intervene. I've lost too much of myself already.  However, I'm just wondering had I cut my losses without the fireworks if she'd have a higher quality of life now? Or if my truth-telling was a necessary action on my part to light fires so that her pathological lies, extreme black painting of all of us, etc. would stop harming so many people at her expense of losing her supply? Maybe she would have been safer... .idk. Toward the end she told me I ruined her life and begged me to stop talking to the others so she would have "stability" and a place to stay since her family has disowned her. She quit her job and moved to a different city with an ex who is trying to save her and got her into a mental hospital until she easily got out  Smiling (click to insert in post) Laugh out loud (click to insert in post) and a few weeks later nothing has changed and he wants her gone already.

Anyone gone through this or have some insight to share on guilt over how you ended the relationship and killed a BPD's supply?
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lovenature
*****
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Gender: Male
What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Ex-romantic partner
Posts: 731


« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2016, 11:51:39 PM »

A BPD relationship can push us to our absolute limits; a person can only take so much until they push back.

Know that unless the pwBPD has committed to years of therapy, the only result of a continued relationship is more pain for both partners; the closer you get, the more you are hurt and pushed away. Take solace in choosing to not cause more pain for either of you.

You didn't ruin the BPD's life; you didn't cause it, can't control it, and can't cure it.
I tried to help my ex. before I ever heard of BPD, she chose not to get the help she needs (starting with her family doctor), and continue blaming others.

PwBPD make up their own reality to fit their current emotion of the moment, and sadly it hurts too much for most to admit fault and get the right help. Only they can change how they truly feel about themselves.
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LadyEm

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What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Ex-romantic partner
Posts: 7


« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2016, 05:54:56 AM »

If you were staying in a hotel and woke in the middle of the night to find the building was on fire would you quietly slip out the side door and allow everyone else to burn or would you pull the fire alarm?

I understand the feelings of guilt you're wrestling with but it sounds to me like you saved yourself and a few strangers and alerted professionals equipped to handle the blaze.
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.cup.car
****
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Gender: Male
What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Ex-romantic partner
Relationship status: Single
Posts: 251


« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2016, 11:30:35 PM »

Snipped for length

I feel you, my man. It's actually not uncommon to go on "offense" after a relationship like this. Psychologically, what happens is that you want to regain some control over the situation after being manipulated and emotionally abused for X amount of time. It can do a number on someone's subconscious. If you want a mainstream example, look at how Calvin Harris and Kanye West promptly put Taylor Swift in her place over the past few months - they weren't in the mood for someone to walk all over them.

So I can't say you did anything out of the ordinary, in fact I'd say it's probably healthy you were quite proactive after the split. It's much better than continuing to be a lapdog and subjecting yourself to months, if not years of unique emotional turmoil.

As for the guilt, this is something I too struggle with.

We're all here for the same reason, so my story doesn't differ too much from yours. I too for a number of years was involved with a girl suffering from BPD - starting right as I graduated high school, and continuing into my 20's. To prevent a mammoth wall of text from being unleashed, the simplistic version is that we got to a point where her disorder destroyed the relationship.

Like you, I went on offense. I introduced myself to the online girlfriend she'd been bragging about, which ended that relationship. I threw up a piece about her on TheDirty, but not before strategically editing the article to ensure it was nothing but the truth - ensuring that she couldn't sue me for libel nor get the post removed. I went to her younger sister in such a way that she actually began opening up to me about my ex's problems, essentially turning her God-given best friend against her. And lastly, when she began stalking me in the ways only a hot, crazy girl can muster, I didn't brush it aside; first the police were involved, and then civil litigation. She was fired from her job, her parents exposed to the full extent of her absurd behavior thanks to detailed legal documents they most likely went over as a family, and of course with the way their emotions work, a simple visit from the police is enough to send them spiraling out of control.

Now you might actually read this and believe I did the right thing - and this is quite similar to how I read your post and believe YOU did the right thing.

However, I feel extreme guilt over my actions on a daily basis. The last time I ran her name through Google, I discovered she's homeless in Australia. By comparison, I'm an amateur race car driver. While she is on various forms of social media begging for a couch to sleep on, I get to live out the dreams of every six year old. And I'm fully aware that I helped contribute to her turmoil. Ruined a relationship she valued with an online friend, publicly humiliated her, turned her sister against her, got her in trouble with the police, exposed her in front of her parents, and got her fired from a job that actually suited her fairly well. For as much as her disorder contributed to the specific details of these events, let's be real - I played a role in this.

It's something I think about every day. The most logical reason is that we have a sort of self-awareness and general compassion for other human beings who are suffering. I mean, there are days where I'd kill just to have one final conversation in some dingy coffee shop just to try and understand the mess a little better.

But then you look at old messages and you're like "oh God nevermind, this girl was insane, that scenario would last about 30 seconds before objects would be flying at my head."
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