Introduction-my mother and brother have BPD

[Depression = 72% of members]

  Hello! I have just joined this community tonight as I lie awake with so many thoughts circling my brain. I have these moments of absolute grief, and the isolation is so challenging at times. I was raised by a mother with BPD, who was also an alcoholic. I worked through many of my personal struggles, and denied for years that my brother was showing very similar traits to my mom. A few years ago, my relationship with my brother really fell apart, and now I'm in the phase of dealing with having him tell his reality to friends and family, in which I feel a constant need to defend or prove myself. I've done a lot of therapy, and have come a long way in my confidence and coping, and I feel that adding a support group to this journey would be so beneficial. I hope to offer and gain support through this community! Thanks for reading!

[DragonflyMemory]

  Hello! I have just joined this community tonight as I lie awake with so many thoughts circling my brain. I have these moments of absolute grief, and the isolation is so challenging at times. I was raised by a mother with BPD, who was also an alcoholic. I worked through many of my personal struggles, and denied for years that my brother was showing very similar traits to my mom. A few years ago, my relationship with my brother really fell apart, and now I'm in the phase of dealing with having him tell his reality to friends and family, in which I feel a constant need to defend or prove myself. I've done a lot of therapy, and have come a long way in my confidence and coping, and I feel that adding a support group to this journey would be so beneficial. I hope to offer and gain support through this community! Thanks for reading!

[Naughty Nibbler]

Welcome DragonflyMemory:   

I'm sorry about what you are dealing with in regard to your mom and brother.  :)o you still have a relationship with your Mom?

What is your level of contact with your brother? Was there a particular event that stands out, in regard to your declining relationship with your brother?  Has your brother gotten any treatment/therapy?  It can be mind boggling to make sense of things, when it is usually the person without the personality disorder that goes for therapy.

Was there a particular event that stands out, in regard to your declining relationship with your brother?  It's bad enough to have a problematic relationship with a person with BPD (pwBPD), but when they spread lies about you, that can really push things over the edge.  Many others here have experienced smear campaigns to varying degree.  The pwBPD may even appear normal to the people they spread the lies to.  Sometime, they even gain an audience and sympathy from members of a church community (where gossip is contrary to what is taught).

If you look to the right of this post, you will see a Survivors Guide, with several links. The large green banner at the top of the page has several menus with links to helpful information.  

I'm glad you have joined our community, and I look forward to hearing more of your story.