Fast forward and my daughter wBPD is married and out of the house now but a recent medical crisis with my husband has created absolute chaos for me especially as the mom. I had reached out to let her know about her dad and asked for her help. She said she couldn't help and blamed me for frustrating her.
She said I could have asked someone else instead of her. I apologized and said it was fine. My middle adult child who has OCD and narcisstic traits was verbally and emotionally abusive towards me during this crisis so I decided to set a boundary and told them that we would not be hosting Christmas. My dwBPD was so upset with me and told me that in order for her to continue having a relationship with me I woud have to acknowledge her pain and suffering as result of my boundary.
Yesterday she met with my husband to pick up her Christmas gifts and she shared with him that she was pregnant. My heart was broken because that should have been a special moment for me too.
Hi mom,
You've come to the right place. Many parents here are desperate and exhausted from years of tension, high conflict and familial dysfunction. You've had it rough, with a child with serious illness, another with BPD and now your husband's medical crisis. It's logical that you're operating in crisis mode.
The way I see things though, your daughters seem to be doing OK, relatively speaking. They're out of the house and making some sort of adult life for themselves, right? Maybe if they're not on top of each other all the time in your home, you can enjoy some relative peace.
Though your husband is ill right now, I can see that your daughter has taken issue by being asked to help out. She has herself and own husband to take care of. If she has BPD, then I imagine that her own problems seem overwhelming enough as it is, and adding your issues on top makes her have a meltdown. Now, she shouldn't have lashed out at you, but I imagine that the request seemed over-the-top to her, maybe that you were trying to "guilt" her into helping, and that you seemed too needy. In her mind, you're the mom, you're supposed to help her, not the other way around. She only thinks about her needs, not yours. Then stating that you're not hosting Christmas (which seems completely fair given illness, your other daughter's hostile behavior and your fragile mental state), your daughter probably thinks that you're "abandoning" her on yet another level. However I think she should take that news in stride--she's 29, she could be hosting her own Christmas with her husband and creating her own holiday traditions. Alas, on top of distress intolerance, she's intolerant of changes, while she maintains extremely high expectations of others. I think she needs lots and lots of patience to adjust to changes. Does that sound about right?
I know you are hurt because your daughter told your husband she was pregnant and not you. I can see how that might sting. But the reality is, you know the news, and you should be joyful, not sour because you weren't told "first" or in the way you would have liked. I'd say, just be happy about the news, and not worry about the way you found out about it. There is absolutely nothing stopping you from celebrating your daughter's news. Even if she won't talk to you right now, you could still send her a congratulatory message (just please don't make it sound needy or angry). Look, sometimes with adult children with BPD, patience is the key. Your daughter might not want to celebrate with you right now. I'd say, just be patient and wait until she's ready. Then you can "shower" her with joy. I think it shouldn't matter WHEN that happens. Just try to be patient and wait. I wouldn't hold it over her head, or do anything that seems needy or like a bribe ("I have some baby gifts for you if you'll come get them."). What I do is "park" the joy/festivity/gifts and wait, patiently, for the moment when she's ready.
Look, I think you've been hit by a double whammy. On the one hand, you have the holidays, and on the other, you have a major illness in the family. I've found that both the holidays and illness are gigantic triggers for pwBPD. I've written about that theory elsewhere on these boards. I think holidays are triggering because pwBPD can't stand to see others be happy and getting attention/gifts, when they themselves feel so morose and unlikeable. Being amidst joy basically reminds them that they're miserable, and they feel extraordinarily jealous of others. Similarly, any illness or death in the family can be a major trigger, because attention is temporarily diverted away from them. Any threat that your attention is elsewhere, and they have meltdown, in an attempt to reclaim the center of attention. They can't stand (or understand) that you have some extra needs right now, and if you take time or resources to tend to your own needs, they feel "abandoned." Does that make sense?
I guess I'd have some advice for you to consider. First, I'd prioritize self-care. You're not thinking straight if you're having heart palpitations. I think you should relieve yourself of some of that emotional burden and focus on getting your husband stabilized. If you need some time for yourself, take it. If you need more sleep, put yourself to bed early. If you need to hire some help and can afford it, I'd say, do it. Maybe that looks like hiring some home nurse care or house cleaners. Maybe it looks like cutting some corners, like buying semi-prepared meals or using paper plates. Maybe it means you cut back on hosting events at holidays--or maybe you still "host" but outsource meal preparation by ordering from/going to a restaurant? I do NOT recommend that you make any announcements here: "I'm not hosting guests anymore because I'm overwhelmed by stress;" and don't make your changing plans sound like a "punishment." I think you just decline to do some things, and only if people ask, just say, "We're simplifying things for the time being because my husband is ill." I think everyone should understand, and if they don't, then that's on them.
Finally I'll wrap up with the observation that your BPD daughter is still in touch because she's talking with her dad. I think that's great. You can keep tabs on her that way. My guess is that she alternates between disliking you and her dad (who you say was tough on her as a kid). That's classic BPD, painting people all white or all black, back and forth, back and forth, push pull, push pull. I know it hurts not to be talking with her right now, but my guess is that it's only temporary. She still needs you desperately, and my bet is she'll be back talking with you when she's ready. Just try to be patient and not take things so personally, OK?
