Ozzie101
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« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2019, 10:09:47 AM » |
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That's a difficult thing and something I've struggled with in the past.
What are these arguments usually about? You say she wants to avoid the argument and not discuss it. So, is she the one driving the argument, or are you? Her facts may be incorrect, but are you validating her feelings? Sometimes, especially in an argument, the best thing you can do is let unimportant "facts" go. Not something huge, and not agreeing, obviously, but just ignoring it. For example: Her: The magical unicorn in the yard ignored me and that makes me angry. You: It doesn't feel good to be ignored, does it? I'm sorry. Notice, you're not admitting there's a unicorn in the yard. But you're not fighting her on it either.
You say you can see the argument coming. What would happen if you left before they even really start? Saying something along the lines of, "I can tell this is very important to you. It's important to me, too. But I need a little time to think about it before I can discuss it productively. I'll be back at x time. I love you." As you know, these hours-long arguments are not productive and are, in fact, harmful to your relationship. She may be angry, yes. But sometimes giving a pwBPD space to be angry and bring themselves back to baseline can be a positive thing.
The important thing is you need to get yourself to center more quickly. You need to be able to think more with your logical brain. Calming exercises like focusing on your breathing (slowly in and out) can help with that. My therapist recommended sitting with my hands on my thighs and slowly tapping my hands, alternating: 1, 2, 3, 4. It helps me.
Anyway, it sounds to me like you both may be keeping the ball going. Which means it's likely up to you to change the direction and slow it down.
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