Even mothers struggle sometimes...the way TikTokers loved and supported this Rhode Island mom was beautiful. 😭
Having a sibling who suffers from the disorder can be particularly trying, since siblings often take on such a sense of responsibility for one another’s wellbeing. We spoke to Meghan Watson, registered psychotherapist and founder of Bloom psychology, about how to manage a relationship with a sibling with BPD.
Once you bring your romantic partner into the mix, that’s one more person who needs to be on-boarded into this delicate situation. It can be overwhelming at first, as an outside, to enter a family in which one of the members has borderline personality disorder. There are some things to be prepared for.
Being around someone with BPD when she is having a manic episode can feel truly intoxicating. She can feel very certain that incredible things will happen—that there are big changes around the corner. Who doesn’t want a little of that in their lives?
Severe impulsiveness, including impulsiveness towards dangerous behavior, is an issue for those with borderline personality disorder. And it is very common for people with this mental illness to turn to casual sex when they are having an episode, either a manic one or a depressive one. Later, they’ll feel very regretful over those encounters, since they didn’t go into them with a clear head. So having access to that, at their fingertips, can be very enabling for some bad behaviors.
Part of the impulse control issue includes what they say. Your BPD family member has said very nasty, hurtful things to you. You know she didn’t mean it—it was her disorder acting up—but it still hurt.
People with BPD can, unfortunately, lie a lot. They may do this when they’re having a manic episode. Say they are convinced they need to accomplish a certain project. They will do whatever they have to do so, including lie to people around them.
Confessions of a Borderline B!tch is an open, honest, and humorous column about living with Borderline Personality Disorder.