Anyone ever dated or married someone with Borderline Personality Disorder

[Art_Critic]

I totally agree! I love being a borderline who can disprove commonly-held beliefs about the disorder. That makes me feel strong and proud. It makes me feel like I've survived something major, something that kills a lot of people. I'm sure you understand!!

 

And anyone who chooses to judge me as borderline and nothing more is missing out on knowing a goofy funny vibrant person who can not only knit for them but surround them with bellydancers at a moment's notice! Their loss!

 

To use another posters line:

 

Atta Girl....

[Curmudgeon]

I totally agree! I love being a borderline who can disprove commonly-held beliefs about the disorder. That makes me feel strong and proud. It makes me feel like I've survived something major, something that kills a lot of people. I'm sure you understand!!

 

And anyone who chooses to judge me as borderline and nothing more is missing out on knowing a goofy funny vibrant person who can not only knit for them but surround them with bellydancers at a moment's notice! Their loss!

 

That you have worked throughy the disorder is truly an accomplishment and one that I hope continues for you. I would caution you, however, not to overly defend your position lest it become seen as a fixation which, in itself, could be construed as problematic. DBT has worked wonders for many.

 

There is no "cure" for disorders that have their basis in brain chemistry, however. Pharmaceuticals can help just as the off-label use of Lamictal as a mood stablizer does. But they don't cure. They only mitigate, lessen and help control the effects of the disorder.

 

My wife is bipolar. She'd been undiagnosed and untreated for about 40 years when we married and after four years of observation was able to tentatively diagnose her and we then had my "suspicions" confirmed by a psychiatrist. As with most disorders, there is no blood test or other indicators always present so much of any diagnosis is based upon anecdotal minformation.

 

You have survived something special, Sedgewick. I sincerely hope you continue to and that others can and will see you as an example of what can be accomplished with appropriate treatment.

 

Meanwhile, I continue to hope that one day my childrens' NPD mother will humble herself and care about our children (all adults now, thank goodness) enough to seek treatment. However, I'm not going to hold my breath!

[Lishy]

And there you go Sedge ... You have survived this illness and you are right, you should be so proud that you did not damage yourself when you broke up with your ex.

 

Sedge you spend alot of time on here putting yourself down and behaving in a way that shows you hate yourself, you have proven yourself wrong in this thread and shown that you are a strong woman and a survivor and let me tell you, if you got through intense therapy and have made yourself a better person in the face of a VERY serious mental illness you are MORE than capable of getting over your ex and being happy again!

 

You should be very proud!

[sedgwick]

There is no "cure" for disorders that have their basis in brain chemistry, however. Pharmaceuticals can help just as the off-label use of Lamictal as a mood stablizer does. But they don't cure. They only mitigate, lessen and help control the effects of the disorder.

 

Two excellent things: one, Lamictal was approved as a first-line treatment of bipolar disorder in 2004, meaning that its use as a mood stabilizer is no longer "off-label!" Thank god!!

 

Two, R.R. Llinas has found definitive irregular electrical activity in the thalamus which exists, with startling similarity, in not only autism but mood disorders and BPD. This gives further credence to the belief of some researchers that BPD should be classified not as an Axis II personality disorder but as an Axis I mood disorder. Many insurance carriers in the US will pay for treatment of an Axis I disorder but not Axis II, which means that a reclassification would help many who need treatment but can't afford it. A lot of people stay sick because they don't have money to get well.

 

My shrink actually said to me the other day that he believes we will see, within our lifetime, a definitive neurological "proof" of both autism and mood disorders. I certainly do hope that's true!

 

And yeah, Lishy, I may be strong and smart, but I'm still not a musician, and thus I feel like less of a person. When someone tells you they're leaving you because your career is not good enough for them, it's pretty damn hard not to hate yourself...or at least it is for me. I can be the strongest person in the world, but the person I love has no use for me. How do you feel any sort of self-worth in light of that? Sure, I'm tough and I have a big brain. It didn't keep him from leaving me. Everything good about me, everything I have to offer, simply was not enough.

[Curmudgeon]

Two excellent things: one, Lamictal was approved as a first-line treatment of bipolar disorder in 2004, meaning that its use as a mood stabilizer is no longer "off-label!" Thank god!!

 

Many insurance carriers in the US will pay for treatment of an Axis I disorder but not Axis II, which means that a reclassification would help many who need treatment but can't afford it. A lot of people stay sick because they don't have money to get well.

 

My shrink actually said to me the other day that he believes we will see, within our lifetime, a definitive neurological "proof" of both autism and mood disorders. I certainly do hope that's true!

 

Yeah, Lamictal is great for bipolars, especially since it doesn't cause the weight gain that other anti-seizure meds like Depakote do. My wife has certainly appreciated the difference since switching over to it about a year ago.

 

Parity laws regarding treatment of mental disorders continue to leave them wanting and they always get watered down to get passed and/or vetoed. If anything gets passed it's far more likely to be axis I disorders and often not all of them. Most unfortunately, not being able to afford treatment crosses all disorders, both mental and physical, for all too many people. It's just especially transparent and obvious with the mentally ill because they too often become part of the homeless population.

 

Proof would be nice. First comes proof, then comes acceptance followed by treatment. Stigma is still alive and well.

 

One thing I've always told my wife and anyone else with a mental disorder, it DOES NOT define them. it is simply a single facet of a multi-faceted human being.