BPD - Borderline Personality Disorder

RachelDDD · 04-10-2014 8:53pm

catrin11 wrote: »

Hi
My husband hasn't been officially diagnosed having BPD but he is such a classical example that there is no way it can be anything else. He is currently on anti-depressants which help him a bit in being calmer and more focused. He is having a therapy (luckily a very good friend of ours stepped in and proposed a very holistic treatment, similar to DBT - fingers crossed! it works). I searched internet as I was interested in getting in touch with people who have similar situation but in vain. I needed badly help as the things started getting out of control - verbal abuse, aggressive behaviour, accusations, financial problems, his drinking, self-harming and suicidal moods, etc. It was too much for me to deal with on my own. I am grateful to have good GP who helped me tremendously - putting me on anti-depressants, his priceless advice regarding bringing myself to some sort of order. A few true friends who helped me get through the darkest moments are vene more dear to me now. Recently however, I have found a book OVERCOMING BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER A Family Guide for Healing and Change by Valerie Porr. It's a eyes-opening. I find it extremely helpful. It gives fantastic insight into the cause and what families dealing on daily basis with BPD sufferers. I recommend it to everyone whose loved one has this condition.

I am definitely going to order this book, thanks for the recommendation Catrin. I also read a great book called "Walking on Eggshells". It made my jaw drop reading it and I could identify with everything in it, it is like my Bible now. Would definitely recommend it to others, particularly carers.

tinpib · 04-10-2014 9:37pm

Hi.

I can't post links here but I hope this excellent Irish blog might provide some support for posters here.

An Irish woman dealing with her depression and BPD.

Search for 'sunny spells and scattered showers'.

RachelDDD · 04-10-2014 9:49pm

tinpib wrote: »

Hi.

I can't post links here but I hope this excellent Irish blog might provide some support for posters here.

An Irish woman dealing with her depression and BPD.

Search for 'sunny spells and scattered showers'.

Thank's so much Tinpib for posting that search link. I have never heard about this lady. Her blog looks fantastic and I have already Bookmarked it. I also noted that she is an ambassador for a website called SeeChange.ie, focused on changing minds on mental health. This is so important as people in the past tended to look down their noses at MH issues. So grateful for this link and will definitely investigate it more

catrin11 · 05-10-2014 2:53pm

RachelDDD wrote: »

I am definitely going to order this book, thanks for the recommendation Catrin. I also read a great book called "Walking on Eggshells". It made my jaw drop reading it and I could identify with everything in it, it is like my Bible now. Would definitely recommend it to others, particularly carers.

The book is absolutely fantastic!!!! I recommend it to everyone who has someone close to them suffering from BPD. I started using the techniques described and they do work! My husband is lucky I must say. We have wonderful friend who although not a psychiatrist or specialist from personal disorders stepped in to help. The approach is very unusual - it's a mixture of DBT, meditation, visualisation, relaxation with breathing exercises. And I'm happy to say I can see the progress. Last few days were hard as he had his bad time. I still follow the recommendations to make the daily life a little bit easier. Unfortunately, his epilepsy and speech problems got on the way so it's not only BPD I have to deal with each day. But I'm doing my best! And the book has opened new door for me. Rachel, I've just downloaded Stop walking on eggshells. Also, I have link to the DBT self-help website. Anyone interested, PM me! Amazing info straight from the master of DBT, Prof Marcia Lenihan :-)

catrin11 · 05-10-2014 2:54pm

tinpib wrote: »

Hi.

I can't post links here but I hope this excellent Irish blog might provide some support for posters here.

An Irish woman dealing with her depression and BPD.

Search for 'sunny spells and scattered showers'.

Will definitely look into that. Thank you

catrin11 · 05-10-2014 4:40pm

RachelDDD wrote: »

Hi Catrin,

Thanks for your messages, I just responded to you by PM. I am delighted you are interested in a support group. We will definitely chat on the phone and hopefully meet up with some ideas to go forward. I really feel there is a huge void for BPD patients and their loved ones and we really need to get support groups going for both. Any ideas from anyone out there would be gratefully received. It would be fantastic to have weekly meetings going on in the city centre or even monthly to start off.

Will PM you soon. Sorry for delay....

catrin11 · 05-10-2014 5:04pm

Also, a good insight into BPD, another book: I HATE YOU.... DON'T LEAVE ME by Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus. I'm reading now the revised version. Very good!

Sclosages · 05-10-2014 5:45pm

I can't believe I've found this thread. My partner has a diagnosis of BPD.
He just can't manage his emotions at all.

BPD_Patient - I read your post out to him. He didn't identify, but I did, in terms of his behaviour.
He is terrified I will leave him, yet pushes me away by hurting me.

There are support groups on Facebook.

catrin11 · 05-10-2014 6:03pm

Sclosages wrote: »

I can't believe I've found this thread. My partner has a diagnosis of BPD.
He just can't manage his emotions at all.

BPD_Patient - I read your post out to him. He didn't identify, but I did, in terms of his behaviour.
He is terrified I will leave him, yet pushes me away by hurting me.

There are support groups on Facebook.

Sounds very familiar. Looks like we all go through the similar pattern. I'm not surprised your husband didn't identify BPD_Patient post with symptoms. It took good few months for my husband to finally say he has BPD....

RachelDDD · 06-10-2014 1:15pm

catrin11 wrote: »

The book is absolutely fantastic!!!! I recommend it to everyone who has someone close to them suffering from BPD. I started using the techniques described and they do work! My husband is lucky I must say. We have wonderful friend who although not a psychiatrist or specialist from personal disorders stepped in to help. The approach is very unusual - it's a mixture of DBT, meditation, visualisation, relaxation with breathing exercises. And I'm happy to say I can see the progress. Last few days were hard as he had his bad time. I still follow the recommendations to make the daily life a little bit easier. Unfortunately, his epilepsy and speech problems got on the way so it's not only BPD I have to deal with each day. But I'm doing my best! And the book has opened new door for me. Rachel, I've just downloaded Stop walking on eggshells. Also, I have link to the DBT self-help website. Anyone interested, PM me! Amazing info straight from the master of DBT, Prof Marcia Lenihan :-)

You are doing a fantastic job Catrin with all the additional issues to the BPD, well done you! I can't wait to get that book and also look up the DBT website. I don't know anything about DBT and was reluctant to buy a book as I didn't want to do anything with my daughter until the 'experts' (such as they are!) had a go with her first. I really don't know if she is getting much DBT at all so I think now is the time for me to read up on it and try to make a difference at home. I hope things pick up for your husband. I know what its like having everything plodding along normally and then the next day the mood is through the floor. It tends to come out of nowhere and its scary when you both feel so helpless.

RachelDDD · 06-10-2014 1:16pm

catrin11 wrote: »

Also, a good insight into BPD, another book: I HATE YOU.... DON'T LEAVE ME by Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus. I'm reading now the revised version. Very good!

I heard about this one too and the title says it all really. It is definitely one for my hit list - Amazon are going to be busy

RachelDDD · 06-10-2014 1:26pm

Sclosages wrote: »

I can't believe I've found this thread. My partner has a diagnosis of BPD.
He just can't manage his emotions at all.

BPD_Patient - I read your post out to him. He didn't identify, but I did, in terms of his behaviour.
He is terrified I will leave him, yet pushes me away by hurting me.

There are support groups on Facebook.

Maybe there is an element of denial on his part. It can't be easy reading negative stuff about yourself. My daughter insists she doesn't have Narcissistic Personality Disorder in addition to BPD, but it is very common for people to have both. She most definitely ticks all the boxes! She 100% agrees that she has BPD. I actually diagnosed her myself because I was fed up with Psychiatrists and experts refusing to give me any diagnosis for her extreme behaviours (overdoses, self harm etc.). I spent years poring the Internet trying to find an answer and eventually came across BPD. I knew instantly that was what she had and when I confronted her medical team they agreed! They were reluctant to diagnose because she was under 18 and they like to allow the personality to develop fully before a diagnosis. I think that is BS to be honest as traits can start to materialise from the onset of puberty. I would research some more websites on BPD with your husband and see if maybe he may have a crossover with another condition -that's no uncommon either. It could be why he doesn't identify with the BPD traits. Best of luck to you both.

triona1 · 06-10-2014 4:01pm

This also my husbands has suicidal ideation,word/name would not come to me.

BPD_Patient.
Yours really hit home for me.Self destruction is a major factor my husband is morbidly obese from meds and as he said himself he wants to die anyhow.His BPD is then accompanied by paranoid behavior, hallucinations and delusions exactly the same here,many a scary night of me not knowing wtf is he going on about,one night i came down stairs and he had shaved all his hair off,totally bald!His family turn off the house phone and mobiles at 10pm everynight and got the house alarm and locks changed in fear.

RachelDDD they wont keep him in long term as they think and he will become institutionalised.And i don't want that either,if they cant mange him i will.

Im quick posting as he is near me at the mo.

RachelDDD · 06-10-2014 6:42pm

triona1 wrote: »

This also my husbands has suicidal ideation,word/name would not come to me.

BPD_Patient.
Yours really hit home for me.Self destruction is a major factor my husband is morbidly obese from meds and as he said himself he wants to die anyhow.His BPD is then accompanied by paranoid behavior, hallucinations and delusions exactly the same here,many a scary night of me not knowing wtf is he going on about,one night i came down stairs and he had shaved all his hair off,totally bald!His family turn off the house phone and mobiles at 10pm everynight and got the house alarm and locks changed in fear.

RachelDDD they wont keep him in long term as they think and he will become institutionalised.And i don't want that either,if they cant mange him i will.

Im quick posting as he is near me at the mo.

My daughter has been diagnosed as having 'suicidal ideations' too. It makes it sound so trivial and insignificant, as if its just a fleeting momentary thought. She thinks about it 24/7 when she is having a bad bout of depression & the voice in her head is constantly screaming at her to harm herself. That is one term that makes my blood boil when I hear it. Another couple are "Discharge" and "Institutionalised". I hear them over and over every time my daughter is admitted and have come to loathe them both. It incenses me that the second she is admitted, they can't wait to have a 'Discharge Meeting' despite the fact that they have done absolutely nothing to help her. When I argue this with them they then throw in the "Institutionalised" card. This is when I really freak out because I would rather her ALIVE and take an institutionalised risk, than DEAD and at loose on the streets. We are not trained Psychiatric nurses and most of us are trying to cope alone in keeping our loved ones safe. it is not possible to stay awake 24 hours a day watching them to make sure then don't grab a kitchen knife or drink the bleach in the bathroom. I know for a fact the HSE puts pressure on Psych hospitals to get people discharged ASAP and its purely down to €€€€€. They don't care if you go and walk under a bus the moment you are discharged, as long as you are not taking up a 'bed' & eating into their precious budgets. My daughter was hospitalised for almost 6 months this year and it was a damn tough fight to get them to keep her all that time. I almost ended up in the High Court but was prepared to go the whole hog on them if necessary. Thankfully she is doing a lot better, still up's and down's but mostly 'up's' lately thank God. I worry about her hitting the 18 milestone because I am learning from you guys that the adult services are even worse. Right now I have more leverage legally as she is a minor.

catrin11 · 06-10-2014 10:16pm

RachelDDD wrote: »

I heard about this one too and the title says it all really. It is definitely one for my hit list - Amazon are going to be busy

If you are interested I have all the books downloaded, I can email you them.

catrin11 · 06-10-2014 10:36pm

RachelDDD wrote: »

You are doing a fantastic job Catrin with all the additional issues to the BPD, well done you! I can't wait to get that book and also look up the DBT website. I don't know anything about DBT and was reluctant to buy a book as I didn't want to do anything with my daughter until the 'experts' (such as they are!) had a go with her first. I really don't know if she is getting much DBT at all so I think now is the time for me to read up on it and try to make a difference at home. I hope things pick up for your husband. I know what its like having everything plodding along normally and then the next day the mood is through the floor. It tends to come out of nowhere and its scary when you both feel so helpless.

As a sort of hobby I do research work so finding about things comes very naturally. My husband even says I can find the things which don't exist

I truly recommend DBT, even without training. I started using it while still reading the book and it changed so much. He gradually started opening to me and the way he sees the same thing is so totally different from mine view. Thanks to that I can try to be a step ahead of him, I can pretty well guess what he may be up to next, while at the same time he feels enough safe and comfortable with me that he can talk about his pain, problems, etc. It doesn't mean I do a therapy with him but I make the house less chaotic, with fewer triggers for him (and myself). We went through him throwing away my stuff from home, shaving off his head, calling the gardai and accusing me of physical violence towards him, suicidal moods, self-harm, unimaginable anger, fights on the streets, etc. You name it, I'm ready to bet we had it at some point. Now therapy is slowly working (even though his therapist doesn't know how long it may take), the home DBT technique has made my daily life more manageable. It's far from being good but compare to how it used to be I can feel the difference. I must say I was lucky to hit the nail very quickly and simply followed my intuition in research. Now I share it with others. It has been helping me and I hope it will help other in need.

RachelDDD · 07-10-2014 2:11pm

catrin11 wrote: »

As a sort of hobby I do research work so finding about things comes very naturally. My husband even says I can find the things which don't exist
I truly recommend DBT, even without training. I started using it while still reading the book and it changed so much. He gradually started opening to me and the way he sees the same thing is so totally different from mine view. Thanks to that I can try to be a step ahead of him, I can pretty well guess what he may be up to next, while at the same time he feels enough safe and comfortable with me that he can talk about his pain, problems, etc. It doesn't mean I do a therapy with him but I make the house less chaotic, with fewer triggers for him (and myself). We went through him throwing away my stuff from home, shaving off his head, calling the gardai and accusing me of physical violence towards him, suicidal moods, self-harm, unimaginable anger, fights on the streets, etc. You name it, I'm ready to bet we had it at some point. Now therapy is slowly working (even though his therapist doesn't know how long it may take), the home DBT technique has made my daily life more manageable. It's far from being good but compare to how it used to be I can feel the difference. I must say I was lucky to hit the nail very quickly and simply followed my intuition in research. Now I share it with others. It has been helping me and I hope it will help other in need.

That sounds fantastic and God knows we need ever help we can get. I am definitely going to head into Easons on Saturday and try to buy a book on it. It sounds like you have had such an awful time but at least now you both have better coping skills thanks to your research. It makes me feel so lazy because I have done nothing because I didn't want to interfere. Definitely going to get on track with it now as it is the No. 1 treatment for BPD. I will be picking your brains lots for advice!

RachelDDD · 07-10-2014 2:13pm

catrin11 wrote: »

If you are interested I have all the books downloaded, I can email you them.

Hi Catrin, I would love those books if its possible to email. There are all so damn expensive to buy which is what has been holding me back too. I have had to drop out of college as a (very!) mature student to focus on being a full time carer, so money is hard to come by.

catrin11 · 08-10-2014 12:18am

RachelDDD wrote: »

Hi Catrin, I would love those books if its possible to email. There are all so damn expensive to buy which is what has been holding me back too. I have had to drop out of college as a (very!) mature student to focus on being a full time carer, so money is hard to come by.

No problem. PM your email address :-)

catrin11 · 08-10-2014 12:50am

RachelDDD wrote: »

That sounds fantastic and God knows we need ever help we can get. I am definitely going to head into Easons on Saturday and try to buy a book on it. It sounds like you have had such an awful time but at least now you both have better coping skills thanks to your research. It makes me feel so lazy because I have done nothing because I didn't want to interfere. Definitely going to get on track with it now as it is the No. 1 treatment for BPD. I will be picking your brains lots for advice!

He is difficult case. I suspect he's got Narcissistic Personality Disorder with BPD. He says he is happy with his anger as that means passion for him. He knows he sees all in black-white, no grey but at the moment he thinks about anything that would be in between as boredom. He doesn't comprehend how negatively it affects everyone around him. He doesn't believe it could be changed ever ('I've tried everything yet and nothing worked ergo nothing will ever work for me. Maybe for the others but definitely not for me'). There is no way of starting the subject or suggest anything (according to him I know nothing as I am not trained so whatever I say doesn't matteer, even the therapist doesn't want to touch that part yet. I don't think he is ready anyway. And this is absolutely basic! I do see change but I wouldn't mind if progress was happening without ups and downs. At least I'm no longer dancing the BPD dance. I've done that earlier and the end might have been very tragic for me. Luckily I was put only on anti-depressants and advised to go for therapy. I'm off the medication now and promised myself never again. The therapy helps me to put myself together and in a way to distance from the whole situation. Otherwise I'd go mad. I started using some alternative ways to de-stress myself (music, visualisation, learn how to meditate, reiki). And first of all chats with my friend. I see now everything differently, DBT played important role in that realisation. It was that extra kick I needed. Rachel, my doctor forbid me doing any research, said it wasn't my responsibility. But I had to find out why my husband suddenly changed so much (I still can't believe it is the same person I married only 2 yrs ago!). Now although I am not professional I can say with 100% accuracy he has BPD....

RachelDDD · 08-10-2014 2:28pm

catrin11 wrote: »

He is difficult case. I suspect he's got Narcissistic Personality Disorder with BPD. He says he is happy with his anger as that means passion for him. He knows he sees all in black-white, no grey but at the moment he thinks about anything that would be in between as boredom. He doesn't comprehend how negatively it affects everyone around him. He doesn't believe it could be changed ever ('I've tried everything yet and nothing worked ergo nothing will ever work for me. Maybe for the others but definitely not for me'). There is no way of starting the subject or suggest anything (according to him I know nothing as I am not trained so whatever I say doesn't matteer, even the therapist doesn't want to touch that part yet. I don't think he is ready anyway. And this is absolutely basic! I do see change but I wouldn't mind if progress was happening without ups and downs. At least I'm no longer dancing the BPD dance. I've done that earlier and the end might have been very tragic for me. Luckily I was put only on anti-depressants and advised to go for therapy. I'm off the medication now and promised myself never again. The therapy helps me to put myself together and in a way to distance from the whole situation. Otherwise I'd go mad. I started using some alternative ways to de-stress myself (music, visualisation, learn how to meditate, reiki). And first of all chats with my friend. I see now everything differently, DBT played important role in that realisation. It was that extra kick I needed. Rachel, my doctor forbid me doing any research, said it wasn't my responsibility. But I had to find out why my husband suddenly changed so much (I still can't believe it is the same person I married only 2 yrs ago!). Now although I am not professional I can say with 100% accuracy he has BPD....

My daughter is very like your husband in that she always knows everything already and we are all just a bunch of idiots. You just cannot reason with her and she is so closed down sometimes to hearing the truth. I am sure this is classic BPD and the narcissistic bit is when they assume they are the only people who have the answers (even when they don't). For us, the diagnosis was a huge relief because we didn't know why the hell her behaviours were so extreme. At least now we knew what we were dealing with (maybe!). I do honestly think she has other things going on in that head also, but they are so reluctant to diagnose anything with her age being under 18. I am amazed that your husband has only really become ill in recently and that he was a different guy when you married him. I wonder if maybe he was putting a brave face on things and hiding his problems from you. We had no clue anything was wrong with our daughter until she took a very serious overdose a week after her 13th birthday. We were devastated as she showed no signs of depression, was popular and had heaps of friends/boyfriends. She was top of her class in almost every subject and then this bombshell. I now know that puberty often kick-starts the symptoms and traits. One thing that I hate about BPD is that it is known to affect people who have come from abused homes or had an abusive past. This is definitely not the case for my daughter as we are a super close family. It really hurts though to read negative things about parents 'causing' BPD. My husband had a previous marriage and a much older daughter had similar 'problems' when she hit the same age, so in our case I feel it is most definitely genetic. This girl is in her 30's now and still on medication and has regular admissions to hospital.

triona1 · 09-10-2014 10:34am

Same happened with my husband we are together 19 years and a car crash start ptsd and it went on the chronic bpd.Its only the last 5 years we have gone through all this.I did find out he had a pretty nasty childhood and some other bits before the crash and it escalated from there,It is genetic ive to keep an eye especially on my 3 sons,my gp does this for me as its so extreme.My husband will be on meds for life too.
Im still baffled by him shaving his hair off.he was thrilled with himself!

My gp also told me not to research it,he said to look after myself and the 4 kids and give the psych team a brisk kick up the A**e.I should also have a care team after this amount of time and respite.he said he should be taken into the unit every couple of weeks for respite,and home visit should be a must so they can see how he is at home.My gp knows more about him and everything than the stupid psych and team,sure at one stage his psych could not deal with him and the professor was brought in and that's when high risk in port Laois was mentioned.Thats 22hrs in bed sedated a day(so ive heard)and there is no easy way to get out.I was always worried that dundrum was the next place for him as im from that area and those walls freak me out still.

I found his "personal Journal" and read his last input and rang the unit asap as he was going to do something,they ate me and asked did he give permission to read it,i said i dont care about permission im his wife and he was acting unusual and i seen fit to read it,Well they said i ruined everything now that he will never trust me again,so i told him and he said ah jesus don't mind them they are nutters,it was also said to me by him many times not to question or give out about his care when he is in as they can be rude/nasty too him!!!
Honestly he is better and safer at home with me.

RachelDDD · 09-10-2014 11:12am

triona1 wrote: »

Same happened with my husband we are together 19 years and a car crash start ptsd and it went on the chronic bpd.Its only the last 5 years we have gone through all this.I did find out he had a pretty nasty childhood and some other bits before the crash and it escalated from there,It is genetic ive to keep an eye especially on my 3 sons,my gp does this for me as its so extreme.My husband will be on meds for life too.
Im still baffled by him shaving his hair off.he was thrilled with himself!

My gp also told me not to research it,he said to look after myself and the 4 kids and give the psych team a brisk kick up the A**e.I should also have a care team after this amount of time and respite.he said he should be taken into the unit every couple of weeks for respite,and home visit should be a must so they can see how he is at home.My gp knows more about him and everything than the stupid psych and team,sure at one stage his psych could not deal with him and the professor was brought in and that's when high risk in port Laois was mentioned.Thats 22hrs in bed sedated a day(so ive heard)and there is no easy way to get out.I was always worried that dundrum was the next place for him as im from that area and those walls freak me out still.

I found his "personal Journal" and read his last input and rang the unit asap as he was going to do something,they ate me and asked did he give permission to read it,i said i dont care about permission im his wife and he was acting unusual and i seen fit to read it,Well they said i ruined everything now that he will never trust me again,so i told him and he said ah jesus don't mind them they are nutters,it was also said to me by him many times not to question or give out about his care when he is in as they can be rude/nasty too him!!!
Honestly he is better and safer at home with me.

I am so glad you have such a brilliant and supportive GP. He really understands the daily hell you have to contend with, plus trying to hold it all together for your kids sake. I would try to push for the respite as it would give you some breathing space for yourself, even if it was only one weekend a month. I agree with you about Dundrum, it gives me the willies driving by there too. We have huge guilt about putting our loved ones into any kind of psychiatric care, or at least I do. I feel like such a failure and as low as I can get walking away from the hospital. The first time my daughter OD'd and they were trying to resuscitate her for the second or third time, I was pacing the corridoor outside the room pulling out my hair and praying like crazy. I swore if she died that I would just walk out the front door of Temple Street and under a car. I really didn't know how I would cope and this had all come out of the blue. Now in hindsight of course I am so glad I wasn't so stupid, but it was my first reaction to this whole nightmare kicking off. I have another daughter and parents etc. to think about so would never go to those extremes. It is bad enough one of us killing ourselves without me jumping on the bandwagon!

I know if things got much worse down the road with my daughter, I would consider anywhere as long as it keeps her safe. It's an impossible task for us to undertake, especially for someone who is a partner of a BPD patient, you are the only other adult in the home to try to cope alone. At least I have a partner (who is usually as helpful as a chocolate teapot but oh well!), my parents live close by too and are great if I need to get some sleep they will sit with her and be vigilant.

I think you were dead right to read the journal, how dare they chastise you for doing it. It is your right to make sure he is in a good state of mind. I do the same with my daughter and have been in your shoes phoning doctors horrified at what I had read. She was going to stab some girl at school etc. and mad rants and raves about everything. I never knew she was hearing a voice in her head for the past 4 years until recently when I read it in one of her diaries. No-one ever thought it was important or that I had a right to know my daughter was hearing a nasty voice 24/7!!! I was incensed because it is a HUGE issue and helped me understand her condition much better. I would continue checking his journal but do it discretely, thats what I do now. If I see something bad I let her doc know and he will casually bring up the topic without saying I read her diary. I am glad no-one ever read my teenage diaries!

catrin11 · 09-10-2014 1:47pm

triona1 wrote: »

Same happened with my husband we are together 19 years and a car crash start ptsd and it went on the chronic bpd.Its only the last 5 years we have gone through all this.I did find out he had a pretty nasty childhood and some other bits before the crash and it escalated from there,It is genetic ive to keep an eye especially on my 3 sons,my gp does this for me as its so extreme.My husband will be on meds for life too.
Im still baffled by him shaving his hair off.he was thrilled with himself!

My gp also told me not to research it,he said to look after myself and the 4 kids and give the psych team a brisk kick up the A**e.I should also have a care team after this amount of time and respite.he said he should be taken into the unit every couple of weeks for respite,and home visit should be a must so they can see how he is at home.My gp knows more about him and everything than the stupid psych and team,sure at one stage his psych could not deal with him and the professor was brought in and that's when high risk in port Laois was mentioned.Thats 22hrs in bed sedated a day(so ive heard)and there is no easy way to get out.I was always worried that dundrum was the next place for him as im from that area and those walls freak me out still.

I found his "personal Journal" and read his last input and rang the unit asap as he was going to do something,they ate me and asked did he give permission to read it,i said i dont care about permission im his wife and he was acting unusual and i seen fit to read it,Well they said i ruined everything now that he will never trust me again,so i told him and he said ah jesus don't mind them they are nutters,it was also said to me by him many times not to question or give out about his care when he is in as they can be rude/nasty too him!!!
Honestly he is better and safer at home with me.

In the beginning of the year we experienced horrible situation where also a few members of his family were involved. I can see now that it was the starting point and he according to my knowledge began to suffer from PTSD. He was put on anti-depressants for 3 months and then his now ex-gp simply refused to give him another prescription. It was more than dangerous for everyone, including my husband. By then he already started behaving totally different and sudden withdrawal only made things much worse.

As to the reason why people have BPD it's complicated. Genetics plays important part - they have differently working brain and its wiring, with the part called amygdala responsible for emotions always over-working and the frontal part of brain responsible for logic and reasoning under-working. Also the neural connections are not properly developed. That's why when it comes to anything involving emotions, especially the negative ones like shame or guilt, amygdala always win. Hence one can forget about any reasoning. It also takes much linger time for them to calm down. Another factor is the family environment the person grew up in - the mutual relations between the close family members, how emotionally they were connected, etc. And yes, it is true that many people who experienced any kind of abuse in childhood (physical, mental, sexual) or were neglected by parents/carers develop BPD. It is also worth checking if they were any people from the family (parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc) who had mental problems as it very often runs in the families with some history of mental illnesses. The person with BPD was simply unlucky to pick up the wrong set....

Triona, my gp said exactly the same - stop doing any research, leave it for the specialists, look after yourself, he must make his choice, etc. I did follow that advise partly. And I'm glad I didn't stop searching. I found out for example that if the therapy for the BPD patient is to work the involvement of family in it is absolutely crucial! Who spends with them more time - the family or the therapist? Who can pick up the slightest change in our loved one - us or the therapist? Who suffers and goes through hell because of dealing with BPD day by day? DBT is not only about helping the patient (though that's its primary goal) but also to help families and close friends of that patient. In USA there are special workshops specially designed for the families. I read that this year similar workshops were started in Cork. I took the risk and started following the guidelines of DBT at home and I can see the difference! I'm still learning, still making mistakes but I am doing my best. I acknowledge that sometimes because of lack of the knowledge and skills I was responsible for my husbands outbursts. Now I have pretty good image of what he goes through each day, what may be the trigger for another fight, etc. But because it is so different from my way of seeing and experiencing the same situation I would have never known that without learning DBT.

As to the psychiatric care. Well, we had 1 bad experience. My husband once rang the unit because he felt he was dangerous and couldn't be responsible for his actions. When he finally got through and started explaining everything the person on the other end told him to hurry up as he was busy! How can you say something like that to someone who is mentally unstable (dangerous for everybody) and literally is begging for help????

triona1 · 09-10-2014 9:31pm

physical, mental, sexual abuse,didn't want to say,id die if he knew i posted here.
He over the last year or so is acting child like.and some of his meds make him sit on the chair dribbling.he has tantrums all the things 2-4 year olds do.I was at my gp's and crying as usual and he said Triona all you can do then is treat him like a child!It works.if i had a bold chair here and he was acting up and i sternly told him to sit on it he would.I have often shouted at him to just stop doing whatever it is doing because it pointless and asked why he is doing it and he would say because he wants too.So when i told my gp this he said treat him like a child so and tell him why you are treating him like this,he will actually shrug his shoulders in a huff,and it goes back to his childhood i think.he see's me as a mam.
When i told the unit that he is a danger to himself many a time they were convinced he had rang and told me he was going to do something.i get this weight on my back and my front lifts like off the floor,then i just know its harm/suicide mode.

Can i ask could we post number say 55 for catrin11.instead of quoting.Im sure you will all understand that the internet is nomansland and any of our loved ones could find our post just by typing bpd ireland.My husband would no it was me talking about him.
Its grand if it doesn't suit.

Just to add may make no difference,My husband was and i'm sure somewhere inside still is an extremely highly intelligent and very successful man until 5 years ago i never had to worry about anything,everything was no object.Now id give it all back and live in a box on o'connell bridge with him and the kids.
As my mam says he had/has a beautiful mind.just goes to show how scary the mind is.x

Im sitting here trying to think back over the last years of bpd,and i still don't know how he is here.I still wont give up.everytime he ends up in hospital and says f**k i'm still here i tell him ill stick by my marriage vows.Better or worse and sickness in health all the days of our lives.ive got in that car with him and said to him so many times ive not let you die yet and i wont now.while hitting him to keep him awake.Heartbroken to think he didnt care enough to live for ME!.Took a long time to get to grips with this.

catrin11 · 09-10-2014 10:34pm

I bow my head in front of you! Really!!! To say I am impressed would be understatement....

No problem about being a number ;-)

Can I ask you a question? I remember you saying your husband had DBT. What about you and your family? Did you receive any guidelines, set of tools of how to manage your domestic life? Did they give you some ideas how to deal on a daily basis? Or maybe it was only about your husband and nothing else?

triona1 · 10-10-2014 1:21am

Dr Doran was the only one that ever ever had my interest at heart.He went above and beyond for me.but he moved on to teens.i posted the link for him in a previous post.he was the only one that cared,I asked him can this be fixed,he asked was i a optimist i replied im a problem solver.as in i would never have a glass full of water or empty.He smiled.he truly looked after me and it was he who 6 months in told me to get to my gp as i was loosing weight and gaunt and the rest.He is a great man.A funny man that gave me hope.
I once joked with him.
Me)How many psych's does it take to change a light bulb?
He)No idea
Me)None it has to want to change its self.he lolled,truly great man and a joe soap no big head nothing but a great man.
After dr Doran nothing i get no help at all(apart from my gp).its not brushed away,his family know they are to blame i told them everything i heard as they would not go to sessions,oh they would pay for private ones no bother and if i asked they would pay for respite,but i want nothing from them,as i said ill mind him and if needs be like a child,as i posted they turn off their phones at 10pm and ive told them id never ring if he died after and unusual time of night id wait until the next day,he wont get any deader to them.when he is gone he is gone to them.DBT didnt work,i hate saying it but he is chronic and im just hoping that none of you end up in my situ.I know how bad it is but im not lowering anyone.i cant explain chronic enough.x

No after dr Doran.Nothing nada everything he promised was done,but i did get a call from child protection to try take my kids away!My gp was on it like a fly on s**t.And the schools.It was his new psych that could not deal with him i reckon got them involved.And i was not allowed tell my husband as he was in the unit and was not allowed to know about worries or the outside world!.

triona1 · 10-10-2014 1:58am

RachelDDD · 10-10-2014 12:59pm

[QUOTE Im sitting here trying to think back over the last years of bpd,and i still don't know how he is here.I still wont give up.everytime he ends up in hospital and says f**k i'm still here i tell him ill stick by my marriage vows.Better or worse and sickness in health all the days of our lives.ive got in that car with him and said to him so many times ive not let you die yet and i wont now.while hitting him to keep him awake.Heartbroken to think he didnt care enough to live for ME!.Took a long time to get to grips with this.[/QUOTE]

I too am in awe of you and your devotion to your husband & kids. You are an incredible woman and I wish I had an ounce of your strength to cope with all this. I love that I have met such strong people on this forum because you all (Catrin, Triona etc.) inspire me so much to keep going and that there is some hope out there. If you guys can do it then so can I. I am more determined than ever to try to get a support group up and running.

RachelDDD · 10-10-2014 1:06pm

[QUOTE No after dr Doran.Nothing nada everything he promised was done,but i did get a call from child protection to try take my kids away!My gp was on it like a fly on s**t.And the schools.It was his new psych that could not deal with him i reckon got them involved.And i was not allowed tell my husband as he was in the unit and was not allowed to know about worries or the outside world!.[/QUOTE]

That is disgraceful when you are struggling to hold everything together. His family should be trying to support you and give you some respite by even taking the kids or coming over to sit with him for an evening while you get out of the house. I had a similar thing happen where the hospital called Social Services into a weekly meeting saying that my daughter was at risk if she went home because I said I was unable to cope looking after her (ie. providing a 24 hour suicide watch on her). She was in the throws of depression & 100% suicidal, no-one in their right mind would take her home. The medical team were trying to blackmail me into saying "oh well, if you don't take her home we will hand her over to social services to find her a home". I went apesh!t and said that you better make sure they are a couple of psychicatric nurses because they are the only people who are qualified to care for her. I had to threaten legal proceedings against them if they made a move in that direction. Thankfully social services ran a mile and didn't want to be involved in a high court case. The hospital had no choice but to keep her for 6 months. At least on discharge she wasn't suicidal and her mood had lifted a lot, however damn all treatment for BPD.

BPD - Borderline Personality Disorder

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