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silverhopes posted 1/20/2013 11:29 AM

Sorry if acronym is confusing. In this case, I mean BPD = Borderline Personality Disorder. I think a certain family member has it, and I am looking for a book to help children of parents (mother figures) with Borderline Personality Disorder overcome it. Also, it will help me because I am diagnosed with Borderline PD or Borderline PD traits or symptoms, so I want to be self-aware and not ever put my son through that hell.

Thank you for any recs.

silverhopes posted 1/20/2013 11:31 AM

ETA: I was in DBT for a year and currently have regular therapy, so I'm more looking for a book to help me as a child of someone who has Borderline PD. Thank you again.

phmh posted 1/20/2013 15:09 PM

I have heard good things about "Toxic Parents" by Susan Forward, though I'm not sure if it addresses BPD specifically. You may want to read the amazon reviews and see if it sounds like what you're looking for.

Then, you can look at the other recommended books to see if any of those might help?

I did read "Emotional Blackmail" by Susan Forward while dealing with the fallout of XWH's affair and she was a good writer. That book helped me, and may also be helpful, depending on the type of characteristics you want to figure out how to address.

silverhopes posted 1/20/2013 17:10 PM

Thank you for the recs! I have both of those books but haven't read them. I did peek inside of "Toxic Parents" this morning, and there's a small section on manipulative parents, and that's what inspired me to find a book that went more into it...

I will definitely check out "Emotional Blackmail"! I haven't read it yet. Thank you phmh.

HFSSC posted 1/20/2013 18:44 PM

Stop Walking on Eggshells and I Hate You! Don't Leave Me! were 2 extremely helpful books for me in learning to deal with my mom and also my foster sister who are BPD.

gotmylifeback posted 1/22/2013 02:45 AM

I too would suggest Stop Walking on Eggshells. It is an easy, yet practical read. It helped me better understand the disability and why I felt so bulied and depressed in my marriage

Newstart43 posted 2/4/2013 12:27 PM

Agree with HFSSC on BOTH "Stop Walking on Eggshells" and "I Hate You! Don't Leave Me!" as good guides for those living with a person with BPD.

[This message edited by Newstart43 at 12:28 PM, February 4th (Monday)]

Compartmented posted 2/4/2013 16:23 PM

Personality Disorder Awareness Network has books on their resource list.

ThoughtIKnewYa posted 2/4/2013 20:57 PM

silver,

In reading on the NPD forums, I've found that there's a common theme of people living with PDs having "FLEAS"- bits and pieces of personality disordered behavior that they picked-up from the PD. If this is the primary role model in your life, how could you NOT look at the behavior and think, "OK. THIS is how we handle *that*."?? I think that the difference in PDs and non PDs is that a non can look at the behavior, realize that it's not quite right, and learn a new, healthy behavior in the place of it.

[This message edited by ThoughtIKnewYa at 9:02 PM, February 4th (Monday)]

ThoughtIKnewYa posted 2/4/2013 23:31 PM

On FLEAS:

http://joyfulalivewoman.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/fleas-bad-behavior-patterns-and-habits-picked-up-from-living-with-a-narcissist/

silverhopes posted 2/5/2013 00:13 AM

Hi everyone! Thank you for the recommendations. I am still reading "Emotional Blackmail" (it's helping!), and I will definitely check out "Stop Walking on Eggshells" and "I Hate You! Don't Leave Me!" when I'm done.

TIKY, I am checking out the link you gave me right now about FLEAS! I've been thinking about that a lot lately - the difference between having the disease and having the traits of the disease but not the fullblown disease. I think I might have learned the traits from her... but that's another thread entirely! Thank you again.

HFSSC posted 2/13/2013 06:11 AM

Wow... TIKY, thanks so much for that information about fleas. Because it explains so much of what I learned from my mother.