Posted by madeline on January 31, 2007, at 7:07:05
In reply to those with personality disorders...., posted by alesta on January 30, 2007, at 8:58:39
You know, I hear you and understand where you are coming from.
My mom is bipolar with mania that manifests as extreme aggression and depression that is suicidal.
When I was a child she used to tell me to go get the gun so she could kill herself because I was such a bad child.
When she was finally diagnosed and treated she garnered a lot of attention. Nobody seemed to care how her illness affected me. Nobody. If I tried to say something, I always heard "your mom is sick and we need to be very nice to HER".
Those people who care for, are friends with or interact with the mentally ill are so often ignored - yet mental illness affects so many people in negative ways.
It is enough to make anyone a little quick on the trigger if you live in it day in and day out.
I completely understand the anger, the frustration.
To me the key to tolerance is being very centered with yourself, knowing that the person isn't doing this on purpose and setting boundaries.
Now, having said that I think it is almost impossible to do when you are close to the person and they have the capacity to hurt you.
There is scant support for people who have to live with the mentally ill (either literally or figuratively), but it is out there.
I would check in your area to see if there is a group, or if you are in therapy this is certainly something to talk to your therapist about. They are specifically trained to deal with mental illness anc could offer you some specific survival tips to help you.
Please come back when feel safe to do so.
Maddie
poster:madeline
thread:728027
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20070130/msgs/728369.html