Emoblog/2017/12/10/not quite borderline

The subject of borderline personality disorder (BoPD) came up, in relation to some of what I've been discussing here (feelings of emptiness, isolation, and so on).

Objective Analysis

On the one hand, there are some strong resemblances. On the other, there are some sharp contrasts.

BoPD

Me

unstable relationships with other people unstable sense of self unstable emotions may feel emotions with greater ease, depth and for a longer time than others do Splitting ("black-and-white" thinking) Impulsivity and impulsive or dangerous behaviours a feeling of emptiness self-harm extreme fear of abandonment Symptoms may be brought on by seemingly normal events often engage in idealization and devaluation of others, alternating between high positive regard for people and great disappointment in them

unstable relationships with other people - not really? I have a hard time being emotionally stable for them, but I've never abandoned a friend or turned on them, and I'll go to great lengths to maintain existing friendships and to leave the door open for further communication when a relationship has fallen apart unstable sense of self - sort of? I don't know who I am, but on the other hand I've always had a strong sense of justice, and of what interests me. What is "self"? unstable emotions - a bit... one minute I'll feel confident in my connection with someone, euphoric even... and the next I'll be paranoid that I've done something to drive them off may feel emotions with greater ease, depth and for a longer time than others do - pretty much yes Splitting ("black-and-white" thinking) - no Impulsivity and impulsive or dangerous behaviours - no; I tend to be a worrier a feeling of emptiness - hell yes self-harm - I've certainly been there; during the Jenny era I would hit my head against hard things, and afterwards I had a cutting phase extreme fear of abandonment - see "unstable emotions" Symptoms may be brought on by seemingly normal events - I have to think about this... often engage in idealization and devaluation of others - maybe a little on the idealization side, though I think I'm always willing to see flaws in the people I feel drawn to... but I'm loyal to a fault, really, and tend to resist advice that I should discard that loyalty even when it seems clearly justified. It's only on a rational level that I'll admit I'm being used or manipulated; I don't feel it. I tend to blame myself for any negative impacts a relationship has on me.

What I'm dealing with seems related to BoPD, then, but clearly isn't the same thing.

It's nonetheless a thing; there's a very clear set of attributes which mark me as different from most people, and even from most people in the various emo-cognitive subclasses I fall into (autistic spectrum, ADD, transgender, CPTSD). Reiterating and expanding the points above:

extreme loyalty wish for intense emotional intimacy - like I need to fill in a missing part of me with someone else's presence tend to feel unlovable - something wrong or broken about me means that others don't find it fulfilling to interact with me; over the long term, I don't fill other people, I only drain them fear of abandonment - fear of being rejected, of pleasantness or affection turning to hostility (because it happened several times) feeling of emptiness, purposelessness "emptiness": there's very little inner motivation, no way to make myself happy; every serious effort I make is because I have to "purposelessness": I know what I think I should be doing, but don't feel like it really matters to anyone

Subjective Effects

All of this has basically thrown me completely out of synch with other people – not just in general, but even specifically with the people I felt closest to, identified with the most, and felt were the most like me. It has basically made it impossible for me to have a really fulfilling relationship of any kind, because the best I can do is suppress those insecurities and try to follow the other person's cues as to how they'd like me to be around them.

As an early example, here's what someone with whom I was very close said to me:

Whenever I'm around you, I feel like I've got a neurotic-mother-hen hanging over me, following me around, making sure I don't trip and fall or disappear. [...] Sometimes I want [your company]; but the minute I walk in the door, you're RIGHT THERE staring me in the face, asking how I am and/or another multitude of such questions. And I can't even back away for a minute to think, and I get flustered, and then you're either sure that you did something wrong, or you won't believe me when I say I'm fine.

— SWPSNBSI, 1981-10-26

I remember more or less how I felt when she said this – a combination of shock, deep shame, and abandonment. In my mind, I was just being the way I'd want someone else to be for me. I wanted someone who was always "right there" as much as possible. My world felt like a very hostile place, where people could turn on me in a second or use subtle head-games in ways that made me feel terrible, and I desperately needed that sense of having an ally who wouldn't leave me alone when they didn't have to (e.g. to go to class and so forth).

I hadn't quite figured out that even people I trusted and who specifically said they were my friends didn't have this same need, this same sense of needing a constant ally.

Here's Jenny, saying much the same:

I think the big difference between me and you is that you live only for the existence of others – namely your friends.

— Jenny, Note #113, 1981-11-21

Conclusions

The silver lining is that I can now look at all this while only feeling an echo of that sense of shame and abandonment. If it does send me into a down mood, I can watch it happening without feeling too strongly that I should just fall on my sword by way of atonement. (I still feel it quite strongly, but it's not absolutely overwhelming the way it once was. I have much more of a sense of my own value now, even if it's still extremely underdeveloped.)

I'm still left with questions, though:

• Can I ever feel better?
• Does anyone else feel like this?
• Even if they do, is it possible to gain a sense of wellbeing from a mutual bond?
  • ...or will we both/all just end up feeling empty together?
  • ...or will we just suck each other dry?