How to Live With Someone Who Has Borderline Personality Disorder

Living with someone who has Borderline Personality Disorder can be difficult–especially if you don’t have any previous knowledge or experience with the disorder. Follow these tips to ease your experience of living with someone who has Borderline Personality Disorder.

 

8 Steps to Live With Someone Who Has Borderline Personality Disorder

 

1. Accept that a Borderline Personality Disorder sufferer has an illness.

Don’t be quick to judge or hold their behavior against them.

 

2. Read up on Borderline Personality Disorder.

Learn as much as you can about the illness and ways to cope with it as a person who doesn’t have it. Find ways to make understanding Borderline Personality Disorder and the person with whom you are living an ongoing process.

 

3. Get objective about the person’s illness and his behavior.

Recognize symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder versus other personality traits. Validate your reactions and feelings to the Borderline Personality Disorder sufferer’s behavior as much as the behavior itself.

 

4. Support as much as you can without compromising your own needs.

Realize that you need to care for yourself while attempting to contribute to the well-being of another.

 

5. Be ready to be disappointed in the sufferer’s behavior.

Borderline Personality Disorder is not an illness that completely goes away due to your efforts. However, learn how to be compassionate and forgiving of the person.

 

6. Find balance within yourself.

Living with a person who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder will be much harder if you do not feel stable yourself.

 

7. Learn how to take breaks from your living situation.

Living with someone who has Borderline Personality Disorder can be exhausting on many different levels. Take time to regroup.

 

8. Participate in therapy.

Find a therapist who has experience counseling people who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder and their family and friends. Be honest with the therapist. Learn new coping skills.

 

 

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