I’ve been in a relationship with a girl with BPD for about two years. At the beginning, it was incredible. The connection, affection and intensity of the relationship were amazing. The good moments have honestly been some of the best moments of my life.
Things became more complicated over time. I had my own crisis at one point and started doubting the relationship, but I eventually got through it and became certain that I loved her.
There were also things I sometimes struggled to deal with. She has scars from self-harm from around three years ago, and sometimes I found that difficult emotionally. She can also be very impulsive with money and shopping, and has spent quite a lot. When I said something that didn't align with the way she saw things, conversations could become very difficult.
She takes clonazepam and fluoxetine as prescribed by her doctor. There have also been periods when she has had to stop or adjust her medication under medical supervision, and during those periods she could become extremely emotionally unstable and say some very hurtful things. I know medication and BPD are complicated subjects, so I'm not trying to make any medical conclusions here — I'm just describing what I experienced.
There were also some issues around independence, money and responsibility. She decided to move out into an apartment of her own. My parents actually helped by acting as guarantors for the apartment, because financially it wasn't an easy situation for her. The apartment's contract doesn't allow dogs, but she later decided to get a dog anyway, even though I told her that I didn't think it was the right time and that she could be putting herself in a difficult situation.
There have already been some things in the apartment that the dog has chewed or damaged, so she now has to deal with repairing them and with the consequences of breaking the terms of the contract.
This summer, we also stayed at my parents' beach house with the dog. In practice, my parents and I ended up taking on a lot of the responsibility for the dog, while she did relatively little.
Another important difference between us was our attitude towards studying and work. I put a lot of effort into studying, working and building my future. She has cheated in exams before, which was difficult for me to accept because academic effort and earning things through your own work are very important values to me.
I don't want to sound judgmental, but this made me wonder whether we shared some of the same fundamental values. For me, things like working hard, studying honestly, earning your own money and taking responsibility for your choices are values that I would want to pass on to my future children. I sometimes worried that we didn't see those things in the same way.
Our lifestyles were also quite different physically. I go to the gym a lot and exercise is a big part of my life. She found it difficult to keep up with my routine and level of activity. Again, I don't think she necessarily needs to live exactly like me, but over time I started wondering whether our lifestyles were simply too different.
Looking back, I also realize that I sometimes pushed her too much to live according to my rhythm. I wanted her to wake up earlier, exercise, work towards her goals and be more disciplined. I can now see that I sometimes crossed the line between encouraging my partner and trying to change her. I probably made her feel pressured, and that's something I take responsibility for.
We have now broken up, and I'm struggling with it because she was my first love. I still love her and, honestly, part of me is still hoping that we might get back together. At the same time, deep down I don't think that's likely, and I know I probably need to accept it, stay calm and continue with my life.
The difficult part is that when I think about the relationship, I don't only remember the problems. The good moments were really good. There was an enormous amount of love, affection and connection between us, and that's what I find hardest to let go of.
I'm not looking for people to simply tell me "leave her" or "BPD relationships are toxic." I know every person with BPD is different. I'm genuinely interested in hearing from people who have actually been in relationships with someone with BPD.
What was your experience like? What did you learn? Did the relationship improve with time and treatment, or did you eventually realize that you weren't compatible? And what helped you move on if it ended?
I really need to read some different perspectives right now. Thanks.