|
1. Do you think people with BPD are manipulative sometimes, but by complete accident or rather, do not realise or intend the manipulation occuring?
As a severe sufferer of BPD, I can see too how certain behaviors can PERCEIVE to others as manipulative, however, others may misjudge the intentions behind certain behaviors, see other motives, when really, it's not being manipulative at all.
Examples being;
A) After an argument/fall out/break up, you say you feel like hurting yourself, wanting to end your life
- people may see that as emotional blackmail for the other person to make up with you/get back together/etc, and manipulating people into doing so by expressing intentions on harming yourself.
However, the intentions are incredibly different.
For me at least, I don't say or express that to get the person back.
I say it due to the extreme emotions I am dealing with every single second,
and due to the external stimuli, like a bad break up or argument,
it makes these emotions all the more intense and uncontrollable,
so you automatically feel like you HAVE to do something to make it stop
- you don't do it to make the person feel guilty and come back to you etc,
you do it because you're suffering and struggling so intensely,
that you need relief, so you self harm,
or you try and kill yourself because the PAIN is too much
- not to threaten the other person or blackmail or manipulate them.
See what I mean?
Intentions are complete polar opposites.
It's all about intentions.
The reason behind it.
It may LOOK like manipulation, or blackmail,
but in reality, in our reality, it is nothing of the sort
- it is to seek relief through self harm,
or it is to end the pain through suicide.
2. Do think people with BPD are a lot more easily manipulative, possibly due to the lack of sense of self?
I don't believe this is true.
I think there are a certain few who may have other difficulties alongside BPD which can cause manipulative behaviors,
but people with BPD more commonly aren't actually manipulative at all,
it may come across as so,
but it is completely different,
as the above example proves.
__________________
"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."
In a world where you can be anything, be yourself.
|