Wow... what am interesting thread! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I'm not sure what to even say about myself. (I undoubtedly also couldn't be diagnosed as having BPD at this point in my life. I've thought sometimes, when I was younger, it might have been possible I could have been. But I don't really know.)

My own "issues" started well before I even have any conscious memory. And in fact, to a large extent, I don't even recall realizing that what was going on with me had anything to do with mental health. I had been doing everything I was doing for so long it was just what I did. At some point, I began to develop a sense that it was not "normal". But it was still my "normal", if that makes sense. Of course the other problem was that way back when I was young no one talked about mental health issues. They were something to be feared, ashamed of & hidden. I learned very early in life, I don't know how, that there were things about myself I must never tell anyone. And so I didn't. (I still don't for the most part.)

I think I had pretty good parents considering the times during which I grew up. By today's standards they were, perhaps, lacking. But you can't judge what occurred 60 years ago by today's standards. (At least that's what I keep telling myself.) I think if they had had a normal son, all would have gone well. But a normal son is not what they got & they had no idea what to do. So they did nothing. And everything simply developed as it would. That's all I can say...