[FeelingHopeful]

Studying up on this and I read that this is common that bp sufferers see things sometimes as all or nothing. Black or white. Hate and Love. Was Hoping to hear from everyone on this. How long does this last. Wanna educate myself on this disease.

[Skully]

I often experience the same. There is no room for the "gray area" in my life. I try to change this but to on avail. People are either with me or against me. I think it may be the nature of the disease, but I am hoping to change this one day.

[perpetuallysad]

I'm the exact same way and I have been working on it for years. Really, I can logically see gray areas, but when it comes down to my feelings, it is either love or hate, for or against, bad or good. Its something that comes up on nearly every visit to my t/pdoc and I still haven't found a way to not do it.

Edit: I didn't realize this was considered a bipolar thing, I always assumed it was because of my traumatic childhood.

[FeelingHopeful]

Ps and Sully With the no gray area you guys mentioned and the for and against me. Does that oertain to fights. Like if you have a close friend and a bad argument , do you see them as the enemy? And come around , after you feel a bit better or is it long term?

[perpetuallysad]

Truthfully feelingsad, yes, the friends I've ended up having bad fights with are now "enemies". I try to see reason, but I am unable to. I know that's not what you wanted to hear though. Maybe he'll change his mind? Did you guys have a fight?

[FeelingHopeful]

I was afraid of that. We are ok now. But i think my fight with him last yr started all this! I m having a prob. forgiving myself. ! I know its not my fault or his but did you ever have a fight with a friend and make up or do those friendships get ruined?

[ava1enzue1a]

Yeah I think this probably tends to be a case, both for bipolar people and those with borderline personality; I have heard the "love/hate" being common with borderline personality disorder. But it is because I think either bipolar or borderline, people of either or both may tend to have really intense feelings and sensitivities toward their environment, and a slight shunning could be perceived as an all-out turn-down or rejection, and likewise, just a slight approval could be perceived as an all-out praise, and in turn the bipolar or borderline person adapts to it, reflecting their environment, so also I think it is a matter of reflecting as well, but the bipolar or borderline reflects it back more intensely, that is why it is probably in turn seen as more of an intense “black/white” kind of thing, and also it is difficult to accept the gray area because the gray area is asking for a “non-intense” or “neutral” response, but people with a more sensitive/intense personality/reaction or whatever are more used to that way of responding, because also, for instance, from traumatic past experiences, their environment/life has also caused their perspective to be stretched far beyond the “normal” person’s perspective. So when that perhaps traumatized person has finally made their way to a more “normal” environment, their own perspective and ways of responding to things, however, might still be with them- the more “black/white” instead of the more “normal gray” ways of viewing things.

[perpetuallysad]

I have one person who I had a break off with that after about 4 years now we occasionally communicate via myspace. She wants badly to talk on the phone and do things together, but the intermittent contact on myspace is all I can deal with and is the most "repaired" I think this relationship will ever be.

[Pughead]

I believe in infinity and the unresolved, and undiscovered. Therefore, it goes against my nature to think in black and white. There is so much that has yet to be discovered, and we have no idea where those discoveries will lead us. The possibilities within the human mind are endless. Mathematically, I suppose you cannot prove that there is an infinite amount of possibilities, but a giant chain of super-computers would come to a screeching halt after a few minutes of trying to ascertain this. I wold say that the possibilities are endless, though technically not infinite, yet in some cases, the results are infinite. That will blow your mind if you think about it too much, as it has blown my own mind. So try not to dwell on it, but rather realize the basic idea of what I'm talking about.

And this kind of thinking and desire for discovery can and does put me into hypomanic states where I feel compelled to make a profound impact on humanity.

[Ascension]

This is, in my opinion not necessarily a symptoms of being bipolar but, from the fact that I am hard to understand and I am fearful of people. So many of my past relationships have been ended by my being emotionally unbalanced so that I when I have a disagreement with someone I have a feeling it is going to be over. I guess it is born from a lack of trust in others and people not understanding me and hence relationships come and go. It's kind of a PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) thing for me. I believe it is something I have developed from the years I was not in treatment and didn't know what was wrong with me and how to relate to others because of it. That's just my take on it personally. I think Borderline Personality is more born in the disease and in as much a cause and Bipolar is just a lack of trust from years imbalance and is an effect.

[Anneinside]

The black & white thinking, especially when it comes to relationships occurs most often in borderline personality disorder, while "black" and no white is the thinking in depression.

[FeelingHopeful]

Thanks Guys, Im still learning so much on this illness and all the views and opinions are good to hear, Anything else you guys can think of,Im def listening,