[Icare dixit]

Do you think you help people more or act more selfless because of feeling guilty about your BP (more than you'd otherwise do or others do)?

If not, do you help (some) people less, out of a feeling of revenge or similar, or because you don't think they are deserving or you have enough on your plate, no time to lose?

I alternate between the two. Revenge might be taking it too far. I don't have enough time really, enough time is wasted, but not helping someone or acting selfless may be more wasteful still.

I try to find a balance, but it's more like a pendulum. Typically BP, I'd say. But different: mania is at least in a way, selfless and sometimes/often too much, probably.

I have to force myself more, while that's clearly different from mania and depression, to primarily help myself. It's not exactly forcing myself either though. It's a personality thing. But I have another, slightly newer, personality thing suppressing that "better" thing.

Helping others is generally helpful during depression, but I'm also least perfectionist when depressed, so not much time to lose. My personality is rather useless during depression, but I can use some behaviour nevertheless: it just doesn't come naturally.

It's a puzzle.

a lot of the time when i've tried to help people, they are very rude- no thanks, no words of encouragement, nothing. it does leave me feeling a little defeated... i've tried to offer my support and help and they can't even thank me for it

i also find it difficult to help people, because so many people have failed to help me.

they've seen my suffering (either with MH or something else), and just walk on straight on by

when i help someone it's usually because they are deserving, and they have been nice towards me in the past.

i should also say that i don't have the warm fuzzy feeling after helping someone

never.. it's more like a task i have to do. and with no thanks and people being rude in return, you can see why

I help people because I'm bored or want to show off. Sometimes I'll help if I expect something in return. (Yay ulterior motives!) I'll also help if I like the person. But I don't see that behavior as "unusual". If you delve into the philosophy of it, you'll realize that we're all selfish by nature. So, I'm just being incredibly honest. I would be lying if I said I helped people "out of the goodness of my heart". Even if you *do* claim you're doing it out of kindness, you're not. Underneath it all, you're doing it to make yourself feel good.. or you expect the favor to be returned. So, that's a selfish behavior. Nothing is truly selfless

But yeah, it has nothing to do with BP for me. 2 different psychologists have told me I have an antisocial personality because I rarely feel guilt

Well, one psychologist told me yesterday: "You have a lot of antisocial traits... Wow, you're quite the rebel, aren't you?!"

[hopeless2015]

In all honesty I'm too much in my own head to be helpful to anyone else...I don't want to be selfish bit it's the truth

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I help people because that is just what I do. BP has nothing to do with it.

BP and my issues make me genuinely more accepting of others. Not guilt I don't believe. I just know how difficult life can be so its easy for me to understand how hard some people have it. Revenge? Maybe in the past, but not now. I would help anyone, even if I didn't like them all that much. I know what's it's like to need help and wouldn't deny it to anyone if it was a reasonable thing to do. I can only remember saying one thing out of revenge. Make that 2 things.... Actually 3 now that I think about it..., and all 3 times I wish I could take back. Even though they may have been true, they were not kind and I feel bad about it.... It's been years and still haunts me.

[Icare dixit]

I don't agree with the "no-one's selfless" reasoning/assumption.

Mania can truly be selfless, in my experience.

Can you really be depressed and have an antisocial personality? I don't believe that. Would be more like a borderline personality then (sometimes emotions hit you hard, sometimes you can suspend that; BP matching personality).

Syndromally antisocial (i.e. warranting a diagnosis; the complete personality) is really almost never feeling much. It's somewhat like negative symptoms of SZ (in some ways) but different: you don't accept feeling that little so you do things to make you feel, a bit like borderline but more extreme because it really takes pretty extreme things.

But I do use antisocial to refer to some SZ or borderline personality traits. But I wouldn't say I have a antisocial personality.

It's used in forensic psychology probably more than any other personality disorder.

But maybe it doesn't matter or they're right. I don't know. I just wouldn't want to be known as a sociopath and I wouldn't take kindly to such suggestions.

[Bipolarchic14]

I like to help people because it makes me feel good