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Question: Relation between BPD and NPD

User Profile: RedAsphodel90
RedAsphodel90 August 27th, 2020

Hello everyone,

I'm curious to know if there is/can be any relation between a person having Bordeline Personality Disorder and having a parent or partner (SO) with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

2
August 27th, 2020

Hi there @RedAsphodel90,

There is a video by Dr Daniel Fox that explains why people with BPD and NPD are often drawn to each other. As for parents, I think it is not uncommon for people suffering from BPD to have at least one parent suffering from NPD. Oftentimes (but not always) BPD stems from abuse during childhood, and a parent with NPD does unfortunately usually behave in a psychologically (if not also physically) abusive way.

1 reply
User Profile: RedAsphodel90
RedAsphodel90 OP August 27th, 2020

Hi @sunflower2480!

I was actually in the middle of another video by Dr. Fox haha I saw on other posts in the BPD topic that he was often mentioned. But I hadn't seen this one yet. I like how he explains things so calming that they then make a lot sense.

I posted a few days ago that I suspected my mom could have NPD and while reading about that I also started reading about other personalities disorders and BPD resonated a lot with me. I'm talking about it with my therapist in the next session, to make sure I'm not just being hypocondriac.

I was started having some self-doubts because, what are the odds that we both have two different disorders? What if I'm just being paranoid? Or playing the victim? etc?

But I don't feel so insecure now. I read that childhood trauma can be a contributing factor to BPD, and I think it makes some sense that there can be a connection between insecurity about self-image and self-identity and a parent (primary bond) that only views you as an extention of themselves (and not you own person)...

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