Question about BPD

If someone has a non related family member with BPD can they unconsciously adopt the characteristics of BPD?

Well, you have to realize that there are several causes for what we call 'behavioral problems'; the primary two are cognitive and biological - using computer metaphors, it's either a problem with the hardware or the software.

Short answer? Yes, sortof. But there's a lot to it; I imagine a lot of it is conditioning. You don't just 'become crazy' by being around someone with a disorder even if you start to feel like it, however. Just kindof difficult to avoid waves when someone's splashing around in the pool, you know?

I like your answer MadMage. Thanks for sharing that. My first stepfather had BPD and he was also Bipolar. The two disorders do not mix well together and he tortured me and my two brothers by drowning us in the bathtub not to mention other techniques he used when we were young children. True story! He was a sexual predator, a stalker, and he had severe anger issues. One of my brothers turned into a text book case psychopath (bed wetting, fire starting, cruelty to animals) and I went the other direction and got educated and never had addictions or a history of violence but there were times when I was younger that I struggled with deep loneliness and abandonment issues that was almost unbearable. I have learned a lot about human behavior and freed myself from deep psychological torture. I do have anger issues but it takes a lot to make me seriously angry before I go red and have a rage blackout. I also react to triggers but those I can avoid. I was just wondering if the old me was exhibiting some behavior that was learned and if that was even possible.

Having suffered that trauma, I imagine that any behaviour you exhibited may have been more likely in response to that rather than imitation of your stepdad (i.e. PTSD, which can be very similar to BPD...) though I'm not a doctor so who knows... I'm glad that you don't really struggle with those feelings though.