Glossary

ACOA - Adult Child(ren) of Alcoholics - an adult who grew up in a home with at least one active alcoholic parent.

ASW - Alphabet soup wife, as in STBXNECBPDW. Now there's a mouthful.

BP - A person who has Borderline Personality Disorder or behavior characteristic of the disorder

BPD - Borderline Personality Disorder - A mental illness, almost always stemming from childhood neglect, mistreatment, or abuse, which leads to adult behavior that changes quickly from normal to bizarre. The best way to tell if your SO is has BPD or BPD behavior is to visit the "BPD Characteristics" page on BPDCentral.

BPSO - The significant other (SO) of the non who is diagnoses with BPD or has BP-like behaviors

Dissociation - A subconscious protection that prevents us from remembering painful experiences.

Dysphoria  - Intense, inappropriate anger, sadness, anxiety; an episodic state of extreme distress for the BP and usually the non, too.

Hoovering  - A period, usually after a rage or disagreement, where a BP acts in their sweetest, most loving way. From the vacuum cleaner.

NEC - Not Even Close - designates a BP or BP behavior where the person denies they have BPD

NECW - an NEC wife

Non - a non-BP or non-alcoholic; a person in a relationship with someone who has BPD, alcoholism, or other serious problems, or who is affected by a past relationship.

Splitting - when a BP views a significant other as being either idealized or demonized. SOs are split good or bad, depending on the situation. In some cases, the BP denies ever knowing the SO. I call this being split out of existence.

SWOE - Stop Walking on Eggshells, by Paul Mason and Randi Kreger. For many of us, the non bible. If you have to read this description, you need to buy it.

Term - Definition

© 2004-6 Richard, 21CP and Dalkeith Press