I Hate You—Don't Leave Me by Jerold J. Kreisman Summary
Overview of I Hate You—Don't Leave Me
The first book to demystify Borderline Personality Disorder for mainstream audiences, this groundbreaking classic has transformed mental health conversations for three decades. Dr. Kreisman's pioneering work, endorsed by leading specialists, reveals why emotional turbulence creates the ultimate relationship paradox.
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Key takeaways
The Emotional Tightrope: Understanding Borderline Personality
Imagine lacking emotional blood-clotting factors-where the slightest psychological wound causes you to bleed out emotionally. This is life with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). You've likely encountered people with these traits: the friend who ends relationships over perceived slights then acts as if nothing happened; the boss who alternates between lavish praise and harsh criticism; or the acquaintance who drastically changes their appearance and relationship commitments weekly. What defines these individuals is inconsistency-they are emotional chameleons, adapting to environments with remarkable fluidity. At the core of their experience is "splitting"-the rigid separation of positive and negative thoughts. While most people experience ambivalence, borderlines shift between contradictory emotional states, entirely unaware of one state while immersed in another. Their world contains only heroes and villains with no middle ground. This black-and-white thinking extends to relationships, where they desperately seek connections because solitude is intolerable, yet simultaneously fear intimacy. Too much closeness threatens suffocation while distance triggers abandonment fears. Like explorers with sketchy maps, they cannot gauge optimal distance from others, bouncing between clinging dependency and angry manipulation.
The Perfect Storm: How BPD Develops
A Reflection of Our Times: BPD and Society
Speaking the Borderline Language: Effective Communication
Living with the Borderline: Practical Strategies
The Healing Journey: Treatment Approaches
Finding the Middle Path: The Journey to Integration
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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