[PREVIEW] When Mental Illness Becomes an Excuse for Abuse

This month’s Patreon episode dives into a theme that kept surfacing in your questions:When does mental illness explain behavior… and when does it become an excuse?Before answering your submissions, I break down what we actually mean when we talk about pathological abuse — repeated patterns rooted in personality structure, not just “a bad fight” or poor communication. We explore coercive control, gaslighting, intermittent reinforcement, blame shifting, and the power imbalance that defines these dynamics.I also clarify the differences (and overlap) between borderline traits, narcissistic traits, and antisocial traits — and why the traits matter more than the label.Some of the questions I answer:• Was any of it real, or was I being used the entire time?• How do I tell the difference between borderline traits and sociopathy?• Why did they escalate when I got stronger?• When does mental illness stop being an explanation and start being an excuse?Thank you for being part of this community <3This is the Instagram video I reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DP8CTXVDQ11/?hl=enThis is the podcast I mentioned: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1916632/episodes/10257007As always, these Q&As are shaped by your questions. If you want to submit one for a future episode, I’ve reattached the question form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMInxIFVH04aCaxJiNsA58os45FHcxWtBBa-SFYlwaHBq4Yg/viewform?usp=header