[Nomentatus]

You're right, I think you're encountering a lot of black and white thinking on the other side - something like: "if any temporary progress can be made then love will always triumph"; whereas someone who's very seriously mentally ill is not predictable. Even if you take five years to establish trust, as I have in one case, it just takes one irrational conclusion on their part and that trust can be gone in an instant with no way back; that they can be fairly rational or appreciative some of the time doesn't tell you what comes next. When the brain isn't working right, love and respect can meet a wall.