To ask how you parent whilst living with mental illness?

[CarlHickbread]

I'm posting here for traffic so please be gentle on me.

I have two DCs (2.5 and 14 months) and have a history of mental illness (severe depression, PTSD, anxiety, PND) this has been ongoing for 15+ years. I felt this had all been put behind me about 5/6 years ago but since having my DCs, my mental health has taken a real turn for the worse.

DP is good with the kids when he isn't at work and helps out with them but cannot deal with my mental health issues, he gets angry and says he "can't deal with this shit" so I'm bottling things up and hiding it from him until something pushes me too far and I break down. This happened last night and I don't know where I go from here. I have no support from family and no friends nearby. If it wasn't for the kids, I would just disappear.

How do others in similar situations manage to parent? I just feel like I'm going through the motions and my children deserve better.

Re SS one poster was negative but a few of us have had more positive experiences. So focus on the positive (I know it's hard) they will help you.

I am very glad you are getting help.

My DH has PTSD, anxiety and depression. I don't always cope as gracefully as I wish. It can be frightening and exhausting. But I also love him and understand what he's going through is not hus fault and is far harder and scarier for him than me. My goal is always to try and support and protect him even if I don't always succeed.

Your partner may also need support to deal with this situation. That is okay. What is NOT okay is blaming you, getting angry for being sick and making you hide your condition to the point if causing yourself harm.

I hope having him there to discuss the situation helped impress on him that this is real and serious. Relationships can absolutely survive this sort of thing but only if both partners work at it and are supportive. Right now I fear your DH isn't.