Support thread for families of MH sufferers

[Empusa]

Seems like we need this. Somewhere to vent safely, and know we aren't alone.

Hope you are all doing ok today.

Hi Empusa, I see the mental health topic as a support thread for those of us suffering mental ill health. It is so helpful to know that others are going through similar things. I tend to post on the threads where sufferers have the same diagnosis as mine (anxiety and depression) and who are not fully recovered, but have fluctuations in mood sometimes from one day to the next.

Yes we can vent safely as so many people don't have any understanding of mental illness, and sadly there is still a huge amount of stigma around mental illness, that I think the media perpetrate in a way (like the mad woman in the attic in Jane Eyre) but on here we can say it like it is and support each other.

I need some help to see clearly.

Dh has been prone to anxiety and depression for years but it's only over the last three years or so that it's become very very noticeable and life's almost grinding to a halt for him.

So we've finally seen the GP together twice but things have been stalling. Dh is frightened of taking medication, scared stiff he'll react badly and it'll make things worse because he's only just hanging on right now.

I'm about to advise him to start on meds this weekend when we go back to see the GP again. It can't go on.

One of my worries is that during dh's last good phase (I see it as a cyclical thing), he was fantastic. Like himself only a perfect version of himself. So confident, so happy, his hobby took over most of his spare time, he forged friendships, he was so positive. I never thought of him as such a naturally positive confident person. It was fantastic. And now he's in the lowest slump ever and it's been going on for over three months.

So one of my worries is, the GP has said it's clinical depression but what if it's something more like bipolar? I know nothing about it but I have picked up that meds for depression might not be good for meds for bipolar. How do you recognise bipolar? Will it sound daft if I say this to the GP? It's all new territory for me.

And I've namechanged for what it's worth. In case anyone wonders about a new poster etc.

DH has suffered depression and anxiety most of his adult life. He has been on ads now for over 10 years but manages. He has maintained a job and we have been married 20yrs , but the last year he hit a midlife crisis and it has been a really hard year. I think we are coming out of it, but do realise there will be steps backwards every so often especially when he is tired.

When someone is on ads, do they still have highs and lows? It doesn't just even them out then?

My husband has OCD and after a bout of depression, his OCD is now as bad as it was when he was first diagnosed.

I'm trying to be a good supportive wife, but with a month old baby and an active preschooler I don't want all my adult conversations to be about how anxoius he's feeling, how the latest medication is/isn't working, him him him.

He's currently off work sick and as a result we're suffering financially about which I feel very guilty. He became ill when I was to pregnant to work and actually he wouldn't be able to look after the DCs full time anyway, so if I went to work I'd only be paying for childcare and therefore wasting my time. Of course this just adds to H's anxiety.