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Psychotic depression and divorce

3 replies

Scaredofbeingalone · 16/02/2023 07:02

Morning everyone, just looking for advice ,obviously I will be asking the professionals too.

My husband was diagnosed with psychotic depression about 8 months ago. He had very severe depression prior that led to some mild psychosis/paranoia & delusions. He wasn't hospitalised . He now takes an anti depressant & an anti psychotic and is doing well & has returned to work . He is under the care of the early intervention team who he sees every 2 weeks and will see them for 3 years. The plan is to wean him off the medication after 12 months and hopefully all will be well but of course don't know for sure. I have been his main source of support throughout it all & no other family members know about it.
Anyway, it has been looming for a long time but we want to separate . Weve been together a very long time and have 2 preteens.
I don't particularly have any worries or concerns, he's stable, he's a good dad, etc. But when we tell the mental health team are they going to be concerned about him having the children on his own? I'm talking about if he relapses basically. The team focus heavily on family care and support and give me alot of support too. I have been given alot of information on how to monitor him and what to look out for if he starts to l relapse so that he can get help quickly. If we are separated I won't be there to do that. I would like to remain friends with him and I will try to make sure he's OK but i won't be there 24/7 like I am now to look for signs he is slipping.
The safety of my kids comes first and I don't want them to be affected by this

OP posts:
Zola1 · 16/02/2023 07:27

For me as a professional it would be about how quickly a decline happens, what early symptoms are like, his own ability to identify and reach out for help, and who else is around to check he's OK. How old are your daughters?
What were his delusions, anything harmful to your children? If you could recognise a decline easily could you facetime each morning and evening to speak to the children and make sure he's OK?

Scaredofbeingalone · 16/02/2023 07:45

Our kids are 8 and 11. They are not aware of what happened and neither are any other family members. He didn't want anyone else to know as he felt very embarrassed by the whole thing.
Because he will be living alone half of the time& with the kids the other half of the time who can monitor him apart from thr mental health nurse? I don't want him not to be able to see his children alone but I'm worried that the team may say it's not possible at the moment as its so early in his recovery.

OP posts:
Scaredofbeingalone · 16/02/2023 07:52

Just to add. It was our marriage problems that sent him into a depression in the first place. Overall it will be a good thing for him for us to be separated.
He is also having cbt and other therapies

OP posts:
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