Mental illness is very hard when your partner has it, whom you love, but that disorder seems to be causing the relationship to have an expiration date. The stress on the couple can make difficult levels will have to overcome crises . In addition, falling into a pattern where the management of the disease becomes a role around which the relationship is centered is also a problem. 

Mental illness doesn’t have to destroy a marriage, even with the stress and focus that comes with it. Despite the obvious challenges, there are ways to maintain a healthy relationship when your partner has a mental illness .

Support

For a newly diagnosed person, the news can be devastating, frightening, and even embarrassing others to find out. Uncertainty and stigma associated with mental illness can make patients worry that want or do not want … or you want to end the relationship partner .

It is important that your partner knows that you are by his side and that you love him in “health and illness.” This reassurance will help you strengthen your resolve to seek professional help and learn better coping strategies . A negative reaction could exacerbate the symptoms of mental illness and lead to feelings of hopelessness.

Educate yourself about your partner’s mental illness

Many people are uninformed about mental illness or rely on incorrect information. There is a great deal of misinformation about the causes and the best treatment options for different mental health disorders. 

The best plan of action is to search for high-quality medical and psychological professionals, and then search for literature and information on the particular diagnosis (only from legitimate sources).  The websites you trust should be reputable or recommended by your psychotherapist or doctor.

The symptoms of mental illness can be unpleasant and confusing. It’s easy to think that your partner is distant, lazy, distracted, irritable, or irrational. Some of these ” character flaws ” could actually be symptoms of mental illness. Effective treatment combining therapy and medication is crucial. L os mental health professionals can also teach you about the role that can and should play in the treatment plan for your partner.

Don’t become his therapist

Beyond educating yourself on how to help your partner, it is not your responsibility to be their therapist. This will not work in the long run for either of you or the rest of the family. This is inappropriate even if you are a trained mental health professional . Let the professionals outside of your marriage do their work with your partner. Your role is to provide love, support, and affection for your partner during their recovery efforts.

Additionally, people with mental illness remain responsible for taking steps to manage their illness so that they can be healthy and productive as couples and in other areas of life. You should not become their “crutch” or their enabler.  They should take some responsibility (as much as possible, given their individual circumstances) for their own wellness and treatment plan, and for how their illness will affect you and others.

Individual and couples therapy

Therapy can help you process feelings in a healthy way, both from your own management to communicate with yourself and with your partner. Therapy is a good resource for getting a new perspective, orientation, and balance in a situation that could otherwise quickly spiral out of control. As a partner of someone with a mental illness you should know that you can experience many different and terrifying emotions such as hatred, frustration or anger … This is from emotional exhaustion and is not unusual.

These painful emotions can be productively explored with the right counseling. Couples can also learn to set healthy expectations and limits. Going to couples therapy can also help prevent you from falling into unhealthy dynamics. For example, the ‘healthy’ partner runs the risk of blaming everything that goes wrong in the partner’s relationship on mental illness. This is not productive for either of you. 

Elle Mcdonald

I am Elle Mcdonald Specializations in Psychology . Graduated in psychology from the University of Tennessee in 2000. Diploma of Advanced Studies in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and psychological treatments with excellent results.

First Level of Master in Clinical Psychology at the Center for Behavioral Therapists (recognized with a scientific-professional nature by the College of Psychologists)

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