Quote:
Originally Posted by dark_heart_x
It depends, but for the most part my husband is in denial. I think he would be really supportive if he understood more. But he doesn't research it and doesn't want to believe something is wrong. I don't think he does it on purpose. Sometimes he's very supportive and sometimes not at all. But, I also wonder if he also has bipolar sometimes. It runs in his family pretty strongly.
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Sometimes I feel like I'm trying so hard to make my husband understand my illness...I get this nagging in my head that says maybe I'm emphasizing Bipolar too much and that I shouldn't bring it up unless "necessary"...but if I look to what I truly feel and believe, I feel that it is necessary to talk about it a lot of the time because it affects me every single day. I have to remember to take medication, to watch my moods, my sleep, my nutrition. Is it not something that we're constantly carrying around with us? My mother once told me I shouldn't think about Bipolar. Just address it when something bad happens. That sounds like a terrible treatment plan to me.
ANYWAY....
I often feel like I'm treading water with getting my husband to understand me better. Maybe it'll never happen the way I want it to. But I'd like for him to be more proactive, that he would take an active role in my recovery as he has vowed to help care for me. He knew I was Bipolar way before we were married but a lot of the time I think he feels as if this is my issue. Maybe he thinks that I'll feel as if he's intruding when he doesn't know much. But it's also an ignorance that he doesn't have to know anything about Bipolar because nothing terribly bad has happened yet. There's no prevention. Every time I was in the hospital, I was still unmarried and I was being essentially taken care of by my parents. There have been no real suicide attempts, no hospital stays, nothing like that that he's had to care for. Maybe he doesn't realize how much it affects me. But it really, really does.
He has had a lot of emotional issues lately as well. Sometimes he's checked out, not able to help me out because he's dealing with his own anger and depression.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sugahorse1
In our relationship, we both carry on as if I'm not sick. I don't get much support, and therefore don't bother to communicate too much either.
It is very hard this way
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I'm sorry it's like that sugahorse. I feel like we carry on (my husband and I) a lot of the time like I'm not sick too. I rather address Bipolar up front than sweep it under the rug. I need more support. And better communication.
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Someone said earlier that we should support our spouses too. I agree with that, but in my relationship, it needs to be going both ways. Any ideas you all have for supporting our spouses/SOs, and ways that our spouses/SOs can support US?
-KATGALAXY