Spouse of bipolar partner
My spouse of 10 years suffers from bipolar, severe PTSD trauma and as a result, horrible depression.
I feel like Atlas but starting to crack. I'm one of the only people they have in their lives as support.
I feel helpless, nothing I say or do helps. The up swings are a nice break but it doesn't last and I know what follows. I'm exhausted. It's like groundhog day and I feel like a shell of myself that's become a venting "punching bag".
I've never reached out before and taken this all on myself. Brief counseling didn't take. I know there has to be others out there that don't want to give up on their partner or their relationship and give into the sickness.
I'm right there with you. My spouse has DID and the negative swings hit so much harder than the positive. You're always hopeful for the positive everyday, and it takes little more of you each time it swings negative. Once we're empty, we don't know if it's worth pushing further or not sometimes. I think that all depends on you, really. Do you think if changes were made and your spouse was able to make a positive difference in their mental health, would you still be happy with staying in the relationship? Would you be happy to have stayed by their side? There's a lot more to it for sure, but don't be afraid to give some tough love before you hit that point where you have nothing left at all.
Thank you for being there for your partner. While it feels hopeless, they will remember this and cherish this when they come out of the spiral.
i have bipolar 2 and while i cursed my partner up and down for not being supportive, eventually realized that the silent support helped me through it. Knowing they were there to ride the ups and downs with you can’t be expressed in words.
i hope that your partner knows what a wonderful human you are, even if it’s deep down. They will remember this when they rise again.