I’m Chris, aka chris667. I live in the midlands with my partner who is currently going throug a period of really quite severe depression. It has happened to her periodically since I first met her. We are in touch with the GP who has so far been pretty good.
I’m just here to connect with some other people in the same situation as me. My partner is great but when this happens it is so draining. She takes and takes when she’s like this. Such a lot of mutual support normally. I have really bad ADHD. I depend on her to help me stay on top of all the adulting.
Welcome
I start with finding tiny moments to resource myself.
At the moment I do a body scan and try to close my eyes and deep breath and soften the tension in my jaw for example. My partner and I care for our adult daughter with schizophrenia.
Roll call is a wonderful thread for chatting on this forum
Warmly Ula
Welcome to the forum. Have you asked Social Services for a Needs Assessment for your ADHD? Your partner needs time and space to recover without any pressure. Perhaps you could have some separate counselling?
I have a sister who has a longterm illness which has also been called schizophrenia in the past. I will look for Roll Call - thank you!
As to a Needs Assessment - I will have to find out about those. I am theoretically entitled to specific counselling and I’ve had it in the past, but at the minute I am too busy trying to make a bit of space in my head to do anything. I suppose I can’t see the wood for the trees.
My counselling was an opportunity to say how I was feeling, in a very supportive way, bit by bit. During the session we would talk about various options, and I always came away feeling better than before the session. ( I had a long and happy marriage, we would always discuss things to find the best solution. Counselling replaced this for me.).
I realise you are very busy Chris but often there is a waiting list for counselling. It might be worth you seeing if you have a local ‘Support for Carers’ in your area. I do not get to the meetings, but I have a Telephone Befriender. They have often been a Carer themselves and may have good knowledge of local services that could help. Again there may be a waiting list. I would at least consider progressing counselling /telephone befrienders
as you do seem to have a lot to deal with in regard to caring for your partner and your own health issues.
