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My partner has opened up about his mental health struggles and i am worried for him

TagusL
Community Member

Hi there,

My partner has opened up to me about his mental health struggles and thankfully he is seeking help for it. He is only at the beginning of his journey so he still feeling very low and i am so worried about him. He has tried to push me away telling me he'd be better on his own. I have told him he isn't alone and will be there for him. I'm just wondering is anyone else in this position or have been in the past? What can i do to support him when he is feeling this way.

Any advice would be great.

2 Replies 2

Sophie_M
Moderator
Moderator
Hi TagusL

Thank you for your bravery in posting and sharing your experience today.

It can be a difficult place to be when supporting a loved one, it's a trying time however support from family and friends really does make a difference for someone who is experiencing anxiety or depression.  There are many things you can do, from monitoring the behaviour of your partner through to practical support to help him manage his condition.

It’s great that your partner is already engaged with a health professional, this is one of the most important steps that one can take for better mental health.  You mind also like to check out a useful resource on supporting someone with anxiety or depression by clicking here.

In the meantime if you ever need to just talk or chat, we are here 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or via our Webchat.  

We just want you to know that you are doing a great job and your partner clearly has a good support in you but please remember to take care of yourself too; you are just as important.

Regards

Sophie M
 

Bob_22
Community Member

Hi TagusL,

 

Welcome to the fourms. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your experience and thank you for reaching out. It is heart warming to hear that you are concerned for your partner and his mental health struggles. In terms of supporting someone with mental health issues, Sophie has provided a great link above. If you have any technical questions, it is a great resource. 🙂

 

For myself personally, I find when reaching out to someone, it is important to remain patient. Many times our efforts might be rebuffed or even met with conflict. However, this does not mean that our concern is not being recognised by our loved one who may not have come to terms (or aware of) what they experiencing. It is difficult but as carers we sometimes need to acknowledge that our loved one might be defensive because of the nature of their symptoms and not because of us. Sometimes the best thing to do is give them some space and gently remind them that when they are ready to open up or require support that we will be there for them unconditionally. Simply sharing this can go a very very long way from personal experience. 🙂

 

Outside what I've mentioned it is always helpful to suggest resources, websites or professionals can visit. You can find alot of information about a whole range of mental health issues on this website. I hope you can find some great information here as well as support on the forums. Please keep us up to date and whether you found any other tips that could help others. 🙂 💙

 

Bob