New member saying hello :)

[BaysideGal]

Hello,

38 year old female newbie here saying hi. After coming to this site many times over the years for online advice and to read the forums, I thought it was about time to join and interact with other members :). I am currently in a 4 year relationship with a man who is very depressed and anxious (and has been for a while) and I am struggling to know how to support him. I have had my own battles with depression and anxiety over the years, but I don't believe I am now. However the support style that I might embrace and that works for me in times of need, is not the same for him - it's a daily struggle to connect effectively. I am hoping to connect with others who may have been in similar positions and just get some general advice on what I can do (and what not to do) to help him and also myself. I'm looking forward to chatting with you and hope everyone is well 🙂

[uncut_gems]

Hi BaysideGal,

Welcome to the forums, and lovely to meet you! I'm so glad to hear that the forums have been helpful to you in the past, and that you've decided to join up and interact. How to deal with a partner that is struggling with mental health issues (while we ourselves may be struggling similarly) is one of the most popular topics on this forum, and there is a wealth of past posts that might provide you some guidance.

No doubt you're familiar with the Relationship and Family Issues board (https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/relationship-and-family-issues), where you are welcome to start a new thread with some more details about your situation.

That said, if you wanted to share some more details here, I'm always happy to chat 🙂

Warmly,

Gems

Warmly,

Aaron

[quirkywords]

BaysideGal,

Welcome to the forum and well done for reaching out and making your post.

Everyone experiences depression differently and require different support.

If you said to your partner this helps me when I am depressed what helps you.

think listening and understanding is important.

Also you need to look after yourself too so you don't take on too much.

Is uncutgems has written there are many threads about depression that you can browse.

Quirky