Hi all, just looking for some advice.
Me and my girlfriend, who suffers from depression, have decided to have a break from each other (not see each other/communicate for a while, but with the intention of getting back together afterwards). We have been together for 5 months, and are very invested in each other and have very strong feelings for each other. Normally I'm able to cope with her bad days, and I do my best to support her and not take it personally, but recently I've been finding it harder and harder to cope. I'm also in the process of finishing year 12 so I'm under a lot of exam stress as well. I guess I'm just worn out and need time to recuperate. She could see I was struggling, and because neither of us want to end our relationship we decided some time apart would be beneficial for me, just over the exam period so I could focus on just my life for a few weeks.
However, I'm finding it hard not to second-guess myself about this. Neither of us are looking forward to spending so much time apart (from now until my final exam is 8 weeks, almost 2 months) because until now we've spent a lot of time either together or in communication with each other. We both recognise the benefits of taking a break, but we're both worried that after being away/out of communication for so long we won't get back together afterwards. She's really scared that her depression is hurting me, and that one day I won't be able to bounce back, and she feels a lot of guilt about what she sometimes puts me through, even though it's out of her control, and she's scared that after spending time away I'll decide not to get back with her to avoid being hurt. I've assured her many times that I will not do this, as the times she supports me or makes me feel really happy far outweigh the times she accidentally hurts me, and that I'm really invested in our relationship, but its hard for her not to worry regardless. I also can't help but worry that something might happen that means we don't get back together afterwards.
I guess I'm just looking for an outside opinion. Is 2 months apart too long? Will spending time apart do more harm than good? Is this a good idea?
