Mood disorders affect thousands of Americans each year. If your or a loved one has had to deal with the affects of anxiety disorders, ADHD or depression you know the effect it can have on your mental health. Being in a relationship with a person that has suffers with mood disorders can be trying requires a more understanding than usual. Below you will find some tips t be a better partner to a person that is suffering from any of the various mood disorders.
The First Step is To Recognize it is Not their Fault
There seems to be a stigma for certain health issues pervasive in today’s society. While you would never fault a person for having cancer or a heart defect, there seems to be a perpetuation of blaming the victim when it comes to mental health issues. It is important to realize when dealing with anyone with a mental health issue that it is not inherently their fault. If a person could easily control their mood so that they did not have to deal with complications, don’t you imagine that they would. The callous mentally of man up and buck get happy is akin to saying to a person that does not have the use of their legs to get up and walk. With this in mind if you are dating a person who suffer from any of the varous mood disorders, you have to realize that if there person is taking medication and doing the proper measures to try and handle their disorder, it is not their fault that they may still have issues in dealing with their disorder. This means that you as the partner need to do additional work in trying to talk and understand your partner’s feelings. This may even mean giving them their space when they ask for it. Al too often we have a very egotistical view of the world, meaning that we focus intensely on any outward action as an affront to you. Sometimes it is worth it to realize that despite your best intentions you are not always the solution to every problem.
Maintain Proper Boundaries in Order to Maintain a Healthy Relationship
For quite some time there was a counter point of the stigmatization of mental illness almost glorifying it as a point of mystique. This in turn spawned a generation of young lovers to try and attract partners that had some type of mental instability. This can lead to unhealthy relationships. When dealing with a partner with mental illness it is important to raw the proper boundaries between their treatment and your relationship. If a person is taking all possible steps to aid in their management of a mood disorder then it is usually harder to fall into a codependent role, but if your partner is not taking their medication or attending therapy and instead relying on you exclusively for support rather than accessing their inner resources this can easily become an unhealthy codependent relationship. It is important to remember that at the end the day the responsibility for recovering lies solely on the person with the disorder. While it is important to support your partner it can be detrimental to become their enabler or their sole source of support.
Never Be Afraid to Ask for Additional Help
We all want to be in a meaningful relationship. We see stories of the happily ever after, but the reality is that real relationships take a lot of hard work. There is no one right way to be all that you need to be for your partner, but the most important thing to do is remain empathetic and to remain open to change. Even in the most static relationships nothing ever stays the same it is important to be able to recognize a relationship that has a healthy foundation and in which both people are working together towards some type of mutual fulfillment. If you need help in dealing with your relationship, consult a mental health professional for more ideas and direction.