Making a Relationship Work When You Have Mental Illness
How do you make a relationship work when you have mental health issues? It's a big question and I've learned some important things via my own experiences throughout the years since being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.
The first tip I'd like to share is: make sure your partner is well educated about your mental health condition. Do not expect them to understand your symptoms or what you're going through. Keep in mind, most people do not have a good working understanding of mental illness.
Secondly, in my opinion, the most important thing that's needed to make your relationship work when you have mental health issues is to take responsibility for your own recovery and well being. I learned the hard way about the downfalls of relying on someone else to "fix" you. Watch the video for more explanation.
APA Reference
Zee, D.
(2011, September 26). Making a Relationship Work When You Have Mental Illness, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 21 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/mentalhealthforthedigitalgeneration/2011/09/making-a-relationship-work-when-you-have-mental-illness
Author: Dani Zee
[…] mind for it to spill out of my mouth. Though I’ve had a few bad dates, I haven’t had a relationship since before my bipolar diagnosis. So brimming with self-awareness off I go back onto the […]
Bein the partner of a person with mental illness is very hard too. Maybe you could add to this list that as the person with the illness, it's important to remember that your loved one may need some extra care, understanding or empathy as they grapple with your illness. Just as you need to make sure that you take care of yourself, you need to make sure your support network is strong and far from burnout.
I was Bipolar and undiagnosed as I raised my children as a single Mom. Doing it all alone, not being able to manage constant child support enforcement I bonded WAY TO QUICK to men. Had a SEVERE nervous breakdown as a normal looking man emotionally raped me. BEWARE LADIES! read the Emoyional Rape Syndrome by Michael Fox to help you understand predators or heal from one. 15+ years and I still haven't healed entirely.