I was and am very fortunate to have had supportive family, since all of my siblings and both parents had suffered the same things. My wife was always very patient when I was having difficulty in public situations, even though she didn’t understand what I was going through. This compares to a fellow I currently work with whose wife left him over his illness. It takes an effort among all concerned to deal with this effectively. Patience and and an attempt to understand are the key. The ill person can recover without this support, but it is far, far easier when they have it.
At the same time the sufferer should not be pampered to the point where they are no longer responsible for anything. I had to force myself to undertake some very essential yet frightening tasks when the kids were young as they frequently had activities at the same time. At such times my wife and I divided the schedule and, when I was in a particularly bad period, would make sure I got the easier portion. There were a few times when I was unable to help at all and though I knew she was frustrated with this, she never openly complained.
In my very worst periods I was more or less left on my own, as no one could really impact my situation once the doctors, therapists, and medications had done their best. Recovery had to come from within, so to speak, and there is no instant cure- magic elixir one can be offered. Study and research on my own is what finally led to complete recovery, although I wouldn’t have done it without the others as well. I became the star pupil of the hospital’s Mood Disorder Clinic because I had done the hardest work on my own. When speaking to subsequent therapy groups, I was invited to do so not because I had found the best medication, but because I had mastered the cognitive behavioral techniques, which are always going to the greatest asset in long term treatment. Drugs can begin to have a diminishing effect, but knowing how to react and cope on one’s own are a permanent foundation.
