It’s sometimes difficult to spot mental illness. Especially, when someone does a really good job at hiding their emotions. They may act like themselves most of the time, but every once in a while, something changes with their attitude to a degree that is not their normal self. They may withdraw into themselves. Not wanting to even be around family. They can’t cope with situations or get overwhelmed quickly. Maybe they get angry or make strange decisions that leave you shaking your head. You may wonder what happened to the person you knew who would never act the way they are acting.
They may give you small signs that something is wrong but if you are not paying attention, these signs can go unnoticed, until one day you wake up to a much bigger problem. Emotions can run high and many arguments can ensue, because one party is suffering from a mental disposition and the other doesn’t know something is wrong. Having said that, some people may walk away or ignore the situation thinking it's just how the person is. Others, may be in denial of what is really happen. Or think someone is going through a ‘phase’. If you step back and take a moment to pull together all of the weird things that are going on, you may be able to see that something bigger than just an emotional upset is occurring.
Having been in a relationship with someone who suffered from a mental illness, it’s difficult for them to get through their days, but being the person on the other side, is not easy either. There is a lot of emotional turmoil to deal with and everything falls to you to look after. There is your loved one that is not well to find help for and that alone is a huge job. You have to take care of the home, the family, chores and let’s not forget other family members that don’t understand or accept what is going on. So, your plate is full.
Sometimes the person not well suffers in silence because they don’t know how to help themselves. Don’t also suffer along with them. Look for help. Reach out to family and to professionals that can guide you and help your loved one. Ask questions before things get worse. And don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t notice things earlier on. Life happens. But hey, you are looking after the situation now. So, take one day at a time, without doing too much that gets you overwhelmed. Deal with things as best you can and know that you are doing your best.
Stay strong, stay healthy, love life.
S. R. John
Writer/Author/Columnist/Coach
Email: srjohn2018@gmail.com
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