Today, we’re talking about how we can support partners living with mental health conditions. This is Jessica Skultety, Community Outreach Associate at Safe+Sound Somerset, Somerset County New Jersey's lead domestic violence organization offering services at no charge for survivors of dating and domestic abuse for over 40 years.
Today’s question from local teens is: What do I do if my partner is struggling with depression and anxiety, and won’t get help?
It’s hard to watch our partners struggle, whether it be, living with a mental health condition or from something stressful that’s going on in their lives. Know that you aren’t alone in this, and that you also are not solely responsible for your partner’s emotional health.
Your partner isn’t alone either. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness or NAMI, 1 in 6 United States youth aged 6-17 experience mental illness each year. And for adults, 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.
In terms of supporting a partner living with a mental health condition, make sure they know that you are there to talk with them, if they want to. Spend time with them doing activities you both enjoy.
Make sure to ask what your partner wants in terms of treatment and your involvement. You can show the most support by offering and then listening to their preferences.
You can highlight the benefits of working with a therapist, or taking medication, or seeing a doctor – whatever it may be. But be aware that they may not want to seek help still. That is still ultimately their decision.
You can suggest services and support them as they attend– sit by them while they call to make an appointment, or access therapy through telehealth, or physically attend appointments with them if appropriate and allowed – you could even offer to wait in the waiting room or drive your partner to and from.
If your partner is making you feel guilty about leaving them, or blackmailing you, or threatening you, and using their mental health as an excuse for abusive behavior, please talk to a trusted adult and/or call or text the Safe+Sound Somerset hotline at 866-685-1122 for supportive listening and safety planning. This is not okay and it’s not your fault.
For more information on mental health condition, please visit http://www.nami.org. Visit our website at http://www.safe-sound.org. Thank you for listening today. Join us next time here on Ask Ava.