Helping with Mental Health

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  • What can you do if your partner is suffering from depression and anxiety over potential outcome and treatment side effects.
  • He has been told without treatment he has 12-24 months. He is so anxious about chemo and surgery not working and causing other issues that he feels he could just make the time he has left full of pain.
  • He doesn't get joy from anything anymore and just sits around the house. He jumps at the slightest sound, gets scared when the door rings etc. 
  • He can't seem to see any positives to anything. I've suggested making lists pros/cons, worries, trying talking therapies etc, he doesn't want to do anything, doesn't think it will help.
  • His mental health is so bad it's making him tired and more ill. 
  • Any tips to help someone in this situation? 
  • Hi  and a warm welcome to our community.

    It is very hard to watch our loved ones struggle though of course the decision to treat or not can be a really challenging decision. There is a service here that might be helpful that he can sign up to here - and lower down there is a similar service you may find useful.

    With my wife's cancer she was clear she never wanted a prognosis and I struggled with that at the time. She has had two rounds of chemotherapy and the second seemed to put her cancer to sleep - 10 years now with no evidence of progression - living with cancer.

    I struggled and then I found a living with less stress course with Maggies - the living in the moment bit really helped me because I was making plans in a really black world that never really arrived and not appreciating what we have. The conscious breathing exercises were good too in terms of dealing with curveballs life decides to throw but can be quite good just for relaxing too.

    <<hugs>>

    Steve

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  • Thank you, appreciate the reply. Will look into resources.