Hi,
 
I'm new here, but really need some help. I'm a 58 yr. old american woman who
moved to Scotland 8 yrs. ago to be with my present partner. I've been married
twice....first husband was an alchoholic, second husband had depression and left
me for some woman he met in a depression support group online.
 
I myself have Dysthymia and the Dr. who diagnosed me thought I'd probably had it
from the time I was very young. I've always worked, and actually worked often
when I felt ill, but just wouldn't let my employer down by staying home and in
bed.
 
Normally, I just cope with things......though I can be an obsessive worrier, but
lately my partner who is quite a bit younger than I has been worrying me alot.
He's started to self-harm again, after years of not doing it, and talks about
things like seeing lorrys (big trucks) and wanting to walk out in front of them.
He says that the feeling passes pretty quickly, but then last night he told me
that he heard a voice last week that was scary to him and saying violent things
to him. He was here alone at the time.
 
He's been just letting out little bits of information about what he's feeling at
a time, and I just feel sick and scared all the time, and am having alot of
trouble sleeping. I can cope with my own problems, but his problems are just too
much for me to deal with.
 
One major problem is that here in the UK, they have some really weird ideas
about mental health issues. It took a long time for him to get any help, and he
does have several meds that he takes, but it almost feels like after months and
months of things being really good, they are now just getting worse by the day.
He was seeing a psychiatrist for awhile, and was told that he didn't need to
come back as the doctor felt he just wanted a magic pill to make him better and
wasn't willing to work towards it. But he never told him what to do to work
towards getting better. In the States, my doctor set me up with all sorts of
group therapy, but they don't do that here.
 
What I really need is people to talk to who will understand. My partner's
parents think that "shrinks are only for crazy Americans", and frankly, alot of
the GP's here think the same.
 
This has gotten a bit long winded, so I'll end it for now and just say that I'm
glad to have found this group.
 
Linda

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning how to
dance in the rain.




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