As a spouse or partner of someone living with a mental health difficulty, you may find that you also need support.

Supporting someone with a mental health difficulty can be challenging.  It is important to seek emotional support for yourself if you are struggling to cope.

When you are supporting someone you love, your wants and needs can become secondary to theirs.  You may find a difference in your relationship, there may be emotional effects and practical issues to consider.  You may feel your own understanding of the mental health problem is insufficient and all of this can have a major impact on your own wellness, both physical and mental.  Although every situation is individual, most spouses experience similar challenges.

The following link focuses on how you can support your spouse when they are unwell and how it may impact the relationship and your role as a carer.

You can listen to the experiences of family members who have supported a loved one and how they coped with their experiences.

The needs of a carer can change over time and it is important to consider what your needs are, short and long term.  Many who experience mental health difficulties can live fulfilling lives and recover, which can help carers regain control.

You may want to learn more about the mental health condition to understand what is going on.  You may have questions regarding treatment, your involvement and any concerns around confidentiality and you can read more here.

Although you are your spouse’s main supporter, their needs around confidentiality must be met by health professionals and you may find yourself caring for someone without any information around their treatment or exactly how well or unwell they are.

Recovery is not just for your loved one, everyone is impacted by the mental health condition so there is a need for everyone to heal and move forward with life in a meaningful way

One Family member recalled to us

“By understanding the need to be compassionate to myself, I opened the door to develop resilience and self-care; I put my own needs first and discovered the things that were important to me, outside of my caring role.  Inevitably, this created a change in how I supported my spouse and rather than not caring at all, it helped create a space for my loved one to grow and spread his own wings.  I am now part of my partners care plan rather than being someone who enforces the care plan I feel they need.  We both now enjoy life based on mutual respect, becoming the people we want to be”.