Supporting partner in crisis

[B3m]

I'm trying my best to support my partner after a hospital admission due to a bipolar episode. It is hard and I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I think the mania is over and the depression has started. There's a few issues going on:

1. They stopped taking medication, even though their symptoms are really bad and they are suffering more since they stopped.

2. They are having consuming, overwhelming negative thoughts about themselves and their abilities and they want to make big life decisions based on these feelings eg. ending the relationship, their career etc. I am trying to encourage them to not make any big decisions until they are thinking clearer

3. They send me barrages of texts, which makes them more upset when I don't validate their negative thoughts and it becomes more disregulating. I am trying to set a boundary that we talk in person when I can help them coregulate but they keep doing it.

4. I feel like there are obvious choices they could make to make recovery smoother but they seem to be making active choices that make things harder. eg using drugs, stopping meds, not being in therapy, starting unnecessary fights. I don't want to control them but it's really hard watching someone be so self destructive and I don't want to enable it.

I would love any advice. I am trying my hardest to ride this out and have healthy boundaries but it is really rough.

[tacocat]

Hi @B3m 

I just wanted to send you a quick welcome message. We're glad you could join us on the forums, and I'm sure some of our friendly members will be around to provide you with some support 🙂