The Whole Family Suffers if Your Depression or Anxiety is not Treated
My medication has kept my anxiety and depression under control for some time. The celexa and neurontin have not had to be adjusted for over 2 years or so. I visit my psychiatrist every few months to check in, and he is available if I need him. Recently my husband has begun to suffer from anxiety and depression. He worries about every little thing and walks around moodily with a scowl on his face. He does not talk to anyone and rarely interacts with the grandchildren when they visit.
Our adult children notice his mood instantly, and the grandchildren should not have to be exposed to this. He will occasionally snap at them, and I want their time with us to be safe and fun.
The other day my husband sat down and listed for me all the things he is anguishing about. I HAD TO TAKE A XANAX when he was done. (I did not tell him.) Later he said “I feel so much better now that I’ve talked to you about all this.” Well, thank you very much for transferring your misery on to me.
I suppose I could be strong enough to bear this burden, but I am not. And I don’t think I or the rest of the family should have to suffer. I KNOW THAT MY HUSBAND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SUFFER. The thing is, he will deny that he has a problem. He is a survivor of brain tumor surgery and recently was weaned off of medication that he took for 8 years to control his anger issues following the surgery. So he refuses to discuss medication for his current situation.
I plan to confront the situation when we next see his psychiatrist. We go together because I am required to give input on how I perceive him. My psychiatrist feels he needs to be on anti anxiety/depression medication because the whole family is suffering along with him. I hope to convey this to my husband and his psychiatrist as well.
Problem is, when my husband has a good day he points it out all day, telling me how happy he is and how much he loves me. On a bad day, he walks around slamming doors and being silent, then tells me lets wait and see how I feel tomorrow. Meanwhile this dark cloud walks around the house casting a shadow on everyone.
Moral of my story? You know it. Get help not just for yourself but for your family and friends. You all deserve to be happy!
Tags: anti-anxiety medication, worry, generalized anxiety disorder, neurontin, psychotherapy, paxil, CBT, GAD, celexa, depression, anti depressants
- Posted in : generalized anxiety disorder
- Author : freebird
Comments»
I think your last point was spot on. When people with anxiety don’t seek treatment it can lead to depression and more serious problems. And although it is hard to admit to yourself that you have any kind of mental problem, the alternative is much worse. Getting help is always a good idea and if your not sure whether you need help speaking to a professional about your concerns is always a safe bet.
Paul
Anxietyguru.net
I certainly agree with your title. My husband and I both suffer from anxiety, stress and depression, the only difference is I try to do something about mine (and his). He doesn’t usually grouch at everyone, he usually ignores everyone. I haven’t decided which one is worse.
You better believe it. It is horrific on everyone who’s around the anxiety sufferer. Everyone suffers.
I’m not too familiar with the whole blogging thing, but I have a whole bunch of symptoms best described as GAD.
Pretty much impacts all areas of my life.
Arguably the biggest problem is at work, where I feel extremely self-consicous about being up-front about this condition. Despite the fact that anxiety, depression and the rest of them are biological illnesses, like diabetes or asthma, there is so much stigma surrounding ‘mental illness’.
I think it’s really important to raise awareness about mental illness, and I found this great initiative called Let’s Face This - Confront the stigma of mental illness (www.letsfacethis.ca).
Check it out, it’s interesting.