My husband won’t seek out help for his mental health issues.
Like the title says. My (31 F) husband (32 M) suffers horribly from depression. He’s never been properly diagnosed but as someone who is a diagnosed depressed person, I know what I’m seeing and it’s deeply troubling to me. I also have reason to believe that he might have a combination of other things going on like ADHD and Bipolar Disorder. I have expressed to my husband many many many MANY times (and will continue to do so) my concerns about his emotional and mental well-being to no avail. He just will not talk to a doctor to get a formal diagnosis. I’ve tried to quell any stigma he might have around seeking help for his mental health, I’ve tried to get him to go to men only support groups. It’s not that he’s sexist or that he hates women or that I’m some crazy jealous wife but I just believe he would feel more comfortable talking to another man about some of the really heavy life shit he’s dealing with. I’ve told him that I love him so much and it breaks my heart to watch him suffer. I’ve told him that he doesn’t deserve to feel the way that he feels and that if he would just talk to the doctor and figure out the right combination of meds, he would feel so much better. I know for certain that my husband is NOT a danger to himself, me, the kids or anyone else for that matter. He has expressed suicidal ideology in the past but has always always ALWAYS been forthcoming about it and none of it is recent (within the last 15 years; Tanner made an attempt at 16 that failed. Made a plan to on his 30th birthday. Thankfully he met me at 29 and we’ve been together for 3 years now. He constantly tells me how I saved his life). I love my husband with every fiber of my existence. We have 2 beautiful children together. He’s the best father figure for my oldest son from a previous marriage whose bio dad is a massive POS. My oldest is 7 and routinely calls Tanner “Dad” just Dad. Anyways, not to get off track I just wanted to give a little bit of background about this wonderful man that I adore so much and I desperately want him to seek professional support because I think he would feel so much better with therapy and meds. I told him that “there ain’t no shame in the medicine game” and that nobody would even know unless he told them about it. Has anyone else had a spouse that has refused to seek psychiatric care for their very prominent and extremely debilitating mental health issues? I’m just tired of watching my husband waste away and rot in our bed every day that he’s not working. It’s so heartbreaking to watch the man I love so much feel so much internalized self loathing. I know I’m not his mother, but I am his wife and I vowed to stand by his side through sickness and in heath. Please. If anyone has any advice on getting him to agree to talk to his primary about antidepressants or even just getting him to seek a therapist, please share it with me. I just want to see the man that I married smile and be so full of life again. I want to see him play with his babies. I want to hear him laugh again. I just want my husband to stop only existing and start really LIVING. He’s my moon and my stars and this is killing me!
Posted Jan 26, 2025, 1:14 PM UTC