Posted by CarolAnn on November 12, 1999, at 16:50:25
In reply to "Coming out" to a loved one?, posted by Racer on November 10, 1999, at 21:02:10
Racer, when I met the man I am now married to, I explained depression this way:
I told him that I was being treated for a "chronic" condition. Just like some people have an illness called "Diabetes", I have an illness called "Depression".
Actually, in a way(a very small way), depression is better than diabetes. After all, diabetics will *never* be cured, insulin just keeps the condition under control. With depression, at least there is always the possibility that the right medication will be found and it will be the cure.
Anyway, I have found, in telling many loved ones about my depression, that the main thing is to help them understand the mechanics. Explaining that depression is a force that comes over some people and not some flaw in our sanity is the best way to help people learn what we deal with. Also, in any relationship, there will be problems if there is no confidence that the person will except *who* you are. Maybe, the best test of whether he is worthy of your love, will be seeing how he deals with the knowledge of your depression. Good Luck! CarolAnn
poster:CarolAnn
thread:14978
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991108/msgs/15099.html