Question:
My husband just informed me that I wasted my money at the pdoc this
afternoon. Insomnia and depression are "all in my head". I don't need any
meds. All I have to do is make up my mind that I am going to sleep thru
the night. And just like that- no waking up or sleepless nights- the
depression will go away - and then I can act "right". Sure wish he would
have told me sooner- I could have been sleeping all those nights and not
sitting up crying, or wandering around, or wishing I was dead.
Now I have to wonder -how could I still be depressed with such a "wonderful
supportive" husband.?
Answer:
Can I call your husband the next time I have insomnia at 3 a.m.? Maybe he
could talk me through it?
He sounds like my father, who used to tell us we just needed to go for a run
when we got the flu. But when HE got the flu, the world needed to stop and
baby him!
-- spouses aren't good at support through this kind of
thing very often. You must be pretty angry with him right now -- I know I
would be. If you can, try to see it as an expression of how frustrated he
must be, not understanding the illness, not understanding how it is
treated, and wondering when things are going to be better.
My spouse sometimes says similar things -- and he should really know
better, since he goes to the same psych I do. :-)
