Can you save your relationship from depression?
No one can look into the future and answer that question.
All I can say is that my wife and I did survive decades of my depression, and I believe that others can do it too.
There was no magic formula for us, only a lot of emotionally draining work, commitment and, from time to time, the saving graces of humor and hope.
Surviving Depression Together: Holding Onto Marriage and Relationships Despite Chronic Mental Illness, an ebook now available in all common formats, describes what we went through, some of the methods that helped us deal with the illness and ideas about what to do if nothing works.
Available at Apple iBooks, Barnes&Noble Nook, Kobo and other retailers.
What’s Inside the Ebook
Surviving Depression Together presents a combination of expanded versions of Storied Mind posts with new material that goes more deeply into the basic questions. I’ve organized the ebook in sections that explore the needs of both partners, the crises that threaten the relationship and what we learned that could help you.
- Where Have They Gone? Why depressed partners withdraw and often want to leave.
- A Life Apart. Stories of rage, sexual addiction and emotional lock-down that plague a depressed partner.
- The Undepressed Partner. The way depression spreads and changes the undepressed partner.
- Staying Together. How partners can help the relationship in the midst of depression.
- If They Go. Trying to heal if a break-up happens.
- Coming Back from Depression. Healing, forgiveness and trust in restoring the relationship.
- To Learn More. Guidance to online resources and important reading for next steps.
If you’re going through this kind of agony, whether you’re the one suffering from depression or the partner facing the loss of the person you once knew so well, I know that it is possible to survive depression together. For us, it was by far the hardest and most demanding thing we had ever done, and there were many times when we were convinced there was no hope.
I’ve been telling the hard stories of how my wife and I managed to stay together at the Storied Mind blog since 2007. The responses of readers to these posts have been overwhelming and humbling. In hundreds of comments, they have told their own wrenching stories of crisis and have found support from each other.
What Readers Say about Storied Mind
- You are doing incredible work so that people suffering from depression and their partners understand that they are not alone. – Ellen*
- Storied Mind is full of insights … Once I had landed on his pages, I couldn’t stop reading. One post was more fascinating and gripping than the next. – Therese Borchard
- I am glad to have found this blog because it helps me understand what my partner is going through at this moment. – Priscilla*
- Thank you for providing this life saving source of love, inspiration and strength. – MJT*
- Storied Mind: A beautiful and uniquely classic blog … Gorgeous images complement absorbing and stylish writing. – Sandra Kiume (PsychCentral)
- I want to thank you for this site. Your life and description of your depression and family situation are so familiar it’s as if I wrote these words myself. – Nan*
- Thank you for offering such a wonderful resource and safe space for us to learn and share and connect. – Judith*
- Of all of the websites I have been too, this is the one that truly depicts what my husband is going through. … Thanks for letting me know that I am definitely not alone. – KM*
- Blogger John Folk-Williams … communicates to readers with the empathy and understanding that only someone with depression could convey. – Tracy Rosecrans (HealthLine.com)
*Pseudonyms used to protect reader privacy.
Surviving Depression Together: Holding Onto Marriage and Relationships Despite Chronic Mental Illness is now available in all common ebook formats for US$2.99
Available at Apple iBooks, Barnes&Noble Nook, Kobo and other retailers.
Thanks for taking the time to consider purchasing Surviving Depression Together. With your support, we can keep Storied Mind reader supported.
John Folk-Williams
