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Now she stood at a bridge and called me for advice.
I heard her get choked up as she said, “I really like him and I’m afraid he won’t want to continue anymore once I tell him. This is such a huge part of who I am.” Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head.
Ultimately, after many conversations, he realized how special Esti is and was undaunted by the challenges her illness might bring their way.
They got married and are living happily with mutual support and honest conversations.
Esti had been diagnosed with anxiety many years ago, but few people knew about it.
She regularly engages in psychotherapy and takes daily prescribed medication.
She had to tell him that she suffers from a mental illness.Often, it turns out, less is more: All we need is someone to listen in a nonjudgemental way and remind us that everything will, actually, be okay.So we asked 21 people what they wanted their partners to know about dating them, the challenges that their mental illnesses can bring up in their relationships, and how they hope their partners respond to the inevitable rough patches.It may be a good idea for him to speak with his partner’s therapist or mentors who have seen her thrive when the illness is creeping up on her and work together to create strategies to cope with stressors that otherwise may strain the relationship.It is important for him to learn to see life through his partner’s eyes and gain a better understanding of where he stands.