»

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Something good is going on

I'm not sure what it is--is it me taking control of DH's meds and making sure that everything is there every day.....or him not having to go to work.....or the fact that he's sleeping at night and awake during the day....or a combination of all these.....?

But here is what I am seeing:
DH is drinking cheap bottled water and not complaining about no pop
DH cleaned my pantry.
DH cleaned the living room.
DH made himself sandwiches without whining about how there was nothing to eat--not only that, but he used very old bread, saying "we've got to use this up, we can't waste it just because it's all dried out...it's not moldy yet" (very very unusual for him).
DH called the "jobs for the mentally ill" worker twice (she hasn't returned his call yet)
DH applied for unemployment.
DH is rolling his own cigarettes and not complaining at all about how bad they taste.
DH has been feeding/pottying dogs before I get home at night so I don't have to.

I could go on and on.

But you get the idea.  He's smiling more, too.  For a long time I hadn't noticed the lack of smiling, until he was laughing one day. 

I know it's probably just high spot on the roller coaster of bipolar.  But the way he's been these last few days makes me remember why I married him to begin with.  And right now, he's doing great.  And I'm amazed and thrilled.

6 comments:

"Lil Ol' Me" said...

That's good to hear.

Did he ever hear anything back from the application he filled out?

HOpe you are doing god and hanging in there!!

Miss Kitty said...

Wow! That's certainly good news! Enjoy every moment...I'm glad DH is feeling better and smiling.

(((hugs)))

Ilovecats said...

I'm so happy for you that things are going better! Yeah!

Here's my take from my own life - when the mental illness problems drag on and on and on, it's easy to forget that it isn't the person's personality. I run into this issue with my own husband. He doesn't see me "normal" often enough, and gradually forgets who I am and resents me, which of course, I pick up on this, and it fuels the depression even more. I don't know how to break out of that cycle!

I talked this over with my mental health workers, and the next very serious depression, I'm going to try bringing in a housekeeper and other help, as possible, so there is less drag on my husband. But help costs money, and families with serious mental illness sure lack for that. If a person is poor enough, the state's social services will often help them with these kinds of support, just as they do for impoverished frail elderly folks. It's really a caregiver burnout problem.

I wish there was a way that you could relieve some of the pressure off yourself, long term.

Lexie said...

That is good news! I'm glad to here things are getting a little better for you. Definitely will be keeping you guys in my prayers! <3

-Lex

Anonymous said...

I want to thank you for this blog, and your twitter account. I have a bipolar husband, and my oldest son is special needs, and everyone thinks they understand how things can go from good to shit so fast my head swims, but it's nice to see someone who really does.

There are times when seeing your posts help me remember that I'm not the one with the mental health issues, he is, and I love you for it. Thank you so much.

Linda Arthur said...

It is great to here success stories about bipolar people. My husband is also bipolar and has seen a lot of improvement over the years. We have learned a lot from websites and blogs we have found online, especially http://onlineceucredit.com/edu/social-work-ceus-ba. This website offers a lot of tips about dealing with the symptoms of bipolar.