John’s relationship with his girlfriend Sarah was tested when her depression worsened, and he struggled to keep up with the household tasks, but through education, communication, and support, they were able to strengthen their relationship and manage her depression together.
He Always Gave Her Support
John and his girlfriend, Sarah, have been together for four years and have been living together for one. Sarah has always struggled with anxiety and depression, and John has been there to support her through it all. However, when Sarah lost her job in January due to the pandemic, her depression worsened, and she began to struggle with basic tasks like eating and cleaning.
He Did Everything
John did his best to take care of Sarah and the household, but when he returned to work in June, he found himself struggling to keep up with everything. The house was in disarray, and Sarah seemed to be doing nothing all day but watching Netflix and eating cereal. John tried to encourage her to do more gently, but she never seemed to find the motivation.
He Snapped
Finally, John snapped and told Sarah that she needed to start pulling her weight around the house or leave. Sarah was hurt and upset, but the next day, John came home to a clean house and a note from Sarah saying that she was sorry and was going to stay with her mother for a while.
Her Mother was Furious
When John tried to call Sarah, her mother answered and was furious with him. She told him that he was making Sarah’s depression worse and that he should be supporting her instead of criticizing her. John felt terrible and didn’t know what to do. He knew that depression could make it difficult for people to find motivation and keep up with household tasks, but he also couldn’t stand to see their home in such chaos. He felt like he was in a lose-lose situation, and he didn’t know how to make things right with Sarah and her mother.
He Hadn’t Experienced This
John had never experienced depression himself, so he found it difficult to empathize with Sarah’s struggles fully. However, he knew that he loved her and wanted to support her in any way he could. He decided to seek out resources and support for both himself and Sarah, hoping to find a way to navigate their relationship and her depression together.
He Researched
John knew that he needed to educate himself more about depression and how to support someone who was struggling with it. He reached out to a therapist and started attending support groups for partners of people with depression. He also encouraged Sarah to seek help and offered to go with her to therapy sessions.
He Apologized
After a few weeks, Sarah returned home, and they had a long conversation about what had happened. John apologized for snapping at her and not fully understanding the extent of her depression. Sarah apologized for not doing her part around the house and for not seeking help sooner. Together, they came up with a plan to manage Sarah’s depression and keep the household running smoothly. They created a cleaning schedule that they both agreed on and made sure to communicate openly and honestly with each other about their feelings and needs.
Straight to the Internet
John also made an effort to be more understanding and compassionate towards Sarah’s struggles. He learned to recognize the signs of depression and how to support her when she was feeling low. He also made sure to take care of himself and seek support when he needed it. To make John feel more well-rounded as a person, he decided to reach out to a popular internet forum and ask their advice to solidify his feelings or make him question himself and learn more.
The Internet Responds
One person comments, “I feel for both you and her. It’s not easy dealing with someone who has depression, just as it’s not easy for that person to be dealing with depression. It’s not fair on you to bear that emotionally, and it’s not fair to her to have someone pushing her. I think you both need to re-evaluate and probably take a break or just break up. She doesn’t seem ok to be in a relationship right now with what she’s dealing with.”
A Further Response
Another person writes, “I’m surprised you didn’t pitch doing housework as a means to combat depression. Just doing a couple of tasks a day can stave off feeling down. For example, clean the kitchen on Monday, get groceries on Tuesday, etc. That’d have been an approach to a solution that would have met both sides’ needs.”
A Final Reply
A third person writes, “Coming from a girl who almost ruined her relationship because of her depression and anxiety, she needs to stop relying on you and gain some independence, and she needs to figure out how to do that on her own. I was relying on my boyfriend the first time we lived together, and I just never got better. We almost broke up but decided to live together no longer and basically start over. I moved into my mom’s while I looked for my own place, got a roommate, and I got better.”
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