@WinterSunMy husband has had a long struggle, he was unwell for a good 8 years before his major, probably psychotic crisis which lasted 2 years ending with an attempt, he was in hospital for some time recovering from physical injuries as well as getting mentally stable. It was toward the end of his hospitalisation that he was put on a mood stabiliser which made a heap of difference and since then he has been tapered off 2 of the 4 drugs he was on. I am not a fan of polypharmacy and made it my business to learn about the drugs, their side effects and interactions and was not afraid to ask questions, particularly after I realised he had significant adverse events from being on different classes of drugs. He still has a lot if anxiety - coming to terms with his attempt has proven difficult - am not sure how well he is engaging with therapy.
As he was in crisis for so long his brain suffered a major assault and recovery from the acute episode is a long slow process.
How did I survive? Early on I was oblivious to his MI and was embarrassed or exasperated by his behaviour. Once crisis hit I guess adrenaline kicked in. After the attempt I looked things up and learned so much. I learned that his attempt was a symptom of a serious mental illness that is potentially terminal by way of self harm if not treated adequately. I learned about expressed emotion and how to manage this. I made a choice that I would willingly and lovingly support my husband; I do not judge others and the choices they make as I understand how difficult it can be so no indictment of anyone here.
