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Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Hi!

I am after some tips on how to best break a negative thought spiral - my hubby has been diagnosed with depression and when he is struggling with it he gets stuck in a negative spiral. Nothing I say is right, it is always turned into a negative in some way - I find that I always have to be super careful in the way that I word things, my tone and even then I get it wrong! An example is the other night I asked him if he was ok because I thought he was looking a little down and he started talking to me about how he was feeling (which is a good thing) but he talked himself into a full circle (lots of negative remarks) which finished with 'you haven't even asked how I am'. I am so confused as to what to do!

I end up just listening but not saying anything because it doesn't seem to be heard or help anyway. Any tips on how to be heard and break that negative spiral? I hate just seeing him spiral downwards right in front of me. I have asked him on a good day whether there is anything I can say or do to help him during these times and he 'doesn't know'.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts or experience 🙂

Thankyou!

13 replies

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In response to: Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Re: Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Good morning, how did the weekend go for you?

I was wondering, if you asked your partner if he were interested in doing things differently?

My experience was, I said to my husband, "how would you like to feel lighter and get to the stage where you can flip thoughts and use them to your benefit to feeling fit and well? He started with the age old mind set, (oh you cant do that, it's all rubbish).

I put another slant on it, and said you know its been scientiffically proven, humans experience positive or negative, never both at the same time, and it is our choice, habits are changed all the time.

I said "I wanted to change how I did things, so I would be healthier and I was going to start with my thoughts" I began writing the thoughts down in a small book at the end of the day, I was so suprised at how I'd set myself up to feel aweful, well, not any more, thats all changed. I replaced each negative thought with something kind and sort the good everywhere possible. Its now a daily practice.

Every time my husband tried to stop me, I said, "Im choosing to be healthy and you want me to be happy and healthy right" and I hope the same for you.

Things have started to shift, it's great, and when an old pattern rears it's ugly head. I ask where did that come from? all in fun, my husband actually laughs and changes the words him self. Start with you and he may follow, so may the family. Be the change you wish to see.

Living Well

In response to: Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Re: Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, after another really rough patch my hubby is now seeing a psychiatrist and has been diagnosed with adult adhd and possibly bipolar to go with his severe depression - the depression has improved significantly with a change in meds though which is great. I am emotionally exhausted and feel terrible that I am not in the position to give him all the support he needs but I am flat / totally exhausted. Glad that things are moving forward though and it is so nice to see him laugh, play with the kids and on occasion help around the house again!

In response to: Re: Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Re: Help! Everything positive I say to help my partner is turned into a negative!

Hello @lollipop, @MIFANTCARER, @Former-Member, @Tiggeroo, @pip xx

How is everyone going today ?? love to hear from you

sending you hugs

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