Dear Judy,
To my mind bad uncontrollable depression is as much a terminal disease as anything any of your readers usually write in about (I’ve been doing a SEARCH on thecheckoutline…).
My wife has what I’d call “terminal depression,” and so far nothing has proved a permanent cure, and we’ve tried just about every pill, shrink and medication you can name, including “spritual healing” at an Arizona spa, which cost a fortune and which I don’t recommend.
She’s tried to kill herself 3 times. Once I found her on the floor near our teenager’s room; her wrists slashed and blood all over the place. I don’t know what to do next. She goest to a shrink twice a week, and I think he’s a charlatan. Part of me feels, well if my wife wants to die so badly, maybe the next time I should just let her.
Our teenager has been gravely impacted, as you can imagine. She thinks maybe the whole thing is my fault, otherwise, why would her mother want to die? I have no answers.
Maybe you do?
Ted
Dear Ted,
Okay, we both know you can’t just let your wife die because sometimes she wants to — among other things that would just devastate your daughter. And we also both know that whatever happens to your wife, something has to be done — now! – to help your teenage daughter:
So may I suggest a good therapist for her, and by “good” I mean someone who perhaps has a fine track record with teenagers, preferably a woman. I’ll bet you have friends with daughters who’ve needed help. Ask around, get recommendations.
As to your wife: get another, better, therapist for her. Fast. Once again, ask around. Tell the new therapist your wife needs new meds. Shake up the old system if it wasn’t working. Demand better therapies.
And write back and let me know how things are going.
Thank you for writing,
Judy
