A serious subject - about my hubby and my PPD/A

I haven't been on here much, I guess I've been neglecting my blog.  I keep posting pictures, but nothing of substance.  I will try to work on that.

I wanted to share something very personal today with you all and just ask for your thoughts for my family.  Kris is struggling.  He has been picking up soo much of my slack from me having PPD/A and have been saying yes to every request made of him.  He wants to make everyone happy and in the end he of course made himself unhappy.

I have seen this coming on for a while now.  He tells me to just relax, read a book, go blog etc, and he will take care of Aiden, laundry, housework and me.  I tell him I am doing better, and he sees a difference in me since I started therapy, but he is just afraid that I will get frustrated and have a set back.  People know he is a talented mechanic and therefore he is always being asked to use his discount and gets parts for his cousin, to check out a problem for someone else, do routine maintenance on everyones cars and he does love it, but he is starting to regret people knowing his talent.  He told me not long ago he feels used.  That people only want him for what he can do and not who he is.

Lately he has been slinking around and being quiet.  I know he's holding something in.  I don't know what exactly brought it on but Monday he just collapsed.  He had 3 different breakdowns and the last one had me hysterical enough to call my own mom to come over to comfort me.  It hurt soo much to see such a strong man crying out for help that I felt I couldn't give him.  After a long talk with all the family and many tears Kris had finally shared how he had been feeling.  Poor Kris was soo upset he doesn't even know what he said, it just poured out for him. 

I bought him a nice leather bound journal for our anniversary next week and gave that to him early so he could start to write everyday.  He's been writing when he can't sleep, if we had a great day or a bad day.  I think in the long run it will help him express himself better.  My mom took him to a movie the other day, just the two of them.  His dad took him to home depot and bought a new work table Kris wanted.  Today he is at the junk yard getting parts he wants.  He and I had a quiet dinner together at Red Robin without Aiden.  And the biggest step of all - he is joining me at therapy tomorrow!

Hopefully therapy will help him feel better, if he keeps going with me that is okay, but if he wants to talk to someone alone that is great too.  Either way I think just admitting he was feeling overwhelmed and depressed was wonderful for him.  Has anyone else with PPD noticed their spouse getting a version of caregiver stress??

Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  My hubby and I are strong people and we love each other deeply, we just need to find a way for us both to be sane again.  I have heard about the terrible twos - who knew it applied to marriage too.  At least it's not a problem with US, we just need to learn to take care of ourselves better so we can be there for each other.