@FindingStrength
oh yes, he sees a psych every three weeks - and takes his meds every day - she has referred him back to a counsellor he saw before I met him, but he hasn't been back yet.
I have known him 2 years. I'm told he had a really good doctor that bulk billed him (he is on disability for fibromyalgia) but she retired. The one he sees now isn't really supposed to counsel him, she is just there to administer an experimential drug he is taking (for SI) but she is a compassionate professional and the 10 minute allocated appointment tends to run for an hour.
I send her an email a day or two before each appointment so she knows where we're at but I think half the time he forgets what they've discussed. I'm going to ask him to make notes because he says she is varying his meds, but three days later he's forgotten what he should be taking and goes back to what he can remember. ECT has wrecked his short term memory, and didn't work.
The big problem with asking him to take responsibilty is that when confronted with what he has said and done in anger he becomes depressed and threatens self harm... he is consumed with guilt afterwards unless I "draw a line under it and move on" immediately. This isn't as easy for someone who doesn't suffer mood swings, like myself, it takes me half a day to get over the stress of a 2 hour tantrum while 15 minutes later he's normal again.
