While growing up on a solitary island, Maureen Drennan experienced loneliness in a unique way. When marriage revealed a new kind of loneliness, caused by her husband’s depression, Maureen and her spouse returned to the island to find connection and understanding as a couple. According to the story on HuffingtonPost.com, the pair discovered some key points about dealing with a loved one’s depression. Couples suffering from depression or poor mental health in Singapore may be able to find connection and hope in similar ways.
Together Yet Alone
Sometime after their marriage, Paul Drennan sank into a severe bout of depression. As his young wife, Maureen wanted to understand his mental state so that she could comfort and support him. Together they traveled back to Block Island, Maureen’s childhood haunt, with a plan for Maureen to use her abilities in photography to chronicle their journey of self-discovery as individuals and as a couple.
A Unique Setting for a New Project
Block Island, where she spent a portion of her childhood, is a beautiful but lonely place, untouched by the hectic pace of modern civilization and city life. Its slow, calm existence is appealing at first, but the remoteness of the place can highlight loneliness and depression, especially in those already prone to it, like Maureen’s husband Paul.
Sensitivity and Support
At first, Paul was uncomfortable with being the subject of many of the project’s most intimate photos. As the photography sessions progressed, however, he realized that his wife’s sensitivity to his mental state and his emotions was truly a special part of their relationship. Sometimes, a person struggling with depression needs to feel the presence and support of someone whose love is unconditional, no matter what.
According to Maureen, she and Paul found an intimacy in the process. They discovered moments together in a special way through photography, in spite of the challenges they were facing in their relationship. “Where words failed us, the pictures filled in the blanks,” Maureen claims.
Healing Through Vulnerability
Maureen named her photography project “The Sea that Surrounds Us,” a phrase clipped from a Pablo Neruda poem. The title reflected both the physical isolation of the island and the emotional sea that both threatened the couple’s relationship and brought them closer together. Through the project, and perhaps because of their willingness to be vulnerable and open with each other, Paul and Maureen found restoration and healing, and they were able to move out of this dark phase of their lives.
Take a look at her Maureen’s project here: http://www.maureendrennan.net/the-sea-that-surrounds-us.html
Fresh Perspectives and Renewed Commitment
Not everyone can run off to an island and explore their relationship through photography, but the underlying elements of this success story are important for couples who struggle with depression. Seeking help from someone, being honest and open, and gaining a third-party or outside perspective can be very beneficial, both to the depressed person and his or her partner.
You’ll find perspective, confidentiality, and support when you visit a psychiatrist in Singapore through the Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic. Our mental health professionals can prescribe treatment and help you sort through issues as a couple and individually. You’ll also discover cooperative therapies and projects that help you function as a team again. Don’t let depression steal your relationship with your loved one! Take action and contact Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic today.
News Feed from Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic
Source: Huffington Post, September 01, 2016