Shame can be found if you don't take care of your self and seek help. " Or he would say, "You just don't do that to someone," to which I would say or think what was done is really not a big deal.

Off his medication, his relationships were always a source of anxiety and stress for him. However, once he was diagnosed with chronic dysthymia he went on celexa, and his relationships started to have more meaning.

Now she stood at a bridge and called me for advice.

I heard her get choked up as she said, “I really like him and I’m afraid he won’t want to continue anymore once I tell him. This is such a huge part of who I am.” Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head.

A friend of mine recently went off of his medication for chronic dysthymia, and it was a disaster to his relationship with a woman he was dating.

This has been part of a pattern of on-again/off-again with his medication for some time. He was very despondent and seemingly even contemplating suicide.

This is something that we should definitely be talking about.

He wasn't a "doped up zombie" as many people fear they may become on a medication; rather, he was normal. As a result of going off his celexa his moods came back. Being off his medication ruined several relationships since he was irritable and pessimistic. But then the honeymoon period wore off, the celexa was pretty much out of his system and his symptoms started kicking in.

She is successful socially, educationally and occupationally, but she is constantly battling her illness, trying to prevent it from flaring up.

And she conquers her illness with much perseverance.

Someone, who knows better, came up with a great idea for helping people with mental illness find each other - for a few dates or for life.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"The Web site, because it caters to people with mental illness, you go in knowing that up front," Lynne said. You don't feel threatened by what the other person might think.""They tend to do better," Barrett said.

"They tend to stay out of the hospital." Couples in which both partners struggle with mental illness can share their experiences and help keep each other out of trouble.