Happy After All: Hope, Healing, and Humor for a Marriage with Emotional, Mental, or Addiction Issues
R. Christian Bohlen; Helen M. Bohlen
Clovercroft Publishing
2021
pokkari
"An invaluable resource. . . For Christians dealing with the challenges of mental illness in their spouse, this is a must-read." — BlueInk Reviews, starred review If you are hurt, frustrated, or confused by your unstable loved one's behavior, this faith-based resource was designed for you. Imagine waking up tomorrow with new hope because you understand the secrets of living successfully with a mentally ill or addicted spouse. What if you could feel more confident, more in control, and less resentful? How? By embracing the easy-to-read recommendations from the husband-and-wife author team who beat all the odds to find joy in marriage despite multiple mental illness diagnoses. In spite of family members and friends persuading them to call it quits, they found power in their Christian faith and developed new skills recommended by world-renowned mental health and marriage researchers—now neatly interwoven in this groundbreaking volume—for you. Best of all, regardless of your spouse’s choices and struggles, this book will teach you how to thrive with fresh Bible-based insights and relationship skills that can help you feel better and start healing today. Find relief from the relentless doubts, irritations, and helplessness:Care for yourself first (and see what God thinks about that). Feel your feelings the healthy way (which most spouses are not doing). Connect to power that comforts, guides, and lifts through Jesus Christ. Learn how your spouse may want to be loved differently than you think. See which of your efforts are being wasted (or doing more harm than good). Be at peace with the decision to stay in the marriage or to separate (and learn how).Chapters are named by the most common, bedeviling thoughts that spouses of the mentally ill and addicted face, such as:It’s not fair. Can I survive this? My needs are not being met. My spouse is walking all over me! My hopes for my life are unraveling.Mental health professionals and spiritual advisors contributed to the design and contents of this meticulously reviewed resource with one objective, stated in the book: “If spouses of the mentally ill or addicted can be spiritually strengthened and learn practical things they can do independently, more marriages can be saved.” Discover that you are not alone as you peer into the inner lives and thoughts of spouses who experienced gut-wrenching anguish and the exhausting effects of mental illness on a relationship. The Bohlen’s conflicts, weaknesses, and personal growth are on transparent display—each from their own perspective—with harrowing stories from their incredible thirty-five-year journey woven into each chapter. Their diagnoses include Borderline Personality Disorder & Bipolar Disorder 1 (wife) and Bipolar Disorder 2, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, recovering drug addict (husband). Note: Approximately 50% of the book is spiritual, Christian-oriented content with frequent references to the Holy Bible. It is blended with wise recommendations from leading minds in secular fields. Readers who do not care for religious content may wish to choose other resources for their support and healing. What readers are saying . . . "Total game changer . . . I have yet to find another book with such excellent information from all disciplines that also includes prayer, faith, scripture.” “This book gives practical, relatable, faith-based advice without being overly preachy.” “. . . profound page turner for me to read.” “. . . abook I wish I’d had years ago . . .” Start reading today. Experience instant hope and increasing relief as you discover what’s been possible for you all along.
