It's warming to see so much support for each other. I've been off this thread for a while - bloody black dog had a go! As someone who's been at this a while, I have to say that I find being kind & patient with myself is the best method of handling the dog. Nowadays my dog is more a stupid yappy thing rather than the rottweiler of the early days. And it's getting smaller.

This has come about by trying to move forward in life by facing forward. I have regrets but I've learned not avoid dwelling. This was shown to me by a friend who went through a divorce involving kids. His Mum was brilliant by keeping him focussed on the one to one time he could get with his kids without the emotional mess of his ex. When the property etc bit was resolved he had to go for a much smaller place to live. As he says, going through the divorce, he could not see his life ever being what it is now. If he looks backwards he'd fill up with regret but going forward : he's warm & dry, skint, free & happy. He reckons the he gets more time with the kids as his ex isn't there. Calm after the storm.

You can survive this illness. The support here is clearly endless. There will be lighter times. New Year = New horizons- keep facing forward whilst moving forward.