I suffer from manic depression and my girlfriend suffers from extreme anxiety. she convinces herself that things are wrong and cannot/will not listen to reason. I am wondering if anyone has any tips on dealing with this? any time she gets this way i end up extremely depressed and frustrated because it seems like i can't help and she has no way to stop it herself. she says she wants it to stop but can't motivate herself to get help and whenever i try to help her she gets upset with me and makes me feel bad for implying that her condition bothers me, thus sinking me into depression again. i love her very much and want to marry her, but this is extremely hindering. she has gotten so bad that i can't leave her alone in my house because she will either convince herself that she is dying or that someone else is in the house. nothing i say can change her mind. i am out of the house from roughly 5:30am to 5pm everyweekday so she usually stays with me. i don't know what to do. its getting to the point where neither of us can take it. my depression has gotten so bad that i feel it all of the time on some level, if i'm not almost throwing up and crying i just have this impending doom feeling, i try to keep it to myself because she can't handle it but then it explodes as anger and frustration when i finally can't stand it anymore. i feel like hurting myself (not suicide, just punching or pinching, no cutting or anything of that nature) and i am afraid it will get so much worse if i can't stop it. i do not currently have insurace through my job and it won't be available for a few more months. i need help but i don't know how to get it. if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.

it would help if you both saw the same psychiatrist for meds and advice, sometimes you can see one free at a hospital, tell them you are broke and they sometimes can arrange free meds
otherwise print out your post and see a GP doc, preferably both together, I think you both need meds

it may help to get a dog to stay with her when you are out og the house

It must be hard living in your situation, both no doubt wanting to help eachother, maybe you should both concentrate on yourselves for a little while, if you have no insurance then there is loads of information on the web, free booklets you can download. type mental health charities into a world wide search. Some self help books may help keep her occupied while you are out. They are not that expensive and can be ordered online, Claire weekes books helped me an awful lot,she emphasised what my therapist was telling me keeping me on track. Depression and anxiety tend to come hand in hand so you would both get alot out of the same information. Once you are both feeling a bit better then try to help eachother.
Good luck ;)

Maybe you should be more open with her about your depression. I'm sure her anxiety over shadows your own issue at some points, but understand that she doesn't intend to do that. Just try to be honest with her, even if you think it will bum her out more. Honesty is the main key to a relationship.
Also, she can't help how she is, so try to understand and stop yourself before you get frustrated, if you can...

i know its been quite a while, but i just wanted to let you know that i went to the hospital and they signed me up for valueoptions for free meds and severely reduced mental help services and i'm doing awesome. thank you for your suggestions.

are you still doing awesome? and I am glad that you have taken the time to care for yourself first. there is always free medical help out there. AND becasue there is no way you can help her if you can't help yourself, and in a way, you may not be able to help her but to be suport for when she is willing to help herself. that was one thing my mom did, she always tried to help people who didn't want to be helped and in the end only caused more frustration on herself.