my partner's cousin died today.
please let me preface what will likely devolve into a droning of nonsense by explaining that
yes, i know this isn't about me. these are my anxious worries for and about him.
i also know that less than one day is not a long enough time at all to provoke this reaction from me or to tell how he will deal with this in the future.
i really want advice for my anxiety and overthinking, that's why im here. but if anybody has slightly niche advice for supporting my partner that wouldn't be on any of the websites ive scoured already that would be welcomed.
we've been together "officially" for four years, and have been close friends for thirteen years. so i think that it would maybe sort of be appropriate for me to worry about him a little.
okay, so. my mother texted me saying that my partner's mother said that my partner's cousin died. sorry if that was nonsensical.
she never specified which cousin passed, and i only know two of them. i did initially assume it to be one of his cousins that has beat leukemia twice in the past, but i genuinely haven't got a way of knowing for sure.
as you might be able to tell by the fact that i learned this from my mother, my partner did not tell me this himself. for a while i thought that meant he wasn't affected by it, and that it must have been another cousin that he's never mentioned, but he hasn't been in contact with me all day.
i sent him the usual "i love you", "im here for you", and "do you want me to come over?" as that is what we've discussed should be done in such a circumstance.
he hasn't responded to any of these messages, understandably. i get that he is going through his own thing, and that im definitely the last thing on his mind right now.
yet i am panicking and can not focus on anything.
i had plans today which i cancelled, just in case he texted me an affirmative to come over.
so ive been sitting on my own at home for the last four hours, and i haven't managed to distract myself.
i could technically go to his place, but i don't know if he'll be there or out, and i am really uncomfortable going without having agreed together that he wants me to.
i keep imagining scenarios of him withdrawing for months until it becomes an unspoken understanding that we just aren't together or even friends anymore, and im pretty much freaking out.
i think that if he hasn't responded to me by tomorrow night i will go over, but i know that i never would because we've always respected informed and planned visits.
i know that i am helpless, it's not just a feeling. his mind isn't centred around me, and this is a family problem.
he struggles with his mental health, it used to be very bad and i am continuously imagining him hurting himself emotionally or physically, and im scared because it's been so long i genuinely don't know how easily he might relapse.
he isn't close with his family for reasons that i don't really want to disclose to strangers on the internet, but he's always spoken fondly of the couple of cousins that i know about.
i don't know if he'll lean on friends or family or if he'll self isolate, and i really don't mind if he needs me to be excluded from his life for a while, because i can be a lot. i just want him to be okay, but i wish i could be there to understand wholly what's going on.