Thank you all for the thoughtful words...mostly all good things to consider. Indeed I'm not so much looking for relationship advice as I was trying to find professional help or ideas for someone I love. Whether we go down a traditional path together isn't so much a question of priority for me at the moment as much as what I can do to help in a cultural environment that seems relatively devoid of it. What I see suggests some serious medical issues that need addressing before anything else...I'm no expert, but am trying my best to educate myself and understand what it is she goes through. I realise there won't be a quick fix, but I guess i'm wired to stick it out as long as I can short of sacrificing myself in the process. I do have limits, yes...but as someone pointed out, I don't want to look back some day wondering if I could have done a little more. I'd like to think we all deserve someone in our corner when we really need it. Her acknowledgement, acceptance, education & behavioural techniques and diet are good first strategy.
@Liumingke1234: I appreciate it. This is our third year together though we are not married.
Believe me, I've considered just 'bailing' on more than once occasion recently though I'm not quite willing to give up just yet. The hardest thing is seeing someone so talented, giving and well....just decent being held back from something closer to a normal life by what I believe is a semi-common treatable condition (at least in the west). I think the cultural stigma is the biggest hurdle here - and access to resources one can trust. ...and no...aside from the great stress it causes me, I don't believe I'm personally in actual 'danger' though I appreciate the concern.
@laofengzi- thanks for the input, bro :) I'm hardly her meal-ticket.
Thank you for the responses! @Jenny Wu: She's Chinese - I'll look into that; @yankee00: That's what I thought - especially in regards to going abroad, though that's of course easier said than done, though not impossible...perhaps in Thailand (?) I think all the self help behavioural suggestions are good ones and certainly won't hurt. @Dazzer: Her mother seems to have had similar symptoms in her life from what I gather...but it's not something that has ever been diagnosed to even talked about much other than as a 'character flaw'.. Also, from what I gather, it seems that my partner seems to have it much worse off in terms of intensity. i do know that doctors in China had routinely dismissed her as well as 'imagining things'. It seems that her episodes have increased in frequency and intensity in the last year, but from what I understand, she has had them periodically for several years prior.
My partner here is suffering from recurring severely crippling episodes of what I believe is a serious anxiety / panic disorder. Jobs, social interactions, physical activities that seem like nothing to most people may suddenly cause her to implode with episodes lasting from hours to weeks. She is convinced that she has a serious 'heart condition', but no doctors have been able to diagnose anything like that. However, *ALL* the physically debilitating symptoms she experiences are in line with my online research on anxiety / panic disorder and I want to get her the proper diagnosis and treatment ASAP. She's a smart, extremely talented young woman whom I care for very much and I can't bare to see her suffer with this so much. Can anyone with knowledge or personal experience recommend a treatment facility here in Kunming? ...or in China in general?
