Info for "normal" boyfriend

I suffer from major clinical depression and acute anxiety. I am diagnosed and on meds.

I've recently become involved in the first healthy relationship I have ever had. My boyfriend is stable, understanding, supportive and compassionate. The problem is, he has never been with someone who has a mental illness.

I had something happen yesterday which caused me to slip into a mild depression. (Thank God for meds!) My boyfriend managed to say all the wrong things. (eg, "Put your big-girl pants on", "Deal with it") I immediately shut him down and out, then turned to my 23 year old daughter - who has dealt with this before - who was able to help me cope through the crisis.

All of this is to ask, where can I find articles or a good book that will help my boyfriend understand my illness and teach him skills to help me through the bad times? I've tried to search the net but keep coming up with sites dealing with undiagnosed depression.

Also, how do I start a dialogue with him about this without scaring him away? He knows about my dx but doesn't even remotely understand it. I want to encourage him to learn more.

I wonder if http://www.depressionquest.com/ might be one way in. And perhaps http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.co.uk ... ssion.html and http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.co.uk ... t-two.html

Both are "non traditional" approaches. So might start to get some of the feeling of depression across. Without it being too preachy. However, some people prefer the facts. And so a good book may be far more authorititive and informational. Less emotional and so easier to process. I don't have any recommendations there. But hopefully other people have. Or have real life experience to share. [I don't.]

These are fantastic! Thanks so much! Bf isn't really the book reading type but is open to reading articles.

I really appreciate it!