Hello, I could use some relationship advice or just some support from people whose significant others have PCS, or from people with PCS who have significant others.

My boyfriend suffered a brain injury 2 years ago and now suffers from PCS. He and I started dating 7 months ago. I have only had one other relationship, which only lasted 3.5 months and was terrible. So I don't have much experience with being in a serious relationship, let alone with brain injuries. Often he says or does or doesn't do things that are frustrating. But since I did not know him before the injury (he and his mom have both told me that he has changed since the injury), I don't know if these things are brain injury things or typical things that any bf could do that would frustrate their gf because they are a result of us being of different sexes. So I often don't know if I am justified or if I'm being unfair by being upset with him. A few months ago he found a list of typical post-brain-injury symptoms, such as lack of focus, difficulty controlling anger, etc., and edited it to only include symptoms that he experienced. We looked at it together and talked about it a bit. But some of the symptoms were things that non-injured people feel sometimes, too. So it adds to my problem that I don't know if his actions are injury-related or otherwise. I like to think that I'm much more supportive of him than many other women would be, but I don't know if he feels the same. I consider myself a kind person who is much more willing than many other people to sympathize, empathize, and give the benefit of the doubt to others.

I love my bf and I want to help him be happy. Sometimes I know that I can't always help him, and sometimes he shuts me out when he is in his darkest moments. Which bothers me very much because he has confided that he had suicidal thoughts when he was first injured. And I feel that if he doesn't talk to me about how he is feeling that he could slip back into thinking that way. I also can't help but take it personally when he doesn't want to confide in me because I feel that we should be able to talk to each other about anything.

When I was fourteen my father was diagnosed with depression. One of the symptoms that he exhibited was the desire to sleep all the time. Or, rather, the preference of sleep over other things going on in life. My bf often says that he wishes he could go back to sleep during the day to escape the reality of his life. One of these realities is that he is almost constantly experiencing a headache of varying degrees. He says other things that make me worry that he has depression. He has admitted to me that he has been depressed since the injury, but he says he's not clinically depressed. I don't understand how there could be a difference, though. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

If anyone has some insight for me, I would truly be very grateful. Thank you for reading.