After decades of living with a partner tormented by mental illness, Cherie Blair’s former aide appeals for more help for sufferers and their families
Over the years, I have grown used to various different “identities” – aide to Cherie Blair, partner of Alastair Campbell, latterly mother of comedian Grace Campbell. More recently, I have adopted a new persona; the partner of someone with mental health issues. I have lived this role in private for more than 40 years but only recently “gone public” since Alastair published his latest book, Living Better: How I Learned To Survive Depression, and asked me to write a chapter from my own perspective.
It isn’t easy telling such a personal story but it has been worthwhile for the overwhelming reaction from others – mostly people I don’t know who have shared almost identical experiences, which go something like this …
