Should I break up because I am depressed? Mental illness is an “illness”, it is not who you are. It is not a part of your soul, it is a part of your mind and it will heal over time. When you’re in a relationship, you’re with your partner through the good and the bad, in sickness and in health. When one of you is going through a dark time, the other isn’t going to give up on you and leave you alone to suffer through it. You’re supposed to be each other’s strength, you’re supposed to be there for each other and not run away at the first sight of danger. Life is not a walk in the park, mental illness or not.