I recognize some aspects of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard dysfunction. If you’re with a person given to periodic black moods (either naturally or due to substance abuse), the good lovin’ vibes evaporate sooner or later. At which point you’re just struggling to keep things on a respectful even keel, and it’s not easy (no marriage or live-in relationship is) to do that…even keels require a lot of work, patience and spiritual generosity.

And then, bit by bit, you can feel yourself slipping or weakening…slowly sliding down into a vortex of some kind, and at some point you realize that “respectful” and “even keel” are ships that have sailed.

And then it’s a matter of “how do I get out of this?” and “can I get out of this? Or am I doomed to live in this bread-and-water dungeon until I die?” You start thinking about permanent misery, permanent rage, financial ruin…a virus of despair floods your system. Then you start sleeping more than before…sleep as a way of escaping the horror. And you start to wonder if this will ever bottom out…if living with less anguish is even possible. Because (who knows?) you might be stuck here forever.

News account: “Johnny Depp was back on the stand Monday in his $100 million defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. The court heard a number of audio recordings of Depp and Heard arguing during cross examination by Heard’s lawyer Benjamin Rottenborn. In one audio clip, Depp tells Heard: ‘Walking away is necessary, is necessary, especially between you and I. It’s of [the] utmost importance.'”