Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

I agree with you, ribbons. If a person is missing an arm or leg, that wouldn't make a difference. When someone needs a lot of care, though, that does become an issue in a relationship, because I feel relationships work best when both parties feel they can contribute equally. It probably takes some working out of issues to prevent resentments from building up if the person, say, lacks *all* limbs and needs extensive daily care. It is probably a good idea for the couple to hire some caregivers so that sole caregiving responsibility does not fall on one partner.

Whether a person's mind is clear or not would be an issue for me, though. I think I'd have some worries about being in a serious relationship again with someone who has a difficult mental illness, because in my experience when a partner has a mental disorder, it becomes like a third person in the relationship, making it hard to communicate clearly with the person you love. I'm afraid I'd feel lonely...as if the person isn't really there with me. Someone losing an arm or leg seems trivial to me compared with someone losing a grip on reality.