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DH has left us on MH grounds

316 replies

Drowning8453 · 20/05/2025 15:37

DH has been having difficulty with his MH, I would say close on a year that I know of, but possibly a lot longer than that, things like anxiety and depressive moments. He gets very fixated on health issues and gets very very down about them. Once one thing is 'fixed' there will be another quite quickly. When he has a cold he gets very very down about it and starts to fixate and stress.

We have a 3 yr DS and we have lived together for around 5 years now in the home that I owned before we got together. I have asked many times for us to move in to own something together, but he has always either shut the conversation down, changed the subject or said no, it wasn't the right time and he would find it too stressful to move. I have found this really anxiety provoking myself, as everything felt so uncertain. So we have carried on as me being responsible for all the house maintenance and upkeep and him paying me rent each month to cover the bills. I do all of the housework and his 'jobs' have been to do the dishes and cook, plus some food shopping and some laundry which I also do. He will not clean and has no interest in any maintenance things, doesn't see them as his responsibility and thinks that it's my house or I won't like what he does so why do it.

I work 3.5 days a week and I do all of the nights with our DS, as DH is in his own room as we keep him awake and he needs his sleep.

Over the past 6 months, DH's MH has been getting progressively worse, he is constantly tired, doesn't enjoys days out or even want to go on them (which I organise) with DS, is miserable quite often or worrying about a health issue. Christmas day was spent worrying that he had something wrong with his neck. It has put a lot of stress and pressure on me as I feel like I have been trying to support him and also trying to keep things normal and nice for our son.

This has escalated in the last month when DH had a health scare. It was very worrying for us, and has since sent him into a complete spiral. He has been off work and I have been trying to be as supportive as I can. He felt that being alone with our son was too much for him and made him feel worse and stressed, but he was well enough to book an afternoon/lunch/walks with his friends and his hobby. So I have had to take on pretty much all childcare, on top of work and struggling to even get out for a walk on my own.

When I raised an issue with this, it was met with you are adding more stress onto me when I don't need it and walked away from the conversation. He has now left the house to go and stay with family, so that he can be as stress free as possible so he can get well, and doesn't know when/whether he will be able to come back saying that I'm putting too much pressure on him at home and his mental health isn't in the right place for any conversations like that. He has come to see DS for a few hours each weekend, but has said that pushed him too far and took it out of him. I'm alone with our DS, doing everything and trying to keep things as stable as possible while I feel he has simply checked out.

OP posts:
Supersimkin7 · 21/05/2025 14:30

Hypochondriacs are narc nightmares.

Congrats. He’s gone!

Spinachpastapicker · 21/05/2025 14:14

BackGammon3 · 20/05/2025 19:50

With the greatest respect, I don’t think you understand what i mean by the term ‘logic’. I mean it in the sense of 2+2=4, which kindly has not been demonstrated by your sentiment of supporting the OP without understanding the bigger picture.

Could you be any more patronising? Confused

WartFace · 21/05/2025 08:06

It’s not your job to fix him. Full stop. My mum stayed with my dad through thick and thin. He took his own life anyway. My brother told him to do it - he was only 16 and he’d had enough. Six years later, he was dead too. Mum died at 71 after two bouts of cancer. My MH was wrecked. I had the utmost sympathy and empathy for both my parents but she should have thrown him out much earlier.

Lurker85 · 21/05/2025 07:45

Drowning8453 · 20/05/2025 17:14

Can I also just add that he said that the pressure I have been putting on him over the past few years, and the dynamic in our relationship has likely cause the health scare issue and some of his other health issues.

Translation: since you had a child you’ve been expecting him to parent and do stuff and he doesn’t like it

GoodEnoughParents · 21/05/2025 07:34

Kathbrownlow · 20/05/2025 15:41

You are lucky he went of his own accord. Get rid permanently. And change the locks.

^^ sadly, this

HiddenInCubeOfCheese · 21/05/2025 07:19

SwingTheMonkey · 21/05/2025 06:41

Can you give some examples of when men have it the worst?

And also an example where they have it worse but haven’t created it themselves.

However, the point of this thread has been missed. It still wouldn’t be “oh poor little lamb!” if it were a woman in the DH’s shoes. She’d be burned at the stake and have it far worse on the responses front.

SwingTheMonkey · 21/05/2025 06:41

KnittyNell · 20/05/2025 23:14

Yes sometimes they do.

Can you give some examples of when men have it the worst?

Riaanna · 21/05/2025 06:19

AllAtSea4 · 20/05/2025 23:13

No Riaanna you are quite right on a basic level but what is the alternative? I could hardly ship them off somewhere else. They are my children which is why I couldn’t walk away or end my life. So what should we do with all the thousands of children living in dysfunctional families? FYI they are both in their 30’s now and we are closer than we ever were.

Recognise that when there is the opportunity to protect children as there is here it’s quite fine for a mum to take that opportunity.

HomeTheatreSystem · 21/05/2025 04:48

He is unable to do what is required of an adult in their role as spouse and parent. You need to set him free and be glad that you can support yourselves and have your own home. Honestly no idea how you've tolerated this awful situation for so long.

Is he definitely a DH not a DP? If a DH, how long have you been married for and did you cohabit prior to marriage?

Codlingmoths · 21/05/2025 04:42

I don’t think you should be letting him back, he’s done you a favour. Now you need some boundaries like he doesn’t live there anymore and he doesn’t need to come in, he can see ds at his parents or take him to the park. You need to develop your life for you and ds and stop putting all the energy and headspace into this emotional drain. While he has you to blame he will never take any accountability, I would send him an email telling him the child support amount, and cut contact to necessary only. Go through cms very quickly if he is not cooperating. He owes ds this.

LoveFridaynight · 21/05/2025 04:38

Gustavo77 · 20/05/2025 15:49

The man is unwell for goodness sake, give him time and space to get better then you can both see where you are.

But well enough to go out with his friends and do his hobbi.

Rollonsummer2025 · 21/05/2025 02:31

Good riddance to bad rubbish! What a selfish prat. Change the locks and make the best life for you and your son.

Frostynoman · 21/05/2025 01:51

I say this kindly but you are so much better off with him gone - he sounds really awful. To blame you for him shirking his responsibilities and for leaving is just so low. He has done you a favour by leaving of his own accord and I hope that in time you find someone so much kinder and supportive and committed

Vplop · 21/05/2025 01:22

I was diagnosed with a health related anxiety disorder a few years ago and I can understand what he is going through.

Any little pain or thing that I perceived as ‘wrong’ with me would send me into a spiral of anxiety. One time, I ended up in hospital because I thought I had rabies from touching fruit that bats had eaten.

Living with an anxiety disorder is unbearable. The invasive thoughts are CONSTANT and there is no relief. No sleep, can’t concentrate. Literally cannot stop thinking about the worst case scenario. It is all consuming and mentally and physically exhausting. I couldn’t cook, exercise or go to work, it was all too much. I developed headaches from constant neck and shoulder tension. I was always tired.

I got help though. I didn’t want to live like that anymore and now, I am much better. I saw a psychologist and went through Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Best thing I ever did for myself.

Your husband needs professional help. If he doesn’t seek it, I’m afraid things will not get better on their own. You can’t be expected to be there is he won’t look after himself so he can get better.

I hope he gets help and that you can get get back on track.

Duckswaddle · 21/05/2025 01:08

Oh just tell him to piss the piss off. Useless whinging whining man baby. Does fuck all at home and spends all his time complaining about his issues but does nothing about it.

Absolute waste of space.

uncomfortablydumb60 · 21/05/2025 00:48

Don’t let him come back. You’re doing everything alone anyway and without this millstone round your neck, you and DS will thrive
i have a great understanding of MH as I have bipolar but he’s not even going through the motions.
Seek legal advice but he’s not automatically entitled to a share of your home., especially as you have a DS
It depends on the duration of the marriage.

Ohnobackagain · 21/05/2025 00:04

Reading this looking in @Drowning8453 it seems to me he wants out but doesn’t feel
able to say so. Like he has known for ages it is not what he wants but it has been easier to carry on than change it. Sorry OP 😩

JIMER202 · 21/05/2025 00:04

Mrsbloggz · 21/05/2025 00:02

I think I would 'match his energy', I would do as little for him as he does for you and the children. I would complain to him about all the stress he causes and I would tell him I need time away from him.
Maybe turn the tables would be a better phrase?
Maybe he cant help how he is, but do you want your life to be dominated by this whiney person who appears to have no redeeming features. Even if you are willing to put up with it your children surely deserve better.
How many chances will you give him, how long will you wait for him to come good in some way.
Would you be able to keep a journal of some sort? It could help you to track your feelings, spot patterns, reflect on things etc.

Love this!! He reaps what he sows OP! He seems to crave all the attention. Wtaf is his weirdo mother facilitating this? As the mother of sons they’d be getting a kick up the arse off me, not support to abandon their wife and child!

JIMER202 · 21/05/2025 00:03

Drowning8453 · 20/05/2025 16:51

See I think he would say that him coming over for the few hours on the weekends shows that he hasn't totally abandoned us, but then he moans that it was too much afterwards and he's pushed himself. Then when I have said should DS come to you regularly like once a week overnight, he says can we see how it goes.

And I'm left with the bulk while he goes back to his mum's to have a nice dinner with his family, see his brothers etc. No worry of how are we getting on with it.

So he’s living the life of a teenage boy then. Pathetic.

Mrsbloggz · 21/05/2025 00:02

I think I would 'match his energy', I would do as little for him as he does for you and the children. I would complain to him about all the stress he causes and I would tell him I need time away from him.
Maybe turn the tables would be a better phrase?
Maybe he cant help how he is, but do you want your life to be dominated by this whiney person who appears to have no redeeming features. Even if you are willing to put up with it your children surely deserve better.
How many chances will you give him, how long will you wait for him to come good in some way.
Would you be able to keep a journal of some sort? It could help you to track your feelings, spot patterns, reflect on things etc.

JIMER202 · 21/05/2025 00:01

Also this uncertainty and stress is not good for you or your young’s child health op! It sounds like this lazy twat doesn’t actually have health issues just health anxiety. But he happy to stress you out and make you feel anxious. That will make you sick over time. Get rid!!

JIMER202 · 20/05/2025 23:59

Do not have him back. I hugely struggled with PPA, health anxiety and PPD and I never once treated my partner or children like this. He is vile, lazy and useless. Bullshit it’s just mental health! He is treating you and most importantly your innocent impressionable child like SHIT. Please put your child first here. His father is woe is me and blames everyone for everything and is a shit, lazy Dad. It won’t be long until he starts emotionally abusing your child too, he already is by blaming him for his tiredness, stress etc. He’s pathetic and you will be happier without this miserable energy draining man around. Please look up emotional vampire because he is! He is sucking the joy and fun out of everything!

Zanina · 20/05/2025 23:37

Man child. Manipulative man child. More a less a cocklodger. He probably wouldn't even pay rent if you said its OK.

Spinachpastapicker · 20/05/2025 23:26

I totally understand about MH issues but my god it does sound like he’s taking the piss and has opted out of family life. Funny how you don’t ever get that option and just have to keep going isn’t it.

mintydoggyv · 20/05/2025 23:24

Better on your own

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