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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Don't know how to deal with husband's depression

8 replies

Fairyknowe · 04/03/2018 21:17

Finding it difficult to separate out what parts of DH's behaviour are down to depression or if they're just personality traits that I don't like. It's really hard because he can be really cheery and up beat with friends and then horrible to me. I do believe he suffers from anxiety and SAD. A couple of years ago he started meeting another lady for lunch. I found out about it before it became an affair but I think it was headed that way. He blamed me and his depression for this.
He has to have lots of lie ins and always tells me how much more important his job is in comparison to my parttime job and looking after our 3 kids.
As you can probably tell there's a ton of resentment stacked up from years of feeling like I'm the only reliable parent in the house.
Walking away from this relationship is not really on the cards at the moment. What do I do though? Can't really afford therapy. Anybody else managed to get through this kind of thing?

OP posts:
Jassmells · 04/03/2018 21:36

My goodness, this is literally like it could have been written by my best friend - only one line makes me think it's not her.

I know depression is an illness, I'm not belittling it. What I am sick of though is people not happy with their lives claiming it to justify their behaviour. Her husband is equally shitty with her and their 3 kids and to be honest I don't know how she puts up with it. He frequently cancels things and lets her down but if he's invited to the pub or the football or anything he wants to do he's off like a shot. He also guilt trips and has an ability to make everything about him. In his case he is particularly jealous of the attention the kids get from her which is crazy - they have 3 kids also.

I know you say leaving is not an option but please think about what you really want and what you want your kids to see growing up. I know it's not easy but you deserve better Thanks

Hippee · 04/03/2018 22:16

Same here - no answers. Just keep battling on, wondering if life will ever improve and trying to keep the DC upbeat. Big hug!

TrollTheRespawnJeremy · 04/03/2018 22:49

It's not just depression that is the problem, it's lying, selfishness and being a shit parent.

Honestly, what a wet blanket OP. You'd have a much better life if you weren't trying to overcompensate for this loser.

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 04/03/2018 23:12

Are you sure you can't walk away? Have you investigated that option fully yet?

Fairyknowe · 04/03/2018 23:29

I'm not ready to make big decisions re walking away. Maybe I am a wet blanket but, aside from being unsure if I'd be able to support myself, at the moment I'm not sure I could deal with the guilt of breaking up the family home. The kids would be devastated. I'm actually a pretty strong person because I've been putting up with this shit for a while and been managing to keep my kids happy. Maybe eventually it'll come to a head and I'll take the plunge but was looking for advice in the meantime. Life's not black and white.

OP posts:
VanGoghsLeftEar · 04/03/2018 23:32

My husband has anxiety and depression which is partly inherited and partly because his youth was violent and generally crap.

(I have written about him on here before)

It is difficult to separate the condition from the man being a shit human being. Believe me, we have come very close to splitting up on tons of occasions because he takes his victimhood too far.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression overlap, but here is what I understand them to be.

A sense of failure, hopelessness, fear, and never being good enough.
Asking repeated questions on the same worries over and over again until you want to scream.
Insomnia, or sleeping too much.
Eating too little, or too much.
Not being able to get out of bed, or a general feeling of tiredness and weakness.
Physical symptoms also include pain, interrupted bowel movements, lack of sexual desire, impotence.
Being reclusive and not wanting to communicate.

Pretty much everything else your husband is doing is an excuse to duck responsibility.

He cannot blame you for being depressed. It's not your fault. He may be feeling inadequate but it's not your fault. Trying to have an affair has nothing to do with depression, he was being a shit human being. If he's in bed and cannot move, it's depression. If he's in bed playing with his phone or reading, he's mugging you off. I identify with the two-faced behaviour, my DH was the same. I's just a mask. Depressed people find it difficult to express themselves effectively and often lash out to those closest to them.

My husband was referred to Talking Therapies in the end. He's still quite bad but he doesn't treat me like crap anymore. Is individual or couples counselling an option for you? Though you don't have MH issues, you still need support.

Fairyknowe · 04/03/2018 23:43

Thanks Vangogh. I'll look up Talking Therapies. If he wasn't so nippy and angry with me that'd help a lot. I'm a really sensitive person so take a long time to get over his outbursts and then want to avoid him. Also, thanks for trying to separate the behaviour out for me. I feel like I spend a lot of my time being very pissed off with him and that's not how I want to be. I could do with finding a better way of protecting myself against his behaviour.

OP posts:
NolongerAnxiousCarer · 05/03/2018 00:06

Hi I have experience on both sides as I have suffered with depression and my husband has also had episodes of depression and psychosis. Mental illness is horrible to experience but can also be very hard to live with. It is however not an excuse for bad/abusive behaviour.

My question is what is he doing about It? Has he seen his GP? Is he on medication? Has he been referred for counceĺing or CBT? He needs to take some responsibility for fixing this. He also needs to stop taking it out on you. It's not your fault he's depressed and you can't fix his depression only he can do that. If my husband hadn't been willing to engage with support we would not still be together.

I also highly recommend couples therapy (but he might need to be in a better place first to manage this) we had this to look at the effects of my husband's Mental illness on our relationship and both got a lot out of it.

Also from personal experience if depressed but not severely depressed it is possible to put a mask on for a short while and hide the depression. Appear to be having fun etc when with friends, but not possible to maintain this in the long term at home. It is possible when mildly depressed to spend hours in bed playing with your phone but not be able to motivate yourself to do the housework etc.

DHs mental illness is much more severe than mine and I accept that there are times when he can't work, there are times when he can't prepare meals or do housework, there are times when he can only manage one of these on any given day. I also know that when he is well he works hard and mucks in around the house. So I know that it's illness stopping him rather than laziness. The thing is if your DH hasn't been well in a while it's difficult to separate this out.

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