To feel guilty at leaving and planning to divorce ex?

[Divorceguilt]

I am feeling guilty at leaving my ex. I thought these feelings of guilt would fade but they haven't and it's been almost 2 years since I left.
I feel like I need external validation that it was ok for me to leave.
I had been unhappy with him for a couple of years before blurting out that I wanted to separate.
He had an alcohol dependency and drank almost every night, he had depression, he was a pessimist, he had a tendency to be paranoid, he was extremely secretive and also moody and tight with money. He also didn't like most of my family.
The good things about him were that he was loyal and hard working and I could trust him and underneath all his issues, he was actually a decent person.
Needless to say, I fell out of love with him.
We also have a 5 year old son.
I keep thinking of him on his own every night and potentially not having any more children.
I know he might well be seeing someone but I still can't get rid of the guilt.

I could tell you that it was the right thing to do, but that wouldn’t stop the guilt because, deep down, you already know you did the right thing. You’d have been mad to have done anything else but leave.

So, instead, I’ll ask you whether you think it was better for him to be married to a woman who didn’t love him, rather than giving him a chance to meet someone he could be happy with? Also, why do you think he’s even giving you a second thought? How do you know he’s not relieved that you had the courage to call it a day?

You did the right thing. For yourself, for him and for your child, who is no longer learning that that’s what marriage is like.

Don't feel guilty. You did him a favour. He will be fine.

His love for you and his love for his child wasn't enough to try and stop drinking.

You say his good qualities were that he was loyal, hard working and you could trust him. Really, could you leave your three year old son with him and go away with the girls and trust him not to drink? Hard working? Did you and your son reap the rewards of time away from the home - you say he was tight fiated and spent money on drink every night. That leaves - loyal. A Labrador is loyal but not much of a Husband or Father. You did the right thing for you and your son.

The help is there when he wants it.