Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

My Wife Wants Us To Split Up

131 replies

LivingBait · 05/04/2018 11:39

I hope you don't mind a bloke posting in here. I feel really isolated and could do with some advice.

I'll try and set the scene as much as i can without banging on.

I'm 36, she's 38. We met 4 years ago and have been married for 2. We've got a 1 (and a bit) year old daughter who we both adore.

Last summer we moved away from the city to a rural area where she is from originally because she wanted support from her family - who all still live there, apart from her mum who she lost when she was 17.

We've had a few rocky moments over the years but we've always seemed to get back on track. She has always talked about us being together, the future, holidays, possibly another baby etc. Even on valentines day gone we were romantic and discussed such things.

My wife has been on anti-depressants since I've known her and for a fair while before too. I've never judged her for it, its a result of the trauma of losing her mum. She recently started reducing her dose, and about 6 weeks ago told me she'd stopped completely. I had been noticing a marked change in her behaviour and her lack of seemingly genuine happiness. She started looking pale and seemed to be snappy.

One night about 5 weeks ago she was struggling to get our daughter to sleep. (She only sleeps on the boob at present and as such i generally have been sleeping in the spare room). Anyway, it was late, we were both tired and she just completely snapped - to the point i was concerned. I told her i think she's suffering from not taking her pills. Since then she's just been completely off with me. Barely talking to me and just showing no interest in anything in my life - i started a new job a month ago and she is completely uninterested.

Last weekend she said we need to talk. She told me she wants to sell the house and go our separate ways. She's even arranged a meeting with the solicitor to sell the house. She told me she doesn't want me to be in the house. She said its because of what I said about her behaving differently and threatening to intervene (only 3 people know she has been taking meds). She went to her dads house with our daughter for Easter and I spent Easter alone. Eventually I decided to give her what she wants and so I've gone to stay with my mum.

I cant stand the thought of not living with my daughter, but due to work logistics i wont be able to see her in the week as things stand, and i cant have her overnight because i haven't got boobs. I don't really know what to do. I feel powerless. She's in our house with our daughter, surrounded by her family and I've had to go home to my mum. I feel like talking to her dad about it but he doesn't even know she's been on anti-depressants, let alone stopping.

She's on the brink of ruining my life and she doesn't seem to care. We made wedding vows that she is not honouring in the slightest. Its not like I've had an affair or knocked her about or anything. All I did was show concern about her behaviour - even if threatening to intervene was a bit.......threatening....

Where to turn?.....

OP posts:
butterballs9 · 10/04/2018 00:23

Last weekend she said we need to talk. She told me she wants to sell the house and go our separate ways. She's even arranged a meeting with the solicitor to sell the house. She told me she doesn't want me to be in the house. She said its because of what I said about her behaving differently and threatening to intervene (only 3 people know she has been taking meds). She went to her dads house with our daughter for Easter and I spent Easter alone. Eventually I decided to give her what she wants and so I've gone to stay with my mum.
-----

Sorry but she has told you what she wants. I tried to tell my soon to be ex what I wanted two to three years ago. We have both had several years of sheer hell and have spent far more money than we needed to. Why not at the least go for a trial separation? You never know, absence might make the heart grow fonder and if she sees you out and about enjoying yourself she might decide she wants you in her life after all? Don't make the mistake my soon to be ex made and turn into an obsessive stalker. Disaster.

butterballs9 · 10/04/2018 01:46

"You're crazy" "I'm going to intervene" and threatening to out someone as "crazy" have been the standard play book for getting women to behave for generations.

Hell it even gave us the word "hysteria"!

--

Indeed Whale - in fact troublesome wives in the past (and probably even today) could be 'sectioned' to get them out of the way....once in the loony bin the key could be thrown away and then dear Hubby can get on with whatever it was he wanted to do...

TheHulksPurplePants · 10/04/2018 06:50

Indeed Whale - in fact troublesome wives in the past (and probably even today) could be 'sectioned' to get them out of the way....once in the loony bin the key could be thrown away and then dear Hubby can get on with whatever it was he wanted to do...

Yes, but "troublesome wives" of the past weren't coming off Anti D's cold turkey.

SM1992 · 10/04/2018 08:44

Hi sorry to hear about your dilemma I am in a similar situation I have a five month old and 2 seven year olds and I'm also on anti depressants and it seems like every time we have disagreement he says have you been taking your crazy pills and I hate it. Threatening to intervene was probably not the best thing to do. Regardless of weather her behaviour is a result of her neglecting to take her medication or not as far as she's concerned she's got a genuine problem with either you or something your not doing shes probably feeling a bit underappreciated, tired etc. And obviously because your daughter is sleeping on the boob you can't do much to help but to her she is being left to do things mainly on her own. But when she has confronted you with a problem you have basicly shut down what she is saying and decided that it's all in her head and basicly told her that if she keeps on you'll intervene. Take it from someone who knows I want to leave my OH every time he palms off another problem with "your crazy you don't know what your talking about" and i would if i wasnt so patient I think you should try to talk to her do not mention meds at all just listen to her a lot of the time it's just having someone to vent to even if everything seems to be your fault. I know that helps me.

fuddle · 10/04/2018 09:12

Are you supporting her emotionally. Talk to her, be kind to her. Reassure her. Maybe you are doing all these things. If she's feeling depressed she may just be pushing you away. She needs to know you are there for her and she'll know she can rely on you. You also need support. I don't have any direct experience of this but having a baby can be pretty difficult without any mental health issues.

butterballs9 · 10/04/2018 16:32

A troublesome wife might simply be deemed troublesome because she didn’t want to put up with a difficult husband. Lady Lucan is a high profile example - he tried to section her for years. She ended up losing custody of all her children to her husband’s family despite the fact he tried to murder her. This is an extreme example of course. We do not know how the OP’s mother died but however she died this is a very tender age to lose a mother. It sounds as though she still has not processed this bereavement and is dealing with complex stress disorder. This is quite common and can be triggered years after a traumatic event which the death of a mother is. Her wanting to be near her family when she has a baby is completely understandable. Having a baby can be hugely stressful and the stronger the support system the better. Becoming a mother herself would inevitably have triggered issues around having lost her own mother. IMO counselling would be really beneficial and I also think the OP’s mother needs to forge a grandmotherly relationship. When I had babies my own parents were fairly useless which made me feel very unsupported. But my mother-in-law was amazing. Whereas my own parents dreaded the idea of a baby thrust into their arms my MIL was the complete opposite and it made me feel so much better. She would happily babysit and even looked after them to allow us to go away together. She was brilliant and made such a difference. They also adored her. As for the meds I don’t know - but I think the underlying issues need to be recognised, talked about, addressed and she needs TLC.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page