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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

Depression or arsehole?

34 replies

tigglewiggle · 06/11/2019 09:21

I am not suggesting that people with depression are arseholes but I have never been depressed myself so not sure how it would lead to treatment of others.

I am on the verge of moving out as my patience for DH moods has worn thin. We have been together since college and in that time DH suffered a trauma which has changed his personality.

He is very volatile and minor things (to me) set him on edge and cause him to explode. Things in his way; an untidy house (it isn't untidy); the baby crying. He is highly irritable and I'm run ragged trying to keep the house tidy, make nice dinners, look after the children and keep DH mellow. As this work is invisible to him, he wonders what it is I do all day.

He is not enjoying his job and it clouds his perspective on everything and makes him very grumpy. If I look at him, he glares back at me. He sneers if I say I'm going out to see friends and family and is generally unpleasant and cold towards me.

I can't take it anymore, I have never felt so hated by anyone and I feel ground down by him. But a part of me thinks I should be patient as he could be depressed. He won't see a doctor about it and definitely drinks to self medicate. Last weekend I was cooking a special dinner with the baby strapped to my front and he was relaxing in the sitting room. He was then huffing and puffing and I asked him what was wrong and he shouted that 'THIS is shit!' In front of the kids.

I feel sorry that he is feeling so miserable but he makes me feel responsible for it and the whole family is suffering from his moods.

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 06/11/2019 09:23

The whole family is suffering and he won’t try to get help and drinks definite arsehole category there

Iamthewombat · 06/11/2019 09:26

Whether he is depressed or not, if he isn’t willing to do anything about his behaviour he’s not a good man.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 06/11/2019 09:28

The responsibility for his moods is all his and not yours to own or otherwise carry for him.

The fact that he won't see a doctor is telling as is the fact he is self medicating with alcohol. He is using his behaviours to beat you as his wife over the head with which is wrong. Its no life for you or your children for that matter. What do you think they are learning about relationships here?.

I would be planning your exit from this relationship with due care and attention. Consider seeking legal advice going forward.

Mix56 · 06/11/2019 09:31

Why do you auto diagnose depression ? has he had this diagnosis?
Just sounds like an abusive areshole to me

Reallynowdear · 06/11/2019 09:35

Sounds like an arsehole.

lbeasly74 · 06/11/2019 09:37

I think if you can pinpoint the change in him since the traumatic event then I would suggest (I don't know) that is is his behaviour which is arsehole-ish and not him as a whole person. I do think soemtimes trauma sets off a "I don't care about anything or anyone" which can make their behaviour very difficult to understand or quite frankly be around. I have anxiety and I get extremely irritable with a lot of noise etc- I'm not condoning this. Could you maybe write him a letter? He's got to make the first step to addressing the trauma but if he's in the throws of depression he might not even be able to recognise or see his behaviour as problematic. My husband had something happen to him (not particularly traumatic) but its changed him- he's up and down,drinking more,doesn't care about anything,cold,and quite frankly arsehole behaviour. And I'm probably at the point you are now- I've written letters,tried to talk to him,tip toed round but nothings helped. It has to come from them- you can PM me if you want to chat xx

Blueuggboots · 06/11/2019 09:37

My (ex)H had a car accident with a head injury which totally changed his personality. He was angry at everything and very difficult to live with.
He acted like he hated me. I lasted about 5 years, including having a baby with him (so it wasn't so bad ALL the time, obviously!) and then just got so sick if it. He refused counselling. He refused marriage counselling. I left him.

Happyspud · 06/11/2019 09:39

It could be depression AND arsehole but the depression but is irrelevant. He’s an arsehole.

lbeasly74 · 06/11/2019 09:40

@Blueuggboots did you still love him when you left? That must have been so difficult if you saw the change but he wouldn't get help and people reach the end of their tether xx

purpleme12 · 06/11/2019 09:43

My ex had mental health problems. He was awful to live with. And of course everyone out of the house was not treated like me.
But even if he has mental health problems you deserve to be treated right. Even if he's getting treated. Everyone deserves love and love is an action.

12345kbm · 06/11/2019 09:45

Don't make excuses for other people's inexcusable behaviour, ever.

He sounds like a nasty bully and he's intimidating you. I don't know what caused this change and it doesn't really matter.

What matters is that you are thoroughly miserable, you have spoken to him and he's not changed. You need to look after yourself and those precious babies who do not deserve to be brought up like this.

Go to the CABx and get advice on how to move forward. The CABx are linked to lots of other agencies that can also help and give you advice, so they are a good first port of call. You can also check out their website.

Please stay safe. Phone Women's Aid in order to make sure you exit the relationship safely.

Gingerbread are a good organisation who also give advice particularly tailored to being a single parent.

Your husband is a grown man with responsibilities and I have no doubt you have tried to sort this out. He is drinking heavily, shirking his responsibilities and dumping all over you.

WomensRightsAreContraversial · 06/11/2019 09:53

Wait what he hasn't even had a depression diagnosis, and won't go?

How long ago did the trauma happen? Can you tell us vaguely what it was - did he eg witness something horrible, did he suffer physical injury?

Nothing excuses him treating you like this. How old is the baby and are you back at work? I think you need to be making thetf move back into financial independence and leave him pronto. Life is too damn short to exist as you are currently doing.

Blueuggboots · 06/11/2019 10:05

@lbeasly74, honestly? No, I hated him at the end. He was vile to me and our son and refused to see any problem with his behaviour. He'd tell me on one hand that he wanted to grow old with me, look after our son and have a great life but wasn't prepared to accept that his behaviour, a lot of the time was just awful.

Everything I did was wrong, he couldn't cope with our son, who was admittedly a difficult baby.

He now has no contact with his son by his own choice and very limited contact with his daughter (my SD) and has moved away, alone, to another country.

lbeasly74 · 06/11/2019 10:40

I'm not making excuses for someone's behaviour..however...I had post natal depression and I was so vile to my husband I'm surprised he stuck around...did I get help straight away? No..it took me a while to accept I was even ill. I did seek help and got better and that person to me is now unrecognisable but my behaviour was absolutely disgusting...I think there are a few things to consider- how long has it been going on,is he aware of how he is...and have you laid it out and said "this is how I feel,this is what's going on...are we going to look at ways to move forward" and see what is response is? With me it was nothing personal towards my husband (no excuse I know) just his feeling were not even on my radar,I was consumed with the illness

lbeasly74 · 06/11/2019 10:43

It does sound that it has been going on for an awfully long time tho? Mine was over about 9 months.

Wolfiefan · 06/11/2019 10:46

If he does have depression then he needs to seek professional help.
Depression doesn’t make you an arsehole. Drinking and taking it out on your family instead of seeking help DOES.

lbeasly74 · 06/11/2019 10:46

I feel like I am coming across is being totally on his side,which I'm not- at the moment I am in the same place as you and my husband is displaying the same behaviour over a trauma that happened maybe a year ago now...I have thought about leaving on and off for the past 6months,but I keep thinking what happens if he gets help and gets better like I did

lbeasly74 · 06/11/2019 10:52

@Wolfiefan depression can cause you to massively display self sabotaging behaviours as you just don't care. It's not an excuse I know. But if it is depression it is an illness

Thatagain · 06/11/2019 11:15

Depression is not an excuse for abusive behaviour. You don't know if he has depression. HE IS BEING AN ARSEHOLE.

SpamChaudFroid · 06/11/2019 11:23

Does it matter the reasons why? He's been making you thoroughly miserable for some time and refuses to help himself. That in itself is a good enough reason to leave.

funnylittlefloozie · 06/11/2019 12:37

My exH was always a bit of an arsehole. He was very very selfish and self-obsessed, but then some years after we met, he started really suffering with depression. He then became a depressed arsehole. He was on medication, but he drank very heavily, wouldnt take any exercise and refused to participate in family life. He still managed to go on endless drinking weekends with his mates, go to sports events and spend a LOT of money on stuff for himself (but never for us).

Being an arsehole was his basic state of being. The depression was just an adjunct to it.

Startingoveragain1 · 06/11/2019 12:52

My dp is the same with the addition that he also wants to split up (as he is so unhappy) he wont get help. Ive been tryin to make his life easier at the expense of my MH and ive come to the conclusion theres nothing i can do . I was undrtstandin as i have too suffered from depression, but his behaviour is appalling and he wont go gp. I agree he is depressed and an arsehole. Last thing i want is to split up but really... he is a twat atm anyways...

Wolfiefan · 06/11/2019 13:35

@ibeasly74 I’m well aware of what depression can do. I have it. But instead of acting like an arsehole to my family, and trying to drink away my troubles, I sought professional help to recover.

lbeasly74 · 06/11/2019 13:40

@Wolfiefan not everybody suffering from depression will deal with things the same way- we are all unique. And that's great you sought help,not everyone in the depths of depression (if that's what he does have) is mentally in a place to do that,they may not feel they are even worthy to get better. I appreciate tho the OP is in a very upsetting situation and her wellbeing is paramount

Wolfiefan · 06/11/2019 13:43

He has a choice. That’s to seek help or stop acting like such an arsehole. There is NO reason the OP should put up with this. Depression or no.

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