Split up with my ex 6 years ago. Relationship was particularly difficult as ex never pulled their weight and created constant drama, which I found it emotionally and financially draining. We share 3 children, now aged 8 to 12, who live with me, but stay with ex every other weekend.
Since splitting up ex has continued the drama, taking many forms - threats, emotional blackmail, self harming (numerous overdoses, apparent suicide attempts), getting into constant scrapes/arguments with others, toxic relationships (new partners), financial issues - debt collectors, evictions etc.
But I'm always the person that ends up getting leaned upon when thy have problems. This is despite ex getting into a new relationship several years ago (where they got married within 2 months of first meeting each other!).
When they got married I was relieved - finally someone else to take over as emotional and financial crutch. But no, new partner isn't any better themselves - social services have been involved, and described their relationship as a 'toxic co dependency'. So instead of the new partner making my life easier, it's been worse - I've ended up being support to both of them!
Every time, I've started dating, ex has been really difficult and nasty when they've found out - despite apparently moving on, having many one night stands, inappropriate relationships and now this marriage. I've been in a loving, stable relationship with someone for a couple of years now, an my ex is still exceptionally bitter about it.
Ex has never paid a penny of child maintenance (and I've never bothered asking/demanding/going through CMS as their financial position means they'd never have enough to pay, and it'd be a trivial amount anyway).
Most frustrating though, is that ex keeps asking to 'borrow money' from me as they're always broke (neither of them work/manage to hold down a job). Benefits never seem to be enough to survive on. Having said that, even when they did have plenty of money coming in (benefits), they were still getting into debt. It's usually when their contact weekend with the kids is coming up: "we've not got any money for food, so you'll have to lend us some or else we can't have the kids". Muggins here usually ends up sending money over (usually way in excess of what it should cost to feed the kids for 48 hours). As you can imagine they almost never repay me anything. But the alternative would be to not let my kids have their regular contact, and that risks making me the 'bad guy' in their eyes. I want them to have a meaningful relationship with both parents, and do need a bit of child free time for my own sanity.
I even bought them a car at one point as they were stranded, living in a rural area (just a cheap runabout so they could transport the kids safely). It would have helped me too - not having to do all the driving back and forth to enable contact. Couple of weeks later they changed their minds, said they didn't want it any more and sold it, spending the money after promising to repay it to me.
I'm thoroughly fed up of it all now, I thought separating would free me from all the drama and draining support needs. But no, now I'm a single parent supporting an ex who behaves like a delinquent teenager half the time.
I guess I've been a bit of a walkover, and if it wasn't for having kids between us I certainly wouldn't have put up with all this - would've ended our relationship sooner, and gone NC.