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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

Husband is spiralling out of control

135 replies

Scaredstressed · 09/09/2024 12:01

Hey, so I am not entirely sure why or how I have found myself here but I need a sanity check from someone outside of the situation.

My husband and, by extension our entire family unit, has been through a lot of stress over the past couple of years, which has resulted in him developing depression. It's been really difficult to live with as his moods are just awful.

Around 2 months ago, I felt something was massively 'off,' and whilst it's not my finest moment, I checked his phone to find drug orders. I confronted him about this and he admitted he has been regularly (2-3 times per week, including just at home with our family) taking MDMA for 10+years and hiding it from me. Obviously, my world was pretty rocked at this revelation and his being able to keep a secret like this for 10 years (to give context, I do all the laundry and cleaning etc and have never found anything remotely suspicious). I knew he had been heavy drinking to cope with stress but had no idea this was going on. We chatted it through, I decided to support him and we committed to therapy.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and we were at a small gathering of friends. To cut a long story short, that evening I also found out he's been taking coke. We had a disagreement, decided to come home to talk about it and laid it to bed...that was all done.

Then the following week, he went to a networking do and disappeared for the best part of 24 hours. When he came home (again wrong of me) I checked his wallet and found cocaine. I threw it away. The following week, he seemed 'off; again. I asked him to do a drug test and he was fine with it until I showed him I had already bought them, at which point he flipped out and became aggressive...the eventual result was that he was positive and had taken cocaine at work two days before.

His therapy has made things worse. In therapy he has created an entire fake persona for himself, making up literal rubbish about being scarred from his childhood (getting in trouble for smoking a fag etc or being told off for not being home on time). I am trying to be patient with this, however, I feel he may be exploiting me - I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and he knows any mention of childhood trauma really gets me on side. I understand trauma is caused in different ways and has different effects on people but I really feel these are normal childhood things being used to excuse his behaviour.

Since therapy began, his drinking is heavier. I am talking 10-12 beers and a third to a half of a bottle of spirits or two bottles of wine every day. Last week he had a seizure after drinking - I told him and he stopped for one day.

He is now becoming aggressive and verbally intimidating. Last night he called me a 'fat bitch,' 'poison,' a 'psychopath,' 'c*nt,' 'manipulative' and he says I am the cause of all his problems (even though he has been taking drugs for 35 years). He said he wanted to go to couples counselling (something which I have asked for and he has previously refused) and when I asked why he had changed his mind, thinking he really may want to save our marriage, he sneered and told me he wanted to see the counsellor tell me how ridiculous I am.

I am a smart, funny, well-educated woman and I cannot believe I am in this situation. He keeps begging me not to leave and telling me I promised to support him in sickness or in health but I cannot live in this misery. My friends tell me to leave but I can't find the strength.

So basically, I am here looking for people's opinions, am I completely ridiculous or is he being an abusive AH? Because right now I feel gaslit to the point of absolute insanity and am so ashamed that I can barely turn to anyone in real life anymore.

Please help me.

OP posts:
SerenityNowInsanityLater · 09/09/2024 12:42

”He begs me to stay and tells me he will have nothing without me and he will kill himself.”

This is sick, manipulative, controlling, narcissistic behaviour dressed up as YOU being his Almighty reason for being while also being the cause of all of his woes. So he’ll kill himself but it’ll be your fault. What a bastard. Such predictable behaviour.
The worst thing that will happen is you’ll go through the very worthwhile, life-affirming process of breaking up (worth all the pain, believe me) and then you’ll be taken aback when he moves on way too quickly with someone else. Because he’s selfish. Because he needs an enabler. Because he is a parasite that needs to feed off someone for his narcissistic supply.
I’m sorry but he’s a lost cause and your life is worth too much to waste anymore time with someone who has lied to you day in and day out for a decade. He lied, not because he was ashamed (he’ll say this) but because he didn’t care as much about you as he did for his own wants and desires. I’m truly sorry to sound so harsh. I’ve got the t-shirt!

moose62 · 09/09/2024 12:45

Go now...nothing will change with him...he has lied for over 10 years. You can he happy without him! Move out and block him. If you don't you will wake up in 5 years time on the same treadmill wondering how it came to this.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 09/09/2024 12:46

Am not surprised he’s threatened to kill himself, it’s another tool in the arsenal
of an addict to use against the person who they blame for all their inherent ills ie you. Do not fall for it. It’s a threat designed to stop you an empath from leaving and it works .

You are and have never been responsible for his choices or actions. Currently he is dragging you down with him. You’re in an unhealthy codependent relationship with him.

WhatMe123 · 09/09/2024 12:49

As a therapist I wouldn't offer couples therapy in this situation. We can't offer couples therapy when there is any form of abuse. Also he's clearly not engaged well in his 1-1 therapy so doubt you'd find it at all useful op.

Swanbeauty · 09/09/2024 12:50

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at OP's request.

YellowRoom · 09/09/2024 12:55

Why do you rate the opinion if his family over your own happiness and well being?

Harvestfestivalknickers · 09/09/2024 12:59

Take away all the emotional blackmail from this situation and what have you got? A smart, educated woman living with a junkie.

CleopatrasBeautifulNose · 09/09/2024 13:03

Don't set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm.
All your suffering is not improving anything and it is suffering.
Let his parents blame you. Their opinion is not valuable.

CleopatrasBeautifulNose · 09/09/2024 13:07

All these problems flow from him, he is the well from which this river of shit pours... his choices and behaviour. So you literally can't fix it and you'll die still trying if you don't leave.

Theonlywayisup22 · 09/09/2024 13:07

Narcissistic. He is entitled to do whatever the hell he wants. My ex was the same only with weed. No one could tell him what to do and all the crap was projected back onto me. He had me in a daze looking within instead of exactly what was in front of me. Mine also played the my childhood was terrible card because I’m highly empathetic and it worked, that’s why he chose me. Lots of us have had a poor childhoods but that’s not an excuse to be an entitled twat. Get rid!!! He is sucking attention out of the therapist and they are a crap therapist for falling for it all.

Gremlins101 · 09/09/2024 13:07

Leave him, all the best with it 💐

You can't find the strength , you said. What strength it must be taking you to stay in this marriage is beyond me. I think you will feel 20 years lighter.

tolerable · 09/09/2024 13:14

leave.
Guilt free- cos youve done all you can.Maybe call womans aid for support.Defo seek support friends/family. You dont have to live like that.hes making all the wrong choices,whilst you do the suffering.He is not yoour responsibility-you are.
x

mumonthehill · 09/09/2024 13:15

It does not matter who blames you for getting out of a toxic abusive environment. The only person that matters in this is you. You cannot fix him, you cannot change who he is or what he does. You can change what you do and how you want to live. Neither of you is happy so take a big deep breath and do what you have to now to be happy.

WizardOfAus · 09/09/2024 13:22

Please leave him today. My friend is the child of a marriage like this and it has done her untold damage as an adult.

Her father was a selfish drug addict who cared about nothing but feeding his filthy habit.

You need to leave so he can hit rock bottom and help himself. As someone else has said, women are not rehab centres for men.

TeaMistress · 09/09/2024 13:25

Oh my dear. You don't need to live like this. Let us help you get out of this awful marriage. Are there children? Do you own the house or rent? Can you prioritise seeing a solicitor and filing for divorce. If you saw one of your relatives or friends being abused like this you wouldn't want them to stay in an abusive relationship so it's time to be your own best friend and give yourself permission to be done putting up with abuse. If he is aggressive please call the police and seek support in getting a non molestation order so he can't come near you whilst you get the ball rolling on divorce proceedings.

BlastedPimples · 09/09/2024 13:27

There is no way you can reasonably engage with this man. At all if ever really. He's had it in terms of your marriage. Stop talking to him as if there is anything to negotiate. Addicts will just say what they think others want to hear.

Please preserve your sanity and your dcs' wellbeing by getting out and distancing yourselves. Addicts don't only destroy themselves. They cause so much harm to others.

My ex wasn't an addict (as far as I know) but he too has constructed this fake persona with mental health professionals to the extent where they blamed me for his violent abuse of me.

I really hope you can leave.

WhatIsThisTomFoolery24 · 09/09/2024 13:37

I am so sorry OP. None of this is on you.

What an awful shock. The long term lies and deceit. He needs professional help and he needs to WANT professional help, which I'm not sure he does.

Personally, I'm not sure what support you can offer. I'm not sure how i'd be able to come back from this.

Treeinthesky · 09/09/2024 13:39

It's cocaine makes um nasty.
I have a bf of 2 years and recently found out the same. Our lives are identical. But your married and have been together longer.
I've never done drugs and I am.very anti drug. He won't believe it's cocaine but it is it makes them nasty. Get rid

Secondstart1001 · 09/09/2024 13:52

The only way he could save this is if he went into rehab. Addicts will resort to anything to get their next hit including lying and stealing from loved ones.

However op, I do not think you should stay with him, you’ve been through enough and you deserve happiness. It sounds like you’ve been unhappy a long time! Also this “I’m sickness and in health” vow swings both ways and I can’t see a mention of any care from him to you. Remind him of this!

RedHelenB · 09/09/2024 13:55

Why do you keep doing it to yourself? He has no respect for you because you're giving him chance after chance and he's just laughing at you. Carry on and he'll get worse, his actions and words show he thinks you're dirt on his shoe.
You've free choice, you say yore smart so time to show itm

Purplecatshopaholic · 09/09/2024 13:58

Your friends are right. You already know this. Dig deep, find the strength and end this abusive relationship now.

Starlight1979 · 09/09/2024 14:01

He begs me to stay and tells me he will have nothing without me and he will kill himself.

He won't though. It's manipulation. And it's been said a million times before by men who try to stop women leaving.

StormingNorman · 09/09/2024 14:02

He is awful @Scaredstressed. I am usually quite sympathetic to people whose MH problems show themselves in antisocial behaviours because they often get a raw deal.

My sympathy for your husband was exhausted at the point he was spoke to you in such a vicious way.

What would be your ideal, but still realistic, outcome be? It’s easy to prioritise your DH when he’s the one with problems, but you need to put you first. So what do you want?

KreedKafer · 09/09/2024 14:05

Scaredstressed · 09/09/2024 12:22

It is more emotional. I have a good job with a decent income. I can afford a nice place to live: it’s not that. He begs me to stay and tells me he will have nothing without me and he will kill himself. And I know his family will blame me because they are never introspective and don’t do accountability.

He won’t kill himself. If he did, it wouldn’t be your fault.

Why are you scared of his family? Who cares what they think? You don’t have to have anything to do with them.

You know that this relationship is abusive and dangerous. You have the wherewithal to leave so leave.

FlatWhiteExtraHot · 09/09/2024 14:12

You’ve told your friends, who know you and him, all this and they’ve said leave and you haven’t. Is another 100 people telling you to leave going to make any difference?

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