Introducing Mood 24/7, a new tool that helps you track your mood from day to day using your mobile phone. Try it today!

Is my husband abusive?

By LifeontheIsland Sunday, November 30, 2008

 

His personality changes remind me of mental illness. I don't know if he is BP, or something else.

 

He will come home from wherevere he went and he will most likely act like nothing happened... and I am left here with the crap he left on my head agonizing all day about how I am such a burden, and hurt over being resented by the man who is supposed to love me and take care of me. I am kind to him, I don't know what his problem is.

 

He spends too much money (many impulse purchases) and then screams at me that he can't pay the bills and it is my fault.

 

Don't know how much more I can take. I need to live for my children, my mom, my best friend, and my sister  - these are the only people who keep me from ending my life. My dreams are dead since I cannot see how they will ever be fullfilled. Life is just trudging through one painful day (physically and psychologically) after another.

 

What do you think?

Anonymous
tabby
11/30/08 2:27pm

Here is my 2 cents and it is probably all it's worth

 

Your husband liting into you and saying hurtful things to you wasn't pleasant and nor should he have done it.  You didn't deserve that.


He being frustrated and stressed out over the mounting bills and how he is going to pay them... especially if you are contributing to those mounting bills... may set him off.  Does this mean he should rip you a new one?  No.  It means he may be very stressed out and frustrated over finances.

 

When one is stressed over money matters, they do not typically look at what they themselves purchase.  If they are the sole person bringing in the money and paying the bills then typically they justify their purchases as being their right to do.  They then look at their spouse, who may be sitting there day after day, not working, not bringing in any money, and the spouse runs around spending "their" money and they get upset when the bills come in.  It is, unfortunately, human nature.

 

Regardless of the reason why you are there, without income cause I'm taking it you do not receive an actual disability check from the government or an insurance company cause you would have said... you husband is resenting you for spending his money and he having to pay for it.  With the economy in as bad a shape as it is these days.. everyone has fewer dollars to spend and even fewer to save.

 

No, it isn't his job to solely "take care of you".  It is the both of your jobs to take care of one another.  If you are going out and spending the money on unnecessary gifts, unnecessary clothes for yourself, etc.. and you know really what is unnecessary.. then perhaps telling him that you will "budget" yourself might help and then show him that you are sticking to it.  This shows some responsibility for yourself and perhaps will show him that you want to assist him by relieving some of his stressors. 

 

Now if you are receiving a disability check from someplace, and it is going into the financial pot.  You do have some flexibility to say where it goes and to whom but, if he is the one who pays the bills with it... you still have him to go through.

 

Course, none of this may apply to your situation at all and he may just be an ass getting off trying to browbeat you.  Who knows?  It was just my way of showing you that there could be a different version to your "picture".


No, he verbally ripping you wasn't necessary for he knows you are in a vulnerable place mentally and emotionally and therefore he knew he could do damage.  That shouldn't have been done.  Unfortunately, no one can hurt us but those who know us all too well. 

 

Only my 2 cents

12/ 1/08 12:55am

Only those who know us can hurt us- you are very right about that.

 

I keep my spending to a absolute minimum so that I don't contribute to the mess of bills piling up. The major expence is my med ins. and medical costs.

 

I'm even trying to make some money by selling my paintings and artwork and couture designs, but am not able to sell much. People seem to really love my work, but no one wants to pay. Reminds me of when I was a doula (pro childbirth coach and much more...) No one had the money to pay for my services and wanted me to work for free. I would do volunteer childbirth assistance, but after a while it was costing me too much to keep going. I had to quit my beloved job because doulas just don't make any real money.

 

I do understand his frustrations, but it really gives him no right to shit on my head because he's frustrated. Talking would be better.

 

He knows my fragile mental state and does it anyway, which really sends me over the edge of depression with feelings of worthlessness. Then, he acts all nice.

 

I dont know why he thinks he has the right to treat me that way. I'm so sad about it.

 

Now, most of the time, he's ok and kind. But he has those days where he is in a rage and I wonder if he could be having mental issues as well.

 

Even when I was working and bringing in money, he still acted this way. Nothing I do is good enough.

 

Thanks for your responce!!!

12/ 1/08 8:52pm

Im sorry to have read that LifeontheIsland, and i thought you were getting better and you know as well as anyone its the last thing you need going on, But you gotta take a stand, just because your not well doesnt give him the rite to abuse you, hes taking advantage of you besides treating you like crap. His actions can very easily be apart of your health. Verbal abuse can make people sick, (it did me, i delt with it for 5 yrs and it sent me into manic depression), I had tons of other health issues caused by the depression.

Its not fair and its not healthy for you to even be around someone like that, you need the complete opposite. someone that understands and acknowledges you as a human being.

You have to take some action for yourself and quick. Ok so you cant just up and leave him. Then its time for some counseling, make it a priority for your own health. If he refuses then stay away from him for a few days and let him think about it. Maybe their is a relative you can stay with.

If that dont work well then ditch him anyways.

 

12/ 2/08 11:34am

Kody, Thank you for your reponce. I appreciate what you said. Yes, I was abused by my ex huband for 11+ years and I was not BP before I met him. I was as healthy as healthy can be, mentally. I did a lot of reading about abuse while I was with him, and after and I learned that long term abuse [can, in many people] leads to mental illness.

 

I think of those young people who are in hospitals and wonder what kind of abuses they have suffered at the hands of parents, perhaps...or other caretakers.

 

I also know that not all mentally ill people have been abused.

 

I'm going to ask my psychiatrist if we can have a session with my husband, because I don't think he knows the impact it has on me.

 

Thank you for writing. I always appreciate your replies.

 

~Cathy

12/ 2/08 5:14am

No it's not abuse...

Here is my one cent that I borrowed from tabby or she would have given you her three cents worth. From where I am standing, the problems are emanating from you not him. Before you get you undies in a bunch...hear me out.

A lot of this is from what your perceptions are of yourself and your worth, which at this point is pretty low. I tend to find that in these cases (yours is not unique) that partners that are considered to be the mean ones never actually said it to be mean or for it come out the way it was actually heard by the other party. If you listen to yourself...you are the one browbeating yourself all day by feeling of yourself as a failure.

You also point out that the ex is also being abuse at the same time by what he is saying and doing. Do you see a trend here? Sometimes examples can help us understand a little better.

Example:

Tabby says....look Eric you are a real a** whole sometimes. At this point I can take it two ways...

1. Drop to the floor kicking and screaming throwing a tantrum claiming Tabby is abusing me verbally, feel like crap and a failure and not respond for fear she will abuse me more.

or

2. Take what Tabby said and think about it for a moment. Personally I would have to chuckle and admit that Tabby is right in that there are times that I am a real ass**** and move on.

How I perceive it determines the outcome. In your case you spend most of the day feeling like crap. You are constantly getting down on yourself by telling yourself inside that head of yours of how little net worth you are financially and as a person in general. Maybe if you could see yourself in a different light, others would too.

Last point before this becomes a book...we teach people how to treat us. The majority of us know how to set boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not. If you say or do nothing then it is teaching others that it is ok to continue on their path.

My suggestion for you is to get your self esteem back. Once you have that, you will find life is so much easier and enjoyable. Don't look for him or anyone else to find it for you. Start on some small projects or goals that are attainable and work your way up.

I am willing to make you an offer of help. You say you do paintings, artwork and couture designs. If your willing to put forth the time and effort everyday from home of marketing and promoting your works on-line and in your local area, then I am willing to develop a professionally designed web site and host it for free in the beginning. Your out nothing but your time and this just might be what it takes to get the ball rolling in the right direction for you.

This offer extends to my other counterparts here that have too much time on their hands and are looking for something to stay busy and feel a little better about themselves.

12/ 2/08 11:45am

Thank you Eric! I understand what you mean. I know that I go into "victim mode" when he yells at me.

Things said can be said in two ways; a kind way, or an unkind way.

 

Thank you for your offer to help me market my art. EBay is not working for me, lately.

 

I am continuing to work on my vintage couture sewing projects and I do get esteem from that. I'm going to keep plugging away at it. It also keeps my mind busy so that I don't ruminate so much. Right now, I am concentrating on Spring items, so that I will have plenty to market.

 

I will let you know if I'd like your help. I appreciate that offer very much.

 

Thanks,

 

~Cathy

Anonymous
chelly
4/ 9/09 4:26am

I am a 40 yr old woman with bipolar disorder.  My husband of 2years is mentally abusive to me and is constantly breaking my belongings.  I have called the police once but i am 3000 from any relative and have no money.  I know that this is the way any typical abuser controls a person.   Isolation is the first, which I didn't even recognize because I was untreated and not mentally healthy when we me.  To me it just seems like I am a hamster on a wheel going really fast but never getting anywhere, and i am so mentally exhausted it it hard for me to make good decisions.i am just tired and mentally unable to think through the leaving process, so he has won.

Anonymous
dee
5/18/09 1:11pm

OMG! My husband does the same to me, he get upset when he dosent get what im talking about, tell me to speak english, or shut the **** up, then it turns into other choice words. My theropest says to go to a safe place so I try to go to my room, but he chases me and wont let me go. Then starts yelling throwing thing BIG things glass,computer monitors, anything close, while the kids are watching. Then he leaves and gets drunk and its all my fault. The next day he says hes sorry and everything is supose to be fine. Mean while Im not neather are the kids. Oh I forgot to mention they are his kids I am thier stepmother, they have no other mother, and I have bipolar.

This has happened 4 times in 9 years. This is my 2nd marriage My ex has my 3 boys and I feel I will lose what I see of them when he hears of it, I dont want to leave because I dont want to have his kids put in the system. But I cant take it, he uses my "triggers" to upset me, and throw me into a deep depression, then gets mad because Im depressed all the time......Im stuck in a box seeing no one but him yet he accuses me of affairs ( we only have one car and we are home all the time) he works 2nd shift and I have had 2 phone from ppl saying that he is having a affair, he listens to every phone call checks my computers... oh hun I know how you feel I wish I never got married again, I take my meds, see my docs reg "court ordered in order to see my own kids" so I know its not me. Have you applied for ssi or ssd? If you havent do it.

Ask a Question

Get answers from our experts and community members.

Btn_ask_question_med
View all questions (2514) >
By LifeontheIsland— Last Modified: 10/26/11, First Published: 11/30/08