← Return to Spouse denial of MCI destroying our marriage

Discussion

Spouse denial of MCI destroying our marriage

Caregivers: Dementia | Last Active: Sep 10 3:39pm | Replies (17)

Comment receiving replies
@rottenweather123

I do understand your situation a bit but I too don’t know what to do. I’m 71, married since 2001 to a wonderful man, but, & it’s a big “but”—he has several disorders that he denies & refuses to admit to, refuses to get treatment for, of any sort. He has Tourette Syndrome, Anxiety disorder, & more, but right now I dont remember the others because in 2019 I was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. He’s having an extremely difficult time with my neurological disease & can’t deal with it, won’t read anything about it, refuses to listen to me trying to explain to him what LBD is like. Instead he gets angry & argumentative when I’m having a particularly hard day. He refuses to talk about it & just insists that I’m not paying attention when actually I’m just not able to remember the particular thing he’s talking about because of my dementia. I know that medication would help him with his extreme anxiety disorder because years ago, for a short time, I slipped clonazepam (1 mg) in his coffee each morning because his anger & anxiety had progressed to the point where no one could tolerate being around him. The results of just 1 mg of clonazepam turned him into the relaxed easy going person that his whole family said was the person that he would occasionally be, when he was not cooking up reasons to flip out about. His mother commented on how relaxed he was, & not the perpetually angry anxious person he usually was. I know it was wrong for me to medicate him without his knowledge or permission so I did eventually tell him. He was furious & refused to take it anymore even though he admitted that it had really helped him tremendously. Now that I have Lewy Body Dementia, his anxiety & Tourette’s is really taking a huge toll on me. The stress from his constant argumentative behavior is really affecting the progression of the dementia & repression & isolation that goes with having dementia. In other words, he’s making my neurological disease much worse, & extremely more difficult for me to live with. I no longer drive & the anxiety he develops every time I have to go to the doctor makes me cry & ruins everything. At the doctor’s office he puts on an extremely caring attitude. As soon we’re back in the car, he turns back into the freaking out neurotic mess who he really is. He blames me for anything that goes wrong now. I really don’t want to live with him anymore because he’s making my disease so much more complicated & depressing for me. He still refuses to get therapy or treatment even though he knows it helped him a lot. I’m 71 & it’s a nightmare to think that the rest of my life is going to be like this. I want to live alone & hire assistance but I know that will never happen. I’m stuck in this awful world with him. I feel your pain.

Jump to this post


Replies to "I do understand your situation a bit but I too don’t know what to do. I’m..."

@rottenweather123 Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry that your marriage has turned to this. You say that you can’t drive, but is there a bus system in town or a cab/Uber program? You really need to be able to get out of the house and care for yourself. Do you feel safe at home?
Are there any support groups for LBD in your town? If so, and you can go, you might be able to find someone that you can talk to.
I feel so awkward here because I don’t even know what to say or what suggestions I can give you that you could research and then take care of yourself.

Ann Lander's advice line gave a litmus test for marriage: "Would you rather be alone or wish you were." Personally, given your situation, I would rather be in an assisted care facility with long term tiered nursing help available when you need it later on. Much of your husband's anxiety and anger now may manifest in anger toward you, but it is underlying fear that is the back story here. We all have so many years on the planet, you have to decide your bottom line and how you choose to spend it. With LB you will be needing more and more care; it isn't going to come from your husband. Do whatever it takes to make the most of your years ahead. You matter.

This is no way to live. I imagine you will do much better in a different living situation.

Can you schedule an exam with a trusted doctor for a gynecology exam so that he will not be in the exam room with you? Then, you can have an honest conversation about your home life. Adult Protective Services may need to get involved. Given your disease and your total reliance on him you could be in a very unsafe situation.

Please ask for help from anyone you can and be persistent until you get it. It might help if someone else witnesses his behavior toward you and can back you up with the doctor.

I'm hoping you will get the help you need. jeh