Broken Hearted, What can I do?

Posted by Native Floridian @nativefloridian, Oct 24, 2011

Is it really necessary to allow oneself to be mistreated for the sake of commitment? My heart aches because the man I am with is abusive. His mood swings often come in the early to late evening when he is tired. His eyes glaze over and he is angrier than anyone I have ever known. I don't know what happened to him but he says things about his past that scare me sometimes. He won't talk about it but he gets hateful at times and very mean. It is almost like he is taking it out on me, whatever bad things he has been through in his life.Although he does not physically abuse me, he does say alot of things that are very insulting, hurtful and mean when he is angry.

I do not know what to do anymore. I have taken him to medical doctors, psychologists and marriage counseling. He acts like a responsible adult during the daytime but when he is alone in the home with me things change. Sometimes it is like I live with a drug addict or someone with multiple personaility traits. I'm tired of walking on eggshells. I told him tonight after he lambbasted me again (out of the blue) that I do not want him to scream at me and point his finger in my face ever again. He scares me sometimes. It is difficult to love this man anymore. My heart was broken years ago when he first started this, now it is just numb.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Women's Health Support Group.

Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde. Sound familiar? I lived in a similar situation for 6 years. Make a plan to escape, even though it may not seem dangerous now, a person with an abusive tendency could become extremely violent if they think they might lose their mate.
It took me 5 years to leave (many emotional & physical scars). I thought it was me, that "if only I. . ." I believed I couldn't make it on my own. I had low self-esteem and lacked self-confidence. I also battled with religious beliefs. It's hard to find the courage to leave an unhealthy relationship, only you can decide if you should leave.

Below is some information you may find helpful. BTW, I ended my relationship with my abuser 32 years ago. Today, I am remarried to a kind, loving man. My baby son witnessed the abuse for 3 years, and he was what gave me the courage to leave. I didn't want him to see his momma be abused any longer, it's most often a learned behavior. I had to stop the chain.

For anonymous, confidential help available 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) now.

Anyone can be an abuser. They come from all groups, all cultures, all religions, all economic levels, and all backgrounds. They can be your neighbor, your pastor, your friend, your child's teacher, a relative, a coworker -- anyone. It is important to note that the majority of abusers are only violent with their current or past intimate partners. One study found 90% of abusers do not have criminal records and abusers are generally law-abiding outside the home.

There is no one typical, detectable personality of an abuser. However, they do often display common characteristics.

An abuser often denies the existence or minimizes the seriousness of the violence and its effect on the victim and other family members.
An abuser objectifies the victim and often sees them as their property or sexual objects.
An abuser has low self-esteem and feels powerless and ineffective in the world. He or she may appear successful, but internally, they feel inadequate.
An abuser externalizes the causes of their behavior. They blame their violence on circumstances such as stress, their partner's behavior, a "bad day," on alcohol, drugs, or other factors.
An abuser may be pleasant and charming between periods of violence and is often seen as a "nice person" to others outside the relationship.
Red flags and warning signs of an abuser include but are not limited to:

Extreme jealousy
Possessiveness
Unpredictability
A bad temper
Cruelty to animals
Verbal abuse
Extremely controlling behavior
Antiquated beliefs about roles of women and men in relationships
Forced sex or disregard of their partner's unwillingness to have sex
Sabotage of birth control methods or refusal to honor agreed upon methods
Blaming the victim for anything bad that happens
Sabotage or obstruction of the victim's ability to work or attend school
Controls all the finances
Abuse of other family members, children or pets
Accusations of the victim flirting with others or having an affair
Control of what the victim wears and how they act
Demeaning the victim either privately or publicly
Embarrassment or humiliation of the victim in front of others
Harassment of the victim at work
For anonymous, confidential help available 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) now.

REPLY

So sorry to hear you are going through this. You will never be able to change him, but it is hard to stop loving someone none the less. Take care of yourself, treat yourself, maybe talk to your pastor? The more you do on your own the less you will tolerate. Find your strength, then make the best decision for you! Do you feel safe leaving the relationship?

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@atljoe

Your husband has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ("PTSD"). I know plenty about the symptoms. My PTSD has been under control for many years. Your husband needs professional help and he needs you by his side during his treatment program, otherwise, he will fail. I'm still extremely embarrassed by my past behavior. Divorce? I think not. Remember vowing "...in sickness and in health..."? To ignore his issues and divorce him is irresponsible. You will only send him into the world in an unbalanced mental state and both of you will be even more miserable. Without your support, it is HIGHLY LIKELY that he will give up and commit suicide.

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Presuming the worst case scenario, threatening suicide is no reason to stay in an abusive relationship.

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Hello broken-hearted,
I have read your comments and those of many others and here's what I think. It is clear that you are working hard to be patient, loyal and committed, conflicted, fearful, and frustrated. The range of the feelings and experiences you shared says a lot about the consistent lack of fulfillment you are experiencing with your husband, a very troubled man. All the support you have given doesn't seem to work to improve his understanding of himself and yours, despite the time you both have invested. Unfortunately, your spouse is falling short on his willingness to do the work to get healthy, which is unraveling your marriage and keeps you off balance -- a very difficult and disappointing situation. So far, I'm hearing you are a victim of your decisions to stay with a husband who is a threat to you and robs you of happiness and safety.
Please give some thought to a few things, that come to mind: and don't keep them in your head -- get a journal and write them down - date your response and don't edit!
What is it that you truly want from this relationship? What do you want from your husband? What do you want for yourself? What works in this marriage? What doesn't? What about this relationship makes you happy? What keeps you in this relationship? What do you want more of, less of? Who can you trust to help you talk about your pain? You mentioned that you sought professional help. Are you continuing to work with this individual, since you said it was very helpful? If yes, what has been your learning? If no, why have you stopped seeing this individual?
Looking at the thoughts you documented, is this relationship working for you? What resources do you have or need, to help you move yourself from where you are, to where you want to be? Food for thought.
PS
Do you understand that you're responsible for your own happiness? So, what holds you back from giving yourself this?

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@shenriq

Hello broken-hearted,
I have read your comments and those of many others and here's what I think. It is clear that you are working hard to be patient, loyal and committed, conflicted, fearful, and frustrated. The range of the feelings and experiences you shared says a lot about the consistent lack of fulfillment you are experiencing with your husband, a very troubled man. All the support you have given doesn't seem to work to improve his understanding of himself and yours, despite the time you both have invested. Unfortunately, your spouse is falling short on his willingness to do the work to get healthy, which is unraveling your marriage and keeps you off balance -- a very difficult and disappointing situation. So far, I'm hearing you are a victim of your decisions to stay with a husband who is a threat to you and robs you of happiness and safety.
Please give some thought to a few things, that come to mind: and don't keep them in your head -- get a journal and write them down - date your response and don't edit!
What is it that you truly want from this relationship? What do you want from your husband? What do you want for yourself? What works in this marriage? What doesn't? What about this relationship makes you happy? What keeps you in this relationship? What do you want more of, less of? Who can you trust to help you talk about your pain? You mentioned that you sought professional help. Are you continuing to work with this individual, since you said it was very helpful? If yes, what has been your learning? If no, why have you stopped seeing this individual?
Looking at the thoughts you documented, is this relationship working for you? What resources do you have or need, to help you move yourself from where you are, to where you want to be? Food for thought.
PS
Do you understand that you're responsible for your own happiness? So, what holds you back from giving yourself this?

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Wow, i am truly moved in a god way by your words. This is because I’m in pretty much the same position. You really made each point so clear and thought provoking. I’m stuck, very lonely and very unhappy. I sought out help almost a year ago and it took until late this summer for me to just talk to my spouse and try to make some progress. Not much there. I’ve been married for 34 years and have been dealing with this for most years of it, about 27 years. It’s been intermittent but constant enough to make it a pattern. I struggle with my self worth and question my integrity for staying. I’ve been on antidepressants for a year and now have added anxiety meds. I began counseling a year ago too for my depression but was able to progress to the point of having my spouse sit in on one of my sessions to hear my pain. Unfortunately I’m in between counselors now due to the one i was using closing their satellite branch. Your very thoughtful, supportive, concise words really touched me and i have saved them to reread and feel the strength and clarity they give me. Thank you for making a difference!

REPLY

Sorry for all you are going through. It makes it more complicated when you love someone, as you obviously love your husband. This is a hard place to be stuck in for anyone. Please think first and foremost of your safety and sanity. Rely on those around you for help. Maybe your husband should spend some time staying with his family to give both of you a break and a real chance to think about the current situation.

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