Divorce after Twenty years together Community Group
I want to start something for those of us that were married for a long long time. I think that we face a little different issues than those who were dating for a few years or even married for shorter period of time. Being married for so long we have older children some have grandkids dealing with teenagers and their reaction to the divorice empty nesters dating after 40...
My story its a long one
mrstrength
Hi all, I am new to this. I am 46 years old 2 sons 24 and 15 and 2 grad kids.I am a general contractor and sole bread winner. I have been married for 17 years, and we have know each other for 21 years. She is from down under and I am from california. She has always been fisty and straight to the point, no bs ing around, you knew where you stood. I love her and how she carried herself, ones own unique style. Over the years we have had the above normal problems, From my porn viewing 15 years ago, to the last 3 years, of our oldest son on herion. rehabs and more. His girl friend getting pregnet,haveing to have DNA tests due to her deceptions and lies regurding their relationship. My mother having dementa and care giving for her for over 2 years ( she is now in assisted living).
My wife has built up her drinking and several years ago fights have evolved to a higher level when she drinks (like my father). At one point she was arrested for an extreme DUI. She had to go to programs, jail time and fees had to be paid. Our fights have been more and more.
The fights are mostly started by her and her extreme rage and in defence I fight back because I am fed up with it.We do a dance, once I am in , its a loose loose for me, no way out but to walk away and get needled for reaction. Other fights are started by me in reguards to our sons and what they are going through and or her ratical behavior. Her father (adopted) now has stage 3 prostrate cancer and is in the beginig stages of dementia. My wife has been careing for him (over the phone). His 10 to 16 calls a day have defenitaly run her down. He came out in aug and that is when she dropped the bomb, he had molested her as a child. We all were blown away, no one knew. This is when all hell broke loose, her rage seemed to explode and at me! not the abuser.
My defending myself from her rage attacks with my own anger of being attacked, I am angry towards her for doing this in front of our 15 year old. Her father was very physical and verbaly abusive, now sexually abuse has been exposed. The fights are a no win for me, from her wanting to sell the house and live on the street to her telling our 15 year to find a ride home from school because she will not be picking him up due to the fact that she will be living on the street. These attacks kept going and going.And more and more irratical behavior.
She kept telling me she should have left my ass a long time ago and divorced me. She took off her rings and basicly distant herself. She went out looking for a job. ( She raised our kids and took care of the house duties, a more that full time job) She left at 4pm and by 12 mid night after no answer or message, I text my oldest son to see if she was there, he had no idea where she was. By 1;30 he found her but only said she was fine and she would be back in the morning. During the next 3 days, she crept out at 11pm to make a phone call, got caught in lies, and she claimed our oldest son knew where she was that night. So I am think affair, shes have an affair!
Many more verbal encounters
She picked a fight with me on a thursday night, and left the house 5 times back and forth in a complete rage, then drove a 6 hr trip to see her abusive father at 10;30 at night and came back the next night, a 22 hr road trip, Crazy! She then said wait and see what happens in 2 days!
In 2 days, nothing happened.
I have choose not to talk to her at all and do my thing (which is used by her, that I punish her by the silent treatment). Days before thanksgiving we both decited to be civil, it was great! we got along, talking laughing and just being a couple. I was on cloud nine. We have always been close, talking and laughing, fliting and very intimate over our 21 years. Thanksgiving evening she wanted to watch a movie, just the 2 of us.I was loving this. Then she brought up the past, her past ,my porno stuff of 15 years ago and she wanted to fight. I got up ,told I was not going to fight and left the room. she followed in now full rage, I took my son to his friend house, like I had done before.
I came back to 3 more confrontations, i left and came back when she was a sleep in the other room. What i did not know, she took 13 oxycoatons, (trip to her fathers, his meds). The next day, around 130 pm my 15 years sons found his mother in the bedroom,face swollen and very close to death. he called me in a panic. I called the paramedics, they gave her the electric jolt for her heartbeat, rushed her to the hospital. Her liver and kidneys were in danger of shutting down, or at best they would be damaged. For the next 4 days she recovered and supprised everyone. The phys released her from the hospital with out inpatient counseling, Big mistake!
Within 4 days, she is enrage again, telling our youngest son, that she had not finished what she started, I call crisis, I called them 3 more times in a week and a half. By dec 27 she was now acting like she was on cocain or meth. I have gone through everything in the house looking for anything and getting rid of any pill or alcohol, my oldest sons recovery meds. I finaly took her to the emergency room, she though it was 1996 feb 12th. They ran blood tests and scans and in 8 hrs there was no trace of anything in her blood, they told me she mental broke. They then released her. I went to the mental hospital the next day, they told me that she had had a stroke and delearium in the brain. On Dec 31 I had to pation the court to get her.
They came and got her at 11;50, by 4 am she was transfer to Good Sam. For the next few days, she had spinal taps, MRI s, and other tests, 6 doctors and when her mental statis was stable, they transfered her to the mental ward on Jan 7th to Jan 2oth. During that time, she was dianosed with pregresive dementa, brain damage. In 2 days the dianosed her with a rare brain disorder( dhsp??) toxins in the brain due to what she took) and in the last 4 days of her stay, she made a complete recovery! What a blessing a second lease on life.
Now because she is all better, the ahcss insurance may not cover her bills. The mental ward released her and because she is good to go, they can not make her go to and counseling, any programs, just check ups for her meds.
She has been back a week and a day, as of today. Within 4 hoursof her getting back, she started, pissy mood, fights me on the doctors orders to be watched for several days, taking meds complete resentment. By the second day, I am blamed for making most of this up, turning her friends against her, that the doctors don't know what they are doing and so on and so on. I am back to where we started. She made a statement to my youngest son that I am the reason that she wanted to kill herself.
Most importantly, is the protection of my son! I have him in counseling, school and out source, friends and backing and support from all.
My oldest son is in denial, and still has that druggy brain, sleeps untill 1pm, but he does work and cares for his kids, regiously! But does not want to deal with his mother situation.And he resents me when I get on his ass to do anything. (like his mother) The kids are torn apart, my oldest with his mother, and my youngest with me.
I do remodels and before Nov, we were ok, 10,000 on a cc, and jobs in the future , ready to go. loosing all the jobs during this time of chaos and with the med bills, (no insurace) I am now 140,000.00 in the hole, Being blamed for everything by her, protecting my youngest son and trying to keep order and security for all. I am at my wits end! I want out, is that wrong?? I feel that I have done more than my fair share, and that I am being drained of everything I have.being draing of my being!. I am trying to get 2 jobs right now and I will get them, catch up on my bills (2 months now behind), get a savings, and see where I am at and see where my son is at. He is fed up with his mother and brother. On a postive note, our father and son relationship as grown a lot stronger.So I am making several plans for the near future. This of couse will change, due to that she has not gotten help for what the issues are in the first place, After years of fighting me on seeing a counsler, she is now open to it, as long as its her pick.
Its been hell! this was up to march 2012
My wife has built up her drinking and several years ago fights have evolved to a higher level when she drinks (like my father). At one point she was arrested for an extreme DUI. She had to go to programs, jail time and fees had to be paid. Our fights have been more and more.
The fights are mostly started by her and her extreme rage and in defence I fight back because I am fed up with it.We do a dance, once I am in , its a loose loose for me, no way out but to walk away and get needled for reaction. Other fights are started by me in reguards to our sons and what they are going through and or her ratical behavior. Her father (adopted) now has stage 3 prostrate cancer and is in the beginig stages of dementia. My wife has been careing for him (over the phone). His 10 to 16 calls a day have defenitaly run her down. He came out in aug and that is when she dropped the bomb, he had molested her as a child. We all were blown away, no one knew. This is when all hell broke loose, her rage seemed to explode and at me! not the abuser.
My defending myself from her rage attacks with my own anger of being attacked, I am angry towards her for doing this in front of our 15 year old. Her father was very physical and verbaly abusive, now sexually abuse has been exposed. The fights are a no win for me, from her wanting to sell the house and live on the street to her telling our 15 year to find a ride home from school because she will not be picking him up due to the fact that she will be living on the street. These attacks kept going and going.And more and more irratical behavior.
She kept telling me she should have left my ass a long time ago and divorced me. She took off her rings and basicly distant herself. She went out looking for a job. ( She raised our kids and took care of the house duties, a more that full time job) She left at 4pm and by 12 mid night after no answer or message, I text my oldest son to see if she was there, he had no idea where she was. By 1;30 he found her but only said she was fine and she would be back in the morning. During the next 3 days, she crept out at 11pm to make a phone call, got caught in lies, and she claimed our oldest son knew where she was that night. So I am think affair, shes have an affair!
Many more verbal encounters
She picked a fight with me on a thursday night, and left the house 5 times back and forth in a complete rage, then drove a 6 hr trip to see her abusive father at 10;30 at night and came back the next night, a 22 hr road trip, Crazy! She then said wait and see what happens in 2 days!
In 2 days, nothing happened.
I have choose not to talk to her at all and do my thing (which is used by her, that I punish her by the silent treatment). Days before thanksgiving we both decited to be civil, it was great! we got along, talking laughing and just being a couple. I was on cloud nine. We have always been close, talking and laughing, fliting and very intimate over our 21 years. Thanksgiving evening she wanted to watch a movie, just the 2 of us.I was loving this. Then she brought up the past, her past ,my porno stuff of 15 years ago and she wanted to fight. I got up ,told I was not going to fight and left the room. she followed in now full rage, I took my son to his friend house, like I had done before.
I came back to 3 more confrontations, i left and came back when she was a sleep in the other room. What i did not know, she took 13 oxycoatons, (trip to her fathers, his meds). The next day, around 130 pm my 15 years sons found his mother in the bedroom,face swollen and very close to death. he called me in a panic. I called the paramedics, they gave her the electric jolt for her heartbeat, rushed her to the hospital. Her liver and kidneys were in danger of shutting down, or at best they would be damaged. For the next 4 days she recovered and supprised everyone. The phys released her from the hospital with out inpatient counseling, Big mistake!
Within 4 days, she is enrage again, telling our youngest son, that she had not finished what she started, I call crisis, I called them 3 more times in a week and a half. By dec 27 she was now acting like she was on cocain or meth. I have gone through everything in the house looking for anything and getting rid of any pill or alcohol, my oldest sons recovery meds. I finaly took her to the emergency room, she though it was 1996 feb 12th. They ran blood tests and scans and in 8 hrs there was no trace of anything in her blood, they told me she mental broke. They then released her. I went to the mental hospital the next day, they told me that she had had a stroke and delearium in the brain. On Dec 31 I had to pation the court to get her.
They came and got her at 11;50, by 4 am she was transfer to Good Sam. For the next few days, she had spinal taps, MRI s, and other tests, 6 doctors and when her mental statis was stable, they transfered her to the mental ward on Jan 7th to Jan 2oth. During that time, she was dianosed with pregresive dementa, brain damage. In 2 days the dianosed her with a rare brain disorder( dhsp??) toxins in the brain due to what she took) and in the last 4 days of her stay, she made a complete recovery! What a blessing a second lease on life.
Now because she is all better, the ahcss insurance may not cover her bills. The mental ward released her and because she is good to go, they can not make her go to and counseling, any programs, just check ups for her meds.
She has been back a week and a day, as of today. Within 4 hoursof her getting back, she started, pissy mood, fights me on the doctors orders to be watched for several days, taking meds complete resentment. By the second day, I am blamed for making most of this up, turning her friends against her, that the doctors don't know what they are doing and so on and so on. I am back to where we started. She made a statement to my youngest son that I am the reason that she wanted to kill herself.
Most importantly, is the protection of my son! I have him in counseling, school and out source, friends and backing and support from all.
My oldest son is in denial, and still has that druggy brain, sleeps untill 1pm, but he does work and cares for his kids, regiously! But does not want to deal with his mother situation.And he resents me when I get on his ass to do anything. (like his mother) The kids are torn apart, my oldest with his mother, and my youngest with me.
I do remodels and before Nov, we were ok, 10,000 on a cc, and jobs in the future , ready to go. loosing all the jobs during this time of chaos and with the med bills, (no insurace) I am now 140,000.00 in the hole, Being blamed for everything by her, protecting my youngest son and trying to keep order and security for all. I am at my wits end! I want out, is that wrong?? I feel that I have done more than my fair share, and that I am being drained of everything I have.being draing of my being!. I am trying to get 2 jobs right now and I will get them, catch up on my bills (2 months now behind), get a savings, and see where I am at and see where my son is at. He is fed up with his mother and brother. On a postive note, our father and son relationship as grown a lot stronger.So I am making several plans for the near future. This of couse will change, due to that she has not gotten help for what the issues are in the first place, After years of fighting me on seeing a counsler, she is now open to it, as long as its her pick.
Its been hell! this was up to march 2012
Your wife needs intensive counselling. If you're thinking relationship counselling.....well her cry for help in all this suggests that she needs one on one for herself. She's finally cracked.
Where does that leave you? Don't know man. It's really up to you. You have considerations about you bleeding money and your protection of youngest son.
Any family that has drug issues for a starter has already been put under so much stress and heartache.
I can only wish you well and ask that you keep posting here until you come to a determination that you feel comfortable with.
Will be thinking of you and sending you a big hug.
Sending hugs!
IMO your best bet would be to speak with a mental health professional about this behavior and your concerns. In the meantime, do what you can to protect yourself and your 15-year old son. We're here to listen and console, but we are NO SUBSTITUTE for professional help.
My thoughts and prayers are with you!
We all have the right to say, 'this is too much.' I have no idea where the line in the sand lies with you. My own bottom line would lie with my kids. Your son is exposed to this off the wall behavior. He needs stability.
For me, that may be my own 'line in the sand.'
Sending you support, L~
Your wife has a serious brain disorder that is not her fault. She needs professional help on a lot of levels along with medical help for the non mental side. You state you love her. Sometimes that is not enough. Your marriage sound like it has a long path of angry behavior for a long time that may be related to her disorder, but I guess it is not all that of course. You have to figure out what to do that is best for your son and you. We may not be the right group for you, but of course have support. I think you need to find a live group of support and someone that you can talk to that is objective and help you deal with all this. I feel the pain in your post, and although my ex had nothing like this, I do get the responsible side of you who want to fix her, yet out of patience. You can't, you can only learn to deal with what you can deal with. Like many of have said, this is for a professional. My heart goes out to you,
Current day have not seen her in a day (calm and quiet). She is home now and as soon as she lays out and leaves to the oldest son (11;30) she will be gone until 9 to 9;30. I am going to fix some door locks , pack the oldest stuff up for a drop off later this week, let the dogs out to hang with me. Making calls for worth, print some of my art shirts and post them and work on the bus, thats my positive day as of right now. Thanks all
It seems like you are gaining a handle on this situation...you are doing all the things you need to. I would just like to say...if you choose to remove yourself and your son from this mess...meaning move...you are not giving up on your wife. This would not make you a failure and you would not be abandoning her. You would just be protecting yourselves. You did not create this mess...she did. At some point she needs to own her shit...you are well on your way to owning yours...good job by the way. Big Hugs...Kathy
This may sound cold and heartless but you have to find a way to get her out of your son's life until she is well (which may not happen). This is such a horrible environment for him. I don't know how he (and you) are able to survive it. Also, if you are wanting her to hit bottom so that she will have to get help, that is not happening while you are her safety net.
Prayers and hugs!!!
Diane
What a nightmare. Let me just say, many individuals with a mental diagnosis will balk at taking their medications once they are stable. Unfortunately, if they do not stay on the medication they will relapse. I have had friends diagnosed with bipolar disorders and once stable they feel they are "normal again" and don't need their medication. Stopping the medication will guarantee a relapse.
Since you have had experience with your son's addiction, probably know about the hiding of medication in their mouth and pretending to "take it".
My advise is to protect your son. When your wife is in an aggitated state she is most certainly NOT herself, she is ill. You have a right to protect your son at all cost.
Please feel free to vent or share as this group is awesome and sometimes just venting helps.
Hugs and more Hugs
((hugs))