Just from your post, I am wondering if maybe he might have a slight form of autism? Could that be possible to where he socially has a hard time communicating? He seems to grasp onto intelligent world news topics and can on and on from what you are saying but has a hard time with the day to day small talk?

Hi, I've wondered that in the past. His mom has schizophrenia, but my psychiatrist once told me that children of schizo. , If they have anything, it's usually a form of Asperger's. She used to question that, but since it's only with ME that he's this way, he doesn't have it. He's Mr. Social in other places; on committees at church, etc. It's only with me that he's silent .

Asperger's is just what I was thinking...but if he is only that way with you, I guess that wouldn't be the reason. I think my step-son has Aspergers and it sounds 100% as you described your husband. I just find it strange that he will talk to you about "world news" topics but nothing else...it is miserable to live in a house of silence. I was previously married and while my ex and I had our problems...there was always laughter and sillyness...I miss that. It is so lonely being in a house with someone who doesn't speak unless "they feel like it".

I'm not familiar w/asperger's, but I dealt w/what you described for over 3 decades. Abusers will act like nothing has happened & never ever address the issue they are 'cold shouldering' about. As long as you are interested in THEM, they will talk forever.... Funny (not ha ha funny) you mentioned the house feeling like a morgue....that's the way I described my environment for quite a while before I left.

I am very aware of Aspergers and it does sound like your husband may well be a high functioning Aspy. This can be equally difficult to deal with, and very hard to spot. However, the ignoring, thats not a symptom of Aspergers, but definitely classic abusive behaviour.

I think it's abusive, a sign of narcisstic behavior, withholding attention and love/sex. He doesn't sound emotionally available to you.
Talk to him about it and see what he says. You'll know something then.

oh i know what he is doing. Look its punishment plain and simple. He wont come talk to u proper because he is making a statement that he is not interested in u and that u dont deserve his efforts but its gr8 for him if u come to him because u are the one to give in and he is the one to get all the attention. If he is only doing this to u then there is nothing wrong wiv him its just plain old ugly abuse. This is a game of ego boost. For him u are the weak one to break the silence. He is totally in control of this game in his eyes because he is managing to keep up his none approach and in his eyes your also playing the game(even if u dont realise it) and your loosing. When he talks to u and goes on and on its because he is acting like nothing is up at all. Like he has no problem in talking to u even thou he clearly does. This is also to do the crazy making game on u. To get u to question your reality on it all. He seems to have a problem not talking to me but on the other hand it might just be me because if i ask him questions about world topics he can talk and talk so is it me or is he being off wiv me? Or am i just making a big deal out of nothing. Hes clearly giving u mixed up signals and this is a game also. My best advice is to get away from him and in the mean time when it comes to having to be around abusers the best thing to do is to be aware of what he is doing and just avoid playing along. To do this all u have to do is just be youself. If u want to talk to him then do so if u dont then dont but dont do either one (talking or not talking to him) to abuse a reaction or to get insight into understanding him because as u give him attention in your own mind u are playing to game.

sorry that was meant to say to cause a reaction!

I have been diagnosed with aspergers and so has my husband. If your husband only acts that way with you and can socialise completely normally with other people, then I seriously doubt that he has aspergers.

I think he's giving you the cold shoulder. I think he's trying to give the impression that he's a nice guy and doing his bit by talking in the relationship, but he only talks about factual stuff. He steers clear of anything that could lead to intimacy or bonding. He is keeping you at a distance. I don't know why he is doing that though.

Silent treatment and withholding of intimacy/bonding are classic abusive behaviours. If it weren't for the beginning: "Mark is a verbal abuser in every sense of the word" then maybe I'd say look into whether he's maybe Aspy or some other cause. But the truth is, even if there is some other explanation for that particular behaviour, he's still abusive. And the reality is that it is also a behaviour used by abusers who are NOT aspy or with any other specific social issues.