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Relationship He Didn't Come Home.

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Adrianne

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hi everyone,

I'm new to the site. My husband is a combat vet with severe ptsd and other major health problems. We have been together for 6 years and married for 2. I've usually been able to recognize he's upset and shuts down. He shuts me out. It's really hard not to think it's me or something I did. Sometimes it is, but we rarely fight except if the day to day stress becomes too much. Recently due to his health issues, he had to give out his job. He was a deputy sheriff (as am I ) which he loved so much. I believe he became majorly depressed. He wouldn't leave the house after I went to work. Wouldn't spend time with anyone or go do anything. But he always remained in contact with me while at work and relies on me for a lot. Over the past 2 years is when his health has really deteriorated. Sometimes he has to use a wheel chair due to chronic pain. Things finally came to a head and we decided together that he should go to the inpatient ptsd program in St. Pete.

He has been there for two months. It seemed he was really making progress. He'd call me up and tell me little things, just not anything significant about his feelings. We tried to maintain our normal together and continued to say I love you to each other. I guess I didn't really understand all he was going through over there and what the program really entailed. But 2 days before he was supposed to come home, he messages me and asks me to pick him up mid morning 2 days later. I said ok and also said we needed to talk. I had found out he lied to me about something he knew would hurt me and also spent every last cent in his bank account and had moved on to spending the money in my account without telling me. He always tells me or we communicate to each other when either one of us needs money. This time he didn't. And he had spent all this money on completely frivolous things. When I confronted him about it, he didn't take responsibility for either the lie or the money issue. I got upset and yelled at him on the phone and he hung up on me. Then hours went by. I finally texted him with no response whatsoever even tho I knew he was reading my messages. He wouldn't even respond so I became angrier and said mean things to him out of anger. I really just wanted to know he still cared and still wanted to be together. Just earlier this week we were putting offers on houses and making plans. Then after this argument.he drops a bombshell on me. He doesn't love me anymore. He was like a zombie when he said it. No emotion whatsoever. I am completely devastated. We had some conversations since then and without saying it, I can still tell this is how he feels. We have had our ups and downs but he has never said anything like this to me in our 6 years of being together. I've been holding on to hope but I am completely devastated. He asked his friend to pick him up from the program and said he wanted to get together to talk but basically completely ignores me and has gone home with his friend. I'm not sure how I can go on like this. I feel like I am in limbo and maybe he really does not in fact love me anymore. It happened in a matter of 2 days. He has always relied to me for a lot. Now all of the sudden he wants nothing to do with me. Not sure if there is anything left to hold on to or if he will ever come back. This has never happened before, our love for each other has always been more important and we have always worked past isssues. Now he says it was what I said out of anger that has caused him not to love me. Coming from a guy that has always been affectionate towards me and has relied on me alone for almost everything. And now, there's nothing. I am still alone after 2 months. I feel like this program has ruined our relationship and there's nothing I can do. Nothing I can say. I saw a lot of posts on this site and how supportive everyone has been of each other. I guess I'm just looking for advice and support here because this is such a difficult time in my life. I feel like I am at a crossroads. The past two years have not been easygoing and sometimes the stress has had me at my breaking point. I'm just wondering after all these years and the amazing love we shared is just gone. Should I even hold on to it anymore? How can I come back from what he said? That he doesn't love me anymore?
 
I feel so sorry for you, I can really sympathise with the feeling of being "punished" for losing your cool or not reacting in the best of ways, and I can understand why it has made him withdraw. It can make them very quickly change their tune about you, my SO went from saying I'm the love of her life, all that is stable for her, all she has ever wanted to just a pain in the arse she won't abandon and misses, but has no interest in right now. It can be so incredibly hard to hear even though you know its coming from a place where they are in a crisis, but it's best to try and give him some space for now.

Is it easy? Nope, it's awful, I'm only just learning to walk away and let what will be, be, but it's necessary, for yourself. I am not guaranteeing he'll cool down and be more rational and approachable if you do, but it's likely the only solution for now not just for him, but for you. It won't do you any good to keep chasing what is at the moment a losing cause, I've had to learn that myself and it really is just awful.

Vent on here, it will genuinely help, especially at this stage.
 
I feel so sorry for you, I can really sympathise with the feeling of being "punished" for losing...


Thanks for reading this. I guess my situation has really took a turn for the worse. I found nude photos and couples photos of my husband with another woman in the program. I confronted him on it and he has definately cheated on me. He has been intamite with this woman. I'm just going through so many emotions and he basically has given me no hope that he even still loves me anymore. This came as a complete shock. Just basically ripped my heart of my chest. I thought we were going strong and him doing this for himself would make him and us stronger. I guess I was wrong. He keeps contacting me tho. I don't know if out of general guilt or what. I just feel completely lost. He will only make comments that say "what the f*ck am I doing?" Or "I can't forgive myself" nothing about us or even mentioning wanting to fight for our relationship. I'm just at a loss. I don't even know what to do at this lint except move on???
 
Thanks for reading this. I guess my situation has really took a turn for the worse. I found nude photo...

You absolutely, fundamentally must move on.

He can't hide his infidelity behind his PTSD, it's not an excuse for cheating on somebody and that is something I've found is repeated on here time and time again, by sufferers and supporters alike. I suggest you get out of there, he has completely undermined your ability to trust, how can you ever trust him after this? PTSD makes trusting hard enough as it is with the erratic behaviours involved, if you add in the fact you KNOW he has cheated on you too?

I just can't see a future there.

You owe it to yourself to get out of that situation, you deserve so, so, so much better.
 
Thanks for reading this. I guess my situation has really took a turn for the worse. I found nude photo...
With this new info? Move on. Be done. Aren't people in recovery programs encouraged not to engage in relationships with each other because it can hinder recovery? Maybe that's just for addicts, but doesn't seem like the best idea in a PTSD sense either.
 
That's exactly what my head says, but it's my heart that is giving me trouble. I've been so in love for him for the 6 years we have been together. I've stood by him thru all of his medical and mental health problems that were so bad that he can barely walk at at times. To just find this out is like he just threw our relationship and marriage in the garbage like it was nothing. I have literally ran myself ragged to the point my stress levels have been out of control and then I find out he did this. And even after I found out and confronted him he still went to go see her and they had sex! He actually told me that.

I told him I wanted closure and he told me our relationship is over. But he keeps texting me. Every time I start to get into a slightly better place mentally I get a text from him. "I can't forgive myself" "what the f*ck am I doing?" And that's about it. I feel like he is just trying to string me along or he just feels guilty. It's just so hard to deal with. One time when I wouldn't respond he called me 18 times in a row!!! Wtf?!!!!
 
He probably feels guilty to some extent, he probably is also just trying to string you along until he finds his next partner, people can and will do that.

Don't let yourself be his back up option.
 
Thank you for the advice. I can't keep doing this to myself either. It's not healthy. I'm going to just not respond to him from now on. Try to ignore the calls and texts the best I can. There's nothing I can say or do at this point that would make anything better. Thanks for listening....
 
Thank you for the advice. I can't keep doing this to myself either. It's not healthy. I'm going to jus...

You have to, for yourself. He betrayed you, you deserve so, so, so much better. Keep reminding yourself of that.

If a person doesn't want to be with you they should be honest enough to break up first.
 
That's exactly what my head says, but it's my heart that is giving me trouble. I've been so in love fo...
This, in particular, sounds manipulative to me.

PTSD aside, my SO is a POS to me sometimes. So I understand it's hard. But being in a relationship that you're not being respected in seems harder in the long run. Based on what you've said, he cheated (although idk what expectations y'all had while he was in treatment) while he was supposed to be working on recovery, he doesn't feel bothered by it, and he doesn't feel bothered about ending a future with you. Nothing you do or say at this point will make him care....or if it did, would you want to be with someone you had to convince to stay with you after he disrespected you? And kept photographs of it all...
 
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