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Relationship Newly married to former combat marine

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I will try to be brief. I am Australian, he is American. We met at work in car sales, fell in love late 2015, married 2017 in May. Very compatible and attracted to one another. He served on the front lines as a machine gunner in Iraq, 2003. Knew he had some anger here and there, I do too but have worked on it a lot, it is mainly from mother's death and some trauma from an abusive relationship I had years ago. Whats ironic is before marriage, he said he wanted me to work on MY stuff. So, I continued to do so. Less than a month after marriage, we had a disagreement at the park BBQing because I wouldn't get up to help him find the cheese. I was a bit of a lazy ass, hey, I wait on him like a king most of the time and have turned him and his son's life around. Since with me, his income has doubled and his 16 yr old is doing grfeat in school like never before. I had a moment, sue me lol.
Next thing he gets agitated, I get up to help him look, before you know it he is getting in my face yelling, I tell him back off, leave me alone, let it go, that just makes him madder and he sees that as "picking" at him. I'm like, enough, leave me be, trying to walk off. He follows me etc. Back at house same thing that night to the point where I am putting a chair between us for protection. He screams, "quit playing the victim!" Scary as hell. Still doesn't truly get he is wrong for going that nuts. We have done some premarital counseling and a few sessions after marriage. He is fine with going, which is curious. Things are usually good. But then stuff like if he explains something and I don't get it because I am tired or whatever, he will make remarks like "you don't listen". Makes me feel sad and demeaned. No patience with his family. At work, when there is a car deal to be made, he has the patience of a saint. So, he can do it, just chooses not to, the way I see it. Anger is a choice, period. I have worked hard to control mine, I am better at it than him, truth.

Last night at our sailboat, motor went out, he was pissed. We have had issues, paid someone to fix it, still broken. I get it. I am annoyed too but wtf can we do but stay calm and get through it. We get stranded near the dock, a fellow boater offers to throw us a rope to help. Hubby says no, I can swim the boat over to the dock. bad idea, marinas are not safe to swim in, he knows this. ESD is a real threat, Electric Shock Drowning. yeah, don't swim near marinas, signs everywhere telling people no swimming. I said, no it's not safe, hey man throw us that rope please? Hubby was pissed as all hell. Simmering mad. I could do it, he said, I said not safe to swim. He doesn't care. We get help off nice folks and some tips on where to fix boat. New to boating, we need all the help we can get and besides, I wanted to meet them. Pick their brains, make friends, learn, keep hubby safe. Explained all this patiently. Still he sat in silence after the fact, we still wanted to BBQ and eat. So we sit. Sigh. I said softly, I feel sad and hurt when you get so upset at me, it seems cruel and selfish, it impacts people around you and is scary. He gets the rage in his face like I killed his child, leans in my face, "always picking at me" he snarls, full of rage.

I say, leave me be. I pack up, tell him youre going to end up alone, I want to go home please, walked to the front of the marina and waited.

He needs to face that this anger is NOT OK. I didn't cause it, it was there before i came and will be there if I leave. I am too old for this shit. Sigh. We wanted a child but wtf now? Scary, sad, most my family dead.
 
Ok...

On the anger bit....

Anger is not such an easy thing to deal with. My mind feels like it gets hijacked when I am dealing with a super-trigger and at that time all bets are off. I was ahh....better....for awhile and then someone hit on one of my worst triggers. I seriously go into rage mode and it is hard to pull myself out of it. This isn't normal anger. (I know the difference.) This isn't so simple as being a choice. It's so damn hard to control. (I can't guarantee that I can stay out of rage mode so I have to avoid certain people right now.) When the brain flips into fight mode, we're out of the realm of normal everyday anger.

I say none of this in order to excuse his behavior. In the end it's up to us to figure out how to control the rage. I'm not yet at that point yet....hence why avoidance is my only "solution". I say all of this just to explain that it's going to take some time for him to figure out how to control the rage. IF he is willing to work on it, things may improve. If not, all bets are off.

Do you think he is anywhere near being able to admit this is an issue that needs to be worked on? :hug:
 
If its him with PTSD come on over to the Supporters Forum. Check out the videos linked at the top of the Supporter Relationships page. In particular, watch through them for the info on an amygdala hijack. My vet does this all the time. Completely over the top rage to minor issues. Can someone post the link to the Stress Cup article? Also very useful.
 
Hi and welcome!

Has he been diagnosed yet? Is he in any kind of therapy?

If not. Things won't change.

My guy has been in therapy for almost 5 years, consistently. And the rage is still there. Not as bad as it was but still there.

It's their training they've had. We all have the "fight or flight" response. They only have" fight". Which works great in combat but not in relationships.

Keep reading around the supporters forum. Lots of great information and ideas there.

✌ & ❤ to you and your Veteran!
 
fell in love late 2015, married 2017 in May.
in Iraq, 2003
Is his PTSD from his time in Iraq? If so, did he not show any symptoms before now? Was he only recently diagnosed? Did all of this only start happening after the marriage? Just trying to make sure I understand the timeline.

where I am putting a chair between us for protection.
Protection from what?

"quit playing the victim!"
Still doesn't truly get he is wrong for going that nuts.
"you don't listen"
"always picking at me" he snarls, full of rage.
This sounds like a typical lashing out. I deal with this with my vet.

I wanted to point a few things out to you...
have turned him and his son's life around. Since with me, his income has doubled and his 16 yr old is doing grfeat in school like never before.
Anger is a choice, period. I have worked hard to control mine, I am better at it than him, truth.
I pack up, tell him youre going to end up alone
...these kinds of thoughts/comments won't do much to help the situation. I know how hard it is to keep your mouth shut very time he loses his sh*t, because I suck at keeping my mouth shut., just something for you to think about.
 
I appreciate your time. I really do. My thoughts-

There were a few signs earlier but not like what happened 6 weeks ago, which occurred a month after we were married. I have some slight trauma from a truly evil man who tried to hurt me badly 6 years back. He was the devil. OMG You cannot imagine.

I do say you will end up alone. I absolutely think I should. They need to know we will walk if they do not alter their ways. I have been there done that before with a very abusive man, I do not have the patience for it any more.....plus, I found a dose of SELF RESPECT along the way. I refuse to have a conversation with him this time, until he comes to be ready to talk, really talk about making some changes. He is very, very aware how much this crap hurts and bothers me. For God's sake, we have gone to counseling for it. He needs to seek individual, start owning this behavior.

It is a CHOICE. Knowing this does help. Knowing that he controls himself at work, better than you can believe. Around their partners, they just don't see the point. You cannot pity these men, blame yourself, say "oh he cannot control it". YES HE CAN...HE DOES. And if a stranger suddenly walks by, he switches into calm, just like THAT. I have read so much crap on this subject from the jerk in 2010-11 I dated, I could write a book myself. You draw a line in the sand, you have to say NO MORE. Trying to have a family. Like this? Jesus. Maybe it's not PTSD. He did say after he got out of Iraq he did massage course to calm himself down. He has had anger issues before Iraq too, whole life from what he says. This is not news to him, as much as he tries to blame me, yeah, go to hell with that crap. I am so frustrated by this. He doesn't need a pity party, please know this. As I said, it might not be PTSD. Who knows. I cannot handle this treatment anymore, I have come to far in my journey to go back to this demeaning, awful treatment, on ANY level.

The fact that I have turned his life around, absolutely that helps. It reminds me I am not a piece of crap, I have done amazing things and deserve the best. This is my self worth, my confidence, my esteem!!!!!
 
You're right you do deserve respect. And you do deserve boundaries. However, you married a combat veteran with PTSD. Who " showed signs earlier" WTH did you think was gonna happen? He'd do a couple sessions in therapy and you'd live happily ever after. PTSD is a mental illness. It DOESN'T go away!! Ever.

Sorry to be so blunt (as you were). But he needs support not belittlement every step of the way.

Most military marriages fail. It's not surprising. PTSD is awful, for all involved. You've seen it first hand. If it's not something you're up for that's entirely your choice.

While you're here read around the supporters forum and watch the videos there. It will show you what you're BOTH up against.

Prayers for you and your veteran.
 
We did the couples therapy as he made out he was worried about MY issues, that is the ironic part. SMH. The occasional snapping here or there, there was nothing close to what I described happened after when he had to big explosion. Please know that had that incident occurred prior to marriage, I would not have married him. He did not have signs, ok? A bit of a temper, not the scarier stuff.

Like I said, how do we know it's PTSD? He has mentioned stuff from his past before Iraq. Why does he control it at work so well? If you seem to think he can't? Support? You think I belittle him? I shouldn't have come. What about MY traumatic past? Where is MY compassion and understanding? h is nice as pie to others. SMH. I have to hold his hand and be sweet when he is ripping me apart? I cry to him. This is the same behavior I saw in my psycho ex. Same shit. Being sweet and taking their shit solves nothing. It enables. So when he is snarling at me, refuses to apologize, I do what? Just be the good wife?
 
I will say it again, if it is PTSD, and he cannot control it, why does he never, EVER have an issue at work, 70 hours a week in sales, which is terribly challenging, stressful environment?

He lets it out on me, because he thinks he can. Where am i wrong here? I am upset and hurting, this is my life, I had no idea and married him, plans to have a family, mine are nearly all gone, I treat him FANTASTIC. YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW. you are amazing, my king, you are sexy, you are smart, you are a killer at work, I love you, I appreciate you, etc etc. Make food, raise his child, clean the house, trust that I do what more women should. But you cannot shit on me in return!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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