• We are a multilingual website again. Read the notice about this.
  • Understand AI use at MyPTSD: all AI use is explained in our AI help page. AI use is by choice here. It exists if you want it, but does nothing unless you choose to use it.

A Secret Came Out

Status
Not open for further replies.

Mr Dispair

New Here
Hi all, I dont know if I am at the right place but here it goes. I was not abused, but my wife of 17 years was. She only recently came out and confronted the abuser and thats when I found out. I never knew for all the time I have know her. Since she came out our marrage has headed down hill, she is full of rage and the verbal attacks are relentlace. My sons mid teen and mid twenties are watching and catching some of these attacks. I have sugested counceling for a year or so prior to all this and during this ordeal, and she stonewalled me. Only recentlry (before thanks giving) she said ok and we started going. During these fights I find extreme mood swings , extreme in the sense of switching within seconds, but its mostly rage. The counslers I have seen , say because I am the closest one I am the one she will go after, and she does. Its so extremely hurtful and I feel so hurt and attacked. I have verbaly fought back out of not wanting to being a punching bag, but that just seems to kick her in to high gear. I have sot help for my sons with counslers and at their school.

We decided to be civil for thanksgiving , had a great dinner that she cooked and she sugested that maybe we could watch a movie ( I was on cloud nine). We we sat down, she started to bring up the past, 15 years ago childhood, me blaming the abuser and more and rehash it. I told her I was not going to do this or fight and I left the room. Needless to say she confronted me 3 more times in her rage and I removed myself. I came back later when she was asleep. We slept in seperate rooms and the next moring I check on her and she was sleeping in late so I let her be. Later that day we found her on a Suicide attempt,rushed to the emergency room and the next 4 days in ICU and suside watch. She was released after an mental Evaluation and is at home. Her moods go from depressed to out right rage. 4 days after getting her back I had to call crisis to come to the house 9pm to 3 am. She was talking about what she had not finished in from of our youngest child and that she was not sucsessful in her attempt.

Things she said were cruel and hard for all of us to hear and yet she blames me and goes after me. Last night was the same, another 2 days after that last eposode. I removed our child and placed him with a friend for the night but I came back to make sure she did not do anything and in fear of what I would find. ( thats what is always in my mind when I come back home, what am I going to find) I tried to sleep in the main bedroom with doors locked. I am living on eggshells and I find myself either in tears and breathing oddly or in a panic attack!

This morning she was up, cleaning and doing what she normally does, but ready to fight. I told her that this is not good for our kids or for us. she agreed its not healthy. But she still wanted to fight. When I told her that she is loved by all of us, she said the kids love her but I do not. I told her I did and that, was going toward fight mode. I remained calm as she told me that she or I was going to have to move out to a room we have in the back yard. I have fears with this, if she does, she is isolated and again what she could do to her self, there would be no support and no one would know if she did anything, I worry what my kids would find. If I go, I worry about the reverse, shes in the house and my son is there. I am emotionally in termoil and fear. I think I have realized its going to get worse as if she stops seeing her counsler, if the abuser gets sicker, more past comes out. I am in dispair!
 
Hi Mr Dispair, and welcome to the forum!

Life is cruel, and what you are going through right now is not fair. I don't know what it is like to be a supporter, as I am a wife who suffered childhood abuse and it is my poor husband who has had to cope - with my mood swings etc. I understand the suicidal feelings, but don't really know what that was like for my H. He has told me recently just how much he feared leaving me alone for fear of what I might do.

I have now been in therapy for almost 2 years and my life has changed quite dramatically. They always say things get worse before it gets better, so I guess this is the 'worse' bit that you are both going through just now. I am glad you have found safety for your child and that you are both seeing a counsellor. You are right to use the crisis intervention as much and as often as you need to.

I personally have not felt rage or anger at my abuser ( or at anything else for that matter) so I don't know what that feels like. However I can only understand how much your wife must be hurting just now. I guess you are both still in an emotional turmoil.

However, you will be no use to her if you are not looking after yourself. It may sound selfish but you really do have to think of and look after yourself first. I am glad you are able to tell her that you love her despite the awful situation you are in. She probably does not feel that she is capable of being loved - I remember the shame, embarrassment and disgust I felt about myself for a very long time. It is hard to regain that sense of being 'worth' anything again.

I do wish you both well, and would like to say just how good it feels to know there are husbands like you out there, who care enough to stay, and who look hard enough to find this forum.

Perhaps your wife might also like to have a look on here and see that she is not alone?

Regards
Lucy x
 
Hello Mr Dispair

Welcome to the forum.

I'm so sorry to hear what you and your wife are going through. I'm so glad that you are reaching out for help.

Brucielucy has pretty much covered everything I want to say to you.

You are going through hell, and your wife is going through hell too. I really hope that she gets and accepts the help that she so desperately needs. While all her behaviours are very hard on you and your children, they are also very 'normal' delayed reactions to being abused. She has kept everything 'locked away' for so long, and is now in complete despair, and totally overwhelmed with emotions.

Please tell her about this forum, if you feel able. She no doubt feels very alone in her emotions. Sadly, she's not alone in her feelings. So many people here will be able to relate to everything that she is going through, and will be very happy to support her, in any way they can.

Unfortunately for you, our forum doesn't have many members who are supporters/ carers. We are still a 'young' forum, just over a year old, and the majority of our members here are those that have survived sexual abuse/ assault. While you are very welcome here, and we will all support you in any way that we can, you may find some more support on [DLMURL="https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/"]PTSD Forum[/DLMURL].

[DLMURL="https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/"]PTSD forum[/DLMURL] is our 'parent forum'. It has been going for several years, and has a very strong 'supporters' area, with loads of great people, advice and support which I'm sure will be of benefit to you. I'm not pushing you away from here (far from it - we need more people like you!), but I also want you to get the best support. As Brucielucy said, looking after yourself is just as important as looking after yourself.

Regards
CB
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Donation drives

2026 Donation Goal

Goal
$1,800.00
Earned
$980.00
This donation drive ends in
0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds
  54.4%

Trending content

Featured content

Back
Top Bottom