How do I know if I’m the problem in my marriage?

r/

My husband and I are coming up on our 2 year wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks. I think I need to leave, but I don’t WANT to yet. I am having a hard time deciphering if I am the problem and deserve the treatment I am receiving or if he is just an immature, selfish jerk. We came into the relationship with him knowing that I have a lot of trauma and mental health issues. I think he became worn out by trying to “help” me, but I never really felt validated or understood by him. I do think he was probably “trying” to help, but I just wanted him to listen and understand. I took on all financial responsibility for the first 4 years of our relationship because he kept bouncing around on what he wanted to do, which resulted in him either doing nothing, or doing something for a few months and then quitting. He has never helped much with housework, even when he wasn’t working or in school. He thinks doing the occasional dishes and laundry is “a lot”. I have built a lot of resentment for taking care of most things. I thought things would get better once he got a good job…I was dead wrong. Things have gotten significantly worse. He cannot handle the stress of having a job and he takes out his stress on me. He has always done things periodically, but it has gotten substantially worse since he started this job. He has only been working it for 6 months. I do see how many things are frustrating with his job, but his lack of resilience at EVERY job disgusts me. There is no room for my feelings, especially if they are “crazy”. I cannot request help from him because he is “too overwhelmed”. He spends his ENTIRE weekends 8-10 hours a day with his friends rebuilding a 70s vehicle and hardly makes time for dates or spending quality time with me. His best stress relief is smoking cigarettes, and he gets angry with me when I get frustrated by him doing so because he doesn’t not share with me how he is feeling, he just smokes or drinks and waits for me to find out, get upset, and uses it as an excuse to go off on me. The other night I found cigarettes and asked why he is doing that and his response was to walk away, crack open a beer (also only drinks when going through something), and tell me he “can’t stand me, can’t stand looking at my face.” He claims I’m never supportive of him, but he is ALWAYS negative and complaint and talking about how awful his life is (including his marriage to me). I told him I struggle to be supportive because I know that when he’s angry, it’s just a matter of time before he takes his anger out on me, so it’s easier for me to keep my mouth shut so I don’t say something wrong. He says I’ve made him anxious and brought him down and essentially that I’ve ruined him. Sometimes I believe him and sometimes I think that’s ridiculous. Just yesterday, he said, “at least you know I felt all weekend” because he was sick over the weekend while we went on a trip and he felt I didn’t have enough empathy for him. It’s like he’s glad I’m sick? I feel like I married a child, but sometimes I understand his anger towards me. I feel like I’m going crazy. We’re in therapy, but I feel like the therapist focuses on me and my mental health issues rather than US, that makes me think he thinks I’m the problem? I guess I’m so confused because with everyone else, he’s so likeable and charming. Everyone he meets loves him. He doesn’t have all bad qualities. He’s smart, good at talking to people, talented, attractive, and a loyal friend. I just don’t understand.

Comments

  1. epicpillowcase Avatar

    You are not the problem. He sucks.

  2. sarahwhatsherface Avatar

    Focusing on your mental health during appointments with the therapist doesn’t have to be seen as assigning fault. Navigating complications in relationships, and standing up for what one needs, requires you have strength within yourself to be able to make decisions for what’s best for you. Maybe the therapist is trying to help you with those tools?

  3. BeJane759 Avatar

    Setting aside whether you deserve to be treated poorly (you don’t, by the way, but moving past that for a moment), why would you want to be married to someone who “can’t stand you” and “can’t stand looking at your face”?? 

  4. Training_Bridge_2425 Avatar

    WOW I am so excited for you to get the hell out of there. Whatever “problems” you bring into a relationship will never justify having to put up with this bullshit.

  5. Flat-Flounder-9034 Avatar

    Sigh. Why did you get married? Do you even like this guy? I don’t blame you if you said no because he sounds like a jerk. What good does he bring to your life? If he went on a week long trip and you were home alone would you feel relieved?

    He doesn’t seem to show any indication of wanting to change or of owning his behavior as being problematic. The way he talks to you is totally unacceptable. Why are you staying??!? Please for the love of god do not have kids with this idiot.

  6. fluffy_hamsterr Avatar

    It’s possible you are a problem, but you didn’t talk about your flaws so we have no idea.

    What’s certain is your husband is definitely a problem… and regardless of your flaws you don’t deserve to be treated the way he treats you.

    Definitely time to leave.

  7. anonymous_opinions Avatar

    Most people who are the problem don’t suspect they are the problem. Women always feel a “need” to “fix” things which is why they remain in dead relationships longer than men. While men will spend ‘some’ amount of time fixing they know there’s a problem (with their partner) and bounce when said problem isn’t solvable hence men will bounce a lot faster and will be TOTALLY DONE before women leave. A marriage is 100% dead over when the man decides it’s done whereas a woman could spend a decade trying to “fix” the broken relationship.

  8. DegreeDubs Avatar

    > I took on all financial responsibility for the first 4 years of our relationship because he kept bouncing around on what he wanted to do, which resulted in him either doing nothing, or doing something for a few months and then quitting. He has never helped much with housework, even when he wasn’t working or in school. He thinks doing the occasional dishes and laundry is “a lot”.

    It sounds like you’ve been enabling his behavior.

    You two sound so incompatible, I’m honestly confused as to how you both progressed to marriage. I see that you thought he’d grow up or change…now you know that isn’t happening. This isn’t a sustainable relationship and it takes both people wanting to change and do better to address it. I’m not even sure if it’s worth it for you at this point. Your feelings of resentment are so strong.

    He can be a good-hearted person and a terrible life companion at the same time.

  9. JemAndTheBananagrams Avatar

    Are you happy? Is this a life you would be glad to still be living a year, five years, ten years from now?

    Forget blame. Forget guilt. If this isn’t the life you want to keep living, that is reason enough to leave.