Struggling in my marriage

Hello - I've been married for a couple of years and we were dating for 6 before that but right now I'm really struggling.

My spouse identifies as being autistic although he has not had a diagnosis. He's late fifties and has only acknowledged this in the last few years, but he has chronicled a lifetime of struggles and it does all seem to point in the direction (although I'm no expert.)

I've tried really hard to research, learn and understand and on the whole I think I have done well as it is a journey for me too.

But currently I think he's depressed. He said he feels depressed. Mainly due to hating his job which I do understand and I've suggested he look for another as both of our lives are not suffering as a result of his unhappiness, but he literally said that he cannot be bothered. He said that there's a lot of noise in his head. Literal (we have a lot of road noise outside) and metaphorical.

But he is just shutting me out completely. He sits in silence or does his thing for hours, and when I try to reach out nothing comes back in my direction at all. When I try to have an honest, serious conversation he just walks off angrily and says he doesn't want to talk about it. But I'm deeply, deeply unhappy and feeling very lonely and at this rate, wondering whether the marriage can survive.

This is compounded by us living and working overseas currently, so no one for me to talk with who I trust and I don't want to worry people back home.

I love him very much and I have tried very hard to learn about the differences between us, but everything has been ramped up a lot with no sign of a way forward or even an effort to find a way forward. Honestly, I feel very lonely.

Parents
  • Has he done much of his own research into autism? If not, it may help him realise why he hates the job and has the noise in his head (I completely relate to both of these). 

    I understand him getting angry and depressed, it is difficult to break out of but having self knowledge can help bring some peace.

    Being kind to yourself isn't easy when it feels like you are under attack all the time (I don't mean you, I think he would struggle more without you).

    Stay on the group and keep asking questions Thumbsup

Reply
  • Has he done much of his own research into autism? If not, it may help him realise why he hates the job and has the noise in his head (I completely relate to both of these). 

    I understand him getting angry and depressed, it is difficult to break out of but having self knowledge can help bring some peace.

    Being kind to yourself isn't easy when it feels like you are under attack all the time (I don't mean you, I think he would struggle more without you).

    Stay on the group and keep asking questions Thumbsup

Children
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