Relationship problems

Hello,

Me and my husband aren’t getting along. I’m so emotionally drained because I feel like he is being the unreasonable one! 
I was diagnosed with autism at 43 (2years ago) and I am awaiting for assessment for ADHD (app next week). 
I do not work because of my mental health (anxiety and depression) and I do struggle daily with minor tasks. 

My husband has known about my issues for a while and he was the one who encouraged me to get assessed for autism but he is now saying that I have got worse since my diagnosis and that I’m making excuses for my behaviour. 

I do not agree at all. I believe that he thought that as soon as I got a diagnosis, then I would be ok if that makes sense? I try to get him to watch online educational videos with people with ADHD to explain why I think I have this condition too as I was made aware in my autism assessment that I had many of the traits of ADHD. 

If I get a diagnosis of adhd next week, I will definitely be asking to take the medication as I feel like this would definitely help me cope better with my issues but until then I just feel like every day is the same. My head is scrambled and now I feel like I have no support from my husband. 

He has flat right refused to educate himself and he uses the sort of language that I find offensive (everyone is a bit autistic or a bit adhd). Does anyone else have these difficulties or is it me that’s the problem? 

I am very emotional at the moment and really not sure if I should even send this post. 

Thanks

Parents
  • I'm guessing you really feel in need of his support now and instead you're getting judgement? This is a really uncomfortable place to be, could you ask him in a quiet non confrontational way, what he hoped the outcome of diagnosis would be and how he hoped it would change things?Maybe he hoped you could be "fixed" in some way? Many people and in my experience men in particular have a mindset where if you show them a problem, they reach to their inner mechanic to find the right tools and when they don't have the right tools feel useless and that feeling of uselessness often expresses itself by being judgemental, denial that something is a problem and blame. I don't know what you can do to help him learn about ASC and ADHD, his refusal to learn is probably a fear reaction.

    I find the 'we're all on the spectrum somewhere' stuff infuriating and unhelpful, especially as its often followed by totally inappropriate and unhelpful advice.

  • Yes that’s exactly how I feel. Every time I try to defend myself, he shuts me down. Doesn’t want to hear it, I’m making excuses. He is even doing more things on his own, meeting up with friends. He says it’s because I don’t want to do anything which again isn’t true, I just don’t want to do what he is suggesting (busy places etc). 
    I spent my whole life masking, putting myself in situations that cause me distress and I would cope by drinking too much alcohol. I don’t want to do that anymore. I feel like he is going to leave me! 
    He said he won’t but he clearly isn’t happy with me anymore. 

  • I've noticed that a lot of people have some very strange reactions when someone gives up alcohol, it's like they feel you've opted out of being social and stopped being the person you were when you were drinking, I stopped drinking because I was menopausal and it gave me monsterous hot flushes and made me throw up.

    it does sound like he's trying to test your boundaries. You say he clearly isn't happy with you anymore, but more to the point, are you happy with him as he is now? You can have some power with this situation, firstly by asking yourself what you want and need and if he's unwilling to meet you at least halfway then would seperating be such a bad thing? Obviously it would be a massive upheaval and change is scary, but it dosen't have to be bad scary, it can be liberating scary if you embrace it and decide to live the life you want and need to live rather than the one you have been living and one where your needs aren't being met.

  • Oh that old chestnut, you can anything with him, but he won't do anything with you. I don't know that you can do anything about that, I think thats just how some people are.

    I get what you mean about not going to places that make you feel anxious, when I did still drink alcohol, I'd often drink alone, because I could stop when I wanted too, I could have a glass or two and not feel the pressure of having to keep up with others and drink more than I wanted too, I could drink what I liked too. I realised that I drank because that was how I coped in pubs and other loud places with often semi-hostile people.

    How is he with your 4 year old? With his schedule it dosen't sound like he has much time for family life with you.

  • I haven’t give up drinking, I just don’t do it as often and prefer not to go to the places that make me feel anxious, whereas before I would just go anywhere even I didn’t really want to.

    I don’t want to separate, I do love him and we have a 4 year old together but it’s like we live two separate lives in the same house. I’m not on my own but I feel lonely. 

    I don’t work at the moment because of my mental health issues but he gets up early to go on a two hour walk at 6am. He then goes straight to work after his walk, then goes to the pub after work. When he gets home he is tired and goes to bed. Then on the weekends he has his 3 children from a previous marriage or he is working. Any spare time, he spends with others! 

    I have tried to speak to him about how I feel but he says I can go with him, it’s me that doesn’t want to do anything but that’s not entirely true. He said I need to go back to work and stop using accuses. 

Reply
  • I haven’t give up drinking, I just don’t do it as often and prefer not to go to the places that make me feel anxious, whereas before I would just go anywhere even I didn’t really want to.

    I don’t want to separate, I do love him and we have a 4 year old together but it’s like we live two separate lives in the same house. I’m not on my own but I feel lonely. 

    I don’t work at the moment because of my mental health issues but he gets up early to go on a two hour walk at 6am. He then goes straight to work after his walk, then goes to the pub after work. When he gets home he is tired and goes to bed. Then on the weekends he has his 3 children from a previous marriage or he is working. Any spare time, he spends with others! 

    I have tried to speak to him about how I feel but he says I can go with him, it’s me that doesn’t want to do anything but that’s not entirely true. He said I need to go back to work and stop using accuses. 

Children
  • Oh that old chestnut, you can anything with him, but he won't do anything with you. I don't know that you can do anything about that, I think thats just how some people are.

    I get what you mean about not going to places that make you feel anxious, when I did still drink alcohol, I'd often drink alone, because I could stop when I wanted too, I could have a glass or two and not feel the pressure of having to keep up with others and drink more than I wanted too, I could drink what I liked too. I realised that I drank because that was how I coped in pubs and other loud places with often semi-hostile people.

    How is he with your 4 year old? With his schedule it dosen't sound like he has much time for family life with you.