I've suspected that my partner has had ADHD for about 5 years but refuses to acknowledge it. When I initially bright it up 5 years ago, he was very very angry and told me I'm not a doctor. He's right I'm not. But since then I've read a number of books on the subject. Either way I just wish he would talk to someone about it. Recently he took an online test after we had a huge fight, it said he is highly likely to have it.
He told me he would talk to someone about his anger and his side of our arguments. Today we had another argument and he told me no he will not be doing that and that all of our problems are because of me. The argument started because I picked up a loose piece of mail (there are constantly loose papers everywhere) and put it into a pile of other papers.
I really don't know what to do I feel so alone.
I feel like I do the majority of the house work/ recycling/anything related to our dog (we don't have kids)/ remembering items that need to be purchased/ etc
I have tried letting go of needing things to be tidy but when I do that I'm told I'm lazy, dead weight etc. Even if I'm the one doing it 9/10 times. If he has to do it 2 times, I'm lazy. So caring less isn't an option.
He calls me terrible terrible terrible names in arguments.
At this point I do many things and I do them "good enough". I don't ask for help. I'm not allowed to ask for help. And when I don't clean the kitchen 100% perfectly I hear about it and am told that it wasn't even done. When I do clean it's not noticed.
I know the kitchen is important to him so I focus a lot of attention there. The bed being made and papers put away or jackets hung up/not on the floor of the doorway are things that are important to me. Those things do not get any effort on his part. He has made the bed 1 time, and he is 99.9% of the times the last person out of bed.
When he cooks the kitchen is a disaster. I clean it up 95% of the time.
When I'm the one that wants to make a meal, he takes over. I want to be the one that sometimes makes the food and then he cleans up.
When I cook I clean, but when he cooks I also clean.
I'm not allowed to touch his papers. I just have to live with them being everywhere.
He does not give our dug his monthly medication.
He does not make any of his appointments.
He does not pay for any vet visits. He doesn't contact the vet for appointment documents. He doesn't upload documents to insurance. I have to do all of those things.
I have to ask him every single month for rent. It comes out of my account. Not once has he sent me rent without me asking.
I have organized and put up hooks and shelves and asked for his skateboard (that he is selling) to be shipped for 7 months. I told him I don't want guns in the apartment. Under the bed is now filled with guns and guitars. The office is unusable.
I had a stack of like 7 books on the shelf and was told how lazy I am for them being there.
I feel very stuck.
I don't blame you for feeling stuck
Submitted by swampyankee on
I feel stuck, too. A lot of what you have said has also happened in my relationship ( the name calling, especially, has been devastating for me).
I'm stuck because I'm married to my partner, we have two kids, my mother lives with us and it is financially unfeasible for us to maintain two households at the moment.
But I'm wondering if you might not be as stuck as I am. Emotionally, maybe, but not logistically.
Because what you describe doesn't sound sustainable or healthy. Do you have a place you can crash for a few weeks? Separating yourself from the situation, even temporarily, might help clear your head.
Thank you
Submitted by afer on
Thank you for listening and sharing.
I definitely hear you. I feel like I want to work on this a bit more. I have a counselor and I think she can help me put it into perspective. Maybe create a timeline if things that I need to see in order to stay.
Getting a bit of space is a good idea, though sadly my family lives on the other side of the country. Ill think on that.
Keep reaching out
Submitted by 1Melody1 on
Honestly, ADHD or not, this sounds like a verbally, emotionally and financially abusive relationship. I'm so glad you're here as many of us have experienced a similar dynamic.
Can you leave safely? This really isn't okay. ♥️
Duplicate deleted
Submitted by adhd32 on
.
Start planning your exit
Submitted by adhd32 on
If you are married, talk with an attorney to find out your options. If not, start planning. You cannot change someone else, especially one who will not acknowledge his behavior. He is abusing you. Seek therapy for yourself to find out why you accept this. This is not love.
Thank you
Submitted by afer on
We are not married. We have a 1 year old dog together that it pretty high needs.
Thank you for listening and sharing.
Was In Same Situation
Submitted by kosty on
Wow, your story is EXACTLY mine. I feel for you. I do the majority of the house hold things, paying bills, cleaning, making sure things are tidy, taking care of our 5 dogs, we also have no children. My husband too refuses to get help, also. He told me several years ago that he had ADHD, and now says he never said that. He also is angry and very unhappy with his life.
I finally made the decision a year ago to just let him be and start my own journey of happiness and being healthy. So I went into therapy to work on myself, and started living my own best life, and I feel great. I can't control his happiness nor do I want to I can only control mine. He blames me for everything when we get into fights, but I just say back to him calmly hey I have been working on myself for a year now, and my side of the street is clean, if you don't want to do something about yourself that is your problem, not mine, and I walk away. I have joined several support groups like this one so when I feel alone, which I know I'm not, or I need to vent I can. He has mentioned divorce twice within the past several years, but I know he would not be able to handle things without me. I have taken steps to protect myself just in case one day he say's he really wants a divorce.
I have gotten several books to help me, one is called Today A Better Way, it is based on AA, but it works for everyday life too. The other one is Stop CareTaking by Margalis Fjelstad, which has help me too.
We all have choices to stay or go. I have chosen to stay, because we do have good times, and we do have things in common. I just have to remind myself daily or when I start to get frustrated that he has an issue with his brain, and that it is not me, it is him, and that most of the time brings me back to my center. I also got a book called The Way Of Integrity, by Martha Beck, which I find while doing Oprah's life classes which helped me to.
So to conclude, please just take care of you, you have to respect yourself, treat yourself well, and if it changes him for the better well that is good, if not again it is not your responsbility to make sure he is happy.
Here if you need to talk, vent, ect.
Thank you so much for
Submitted by afer on
Thank you so much for listening and sharing your story. I do feel the same. The good times are really good and I'm not ready to give up on us yet.
I have been going to my own counselor and I do a group CBT group. My partner said I needed to go to anger management so I did that as well. I didn't think i had anger in fact I think I have more at this point. Anyhow.
The threatening to leave hit home as well. Whenever we get into any sort of argument or disagreement he will say "then leave me" or "if I'm so bad leave me" or "I hate you get it of my life".
I have been responding back in worse and worse ways. Yesterday I was trying to talk to him during our blow and he kept turnkng the hockey game on so I slapped the remote in his hand. And then he told me "see, you are trailer trash" and tough i fully own that action and regret doing it, he is a MATSTER button pusher. Calf you a name, keeps going, talking over me, swearing, until I react and then it's "see you are ____" (terrible name).
I'm going to keep working on myself as you mentioned. If I don't see any action or if I see the same behaviour in our next argument I don't know how I could continue this relationship.
Last night he apologized for the names and said he will try really hard to instead of call me a bitch if he detects a tone of voice on my part that he doesnt ike, instead ask me what's going on, or tell me he detects a tone and ask me to check in with myself. (This is what I do when he is grumpy, because I understand we can have bad days because we are human, but I don't demoralize him, I just ask him what's going on).
Thanks again
Your Welcome
Submitted by kosty on
I understand about the threatening to leave hit home as well, like I said he has said the divorce word twice in several years, and has really made me think about myself and my happiness.
I just purchased the book The ADHD Effect on Marriage, and all I can say is wow, it is really helping me understand, things I do myself, why my husband does what he does,ect, maybe get it for yourself.
My husband said I had anger management issues too, which I did, but all that is gone since I have been in therapy.
Hey at least he apologized for the names, and he is willing to try harder. Yes I'm learning about my own tone, and with the way I speak to him. Unfortunately, I do demoralize him, but I'm learning through research that I must not do that.
I'm going to join the Non-Support ADHD support group that is starting in March on Tuesday, I think it would help me a lot.
Well try and stay neutral, and take care of you.
Kosty
Maybe I'll try it too
Submitted by afer on
Thank you!
Yea actually this ebook is what made me really see the patterns and what brought me to this community. I'm on my second round of listening to it. I see us in 90% of the situations in this book. I googled looking for books in desperation.
Thanks again.
Only you can help yourself
Submitted by c ur self on
Based on this post you are choosing to live with a controlling, angry, dependent person, who is in denial of his behaviors, and attempts to cover his actions by being abusive to you....So help yourself is my thought...Set boundaries...Tell him what you will tolerate from him, then be as good as your word...As long as any person lives the Blame life, and takes no ownership of their actions, and how those actions effect those who share the same life spaces, nothing will change...My suggestion is you break up his self absorbed comfort zone's by non-participation....Your words are useless, but, your silence will be golden....
Blessings
c