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Been on this forum a couple of years. Began due to my mom's decline. I am an only and had been slogging along mostly by myself for the last ten years. She's 100, I am 62. She finally went to assisted living and I got a bit of my life back but not for long.
My husband is 72, longtime addict, intermittent periods of long clean time with relapse, currently in relapse. He's been retired for health reasons, back surgeries, COPD for quite awhile, I am still working.
The past couple of years his personality has changed , he's very forgetful and increasingly physicially aggressive and hypersexual. I could not tell sometimes which was running the show, addiction, or what his doctor calls "mild" cognitive decline. His "relapse" is prescription narcotics he gets from his pain doctor, a ridiculous amount in my opinon.
During the worst, most difficult years of helping mom, he sometimes would help me but mostly just complained about how busy I was and that I never had time for him. He joined about 50 dating websites, not the nice ones where you look for your soulmate, but the skeevy ones, the hookup ones. Once I discovered the $ on the credit cards and finally snooped his computer, hell ensued. I was very upset and felt betrayed and he defended his "right" to entertainment. A couple of our interactions became physical. He tripped me one day and shoved me another time. We sought counseling but he didn't see the problem or thought the problem was me and that I should just chill the F out. So we quit wasting $$ on that.
He has continued to decline memory wise, very little short term memory.



So lately, whenever he is angry with me, he claims I am not his wife but some vagrant, squatter taking up space in his house. This happens more toward evening so I am guessing it's sundowning. I feel like I walk on eggshells around him all the time. If I ever, God forbid, lose my patience with his memory issues, his refusal to wear his hearing aids or any age related decline issue he is easily raged and has again started shoving me, twisting my arm, etc. He took off one of my shoes and hit me with it a month ago. I threated to call the police but never did...until last night when he again, accused me of being an intruder in his house. He first locked me out in freezing weather with an inadequate coat. Thank goodness I had my cell. I called the police, he told them I was an intruder , they surmised his condition and told me to go to a hotel or a friend's home or to at least stay in separate parts of the house. I was worried about my rescue dog, who witnessed all this so I chose to stay in another part of the house with her. Stupid of me.
He sought me out and threatened me, so I decided to go to a hotel but he blocked me from leaving. I told him I would call the police again, this time they took him to ER for evaluation but did not put a hold on him so he was free to leave, which he did. The hospital is about 3 blocks from our house so he walked home, really pissed now. I asked if I could leave, he said no and blocked me, took my keys. I was scared so I tried to call the police again. I did try to de-escalate but he has having none of it. I was successful in reaching 911 but not before he bit me and tried to break my arm. He's in custody now.
I know I should have handled this differently, but how? I feel like it's always my fault. What set him off was he asked me if he could have a candy bar, and I said, in a rather exasperated tone- what candy bars? we don't have any. Guess I should have said it more sweetly but I was all outta sweet. While he is there I am going to file for divorce. He has no family that will have anything to do with him and all his friendships in recovery programs have dropped away as he is using. I was his last person. Yet, I wonder what will happen to him. Guess I need to get out my co-dependency books and dust them off, hit an Alanon meeting and talk to an attorney.

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To your last sentence: Yes, Yes, and Yes! Don't beat yourself up, as you have tried your best, but you must get out now. Talk with an attorney, file a restraining order if need be, change locks, just all the things that will keep you safe and alive. You have dignity and worth as a person: protect that!
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You have lots of support here.

You stayed until you can’t stay any longer.

This will be the biggest challenge of your life. But, as I say to my kids, just because something is hard, doesn’t mean that it’s not right.

Get out of the situation before the situation kills you.

Any time you need an ear, we are here to listen and encourage.
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Go to a lawyer now!! You are abused and he has dementia . You can’t take care of him. Do not let him back in your house. Change the locks and/or if he is set free, leave and go somewhere else if you can until he is detained permanently .
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Your dh is a very sick man. You stayed out of loyalty thinking maybe things would improve. They haven't, they've just gotten worse and now he needs Memory Care Assisted Living or a psychiatric facility to stabilize his behavior first. You did nothing wrong! I'm just grateful you survived the chaos and can now file for divorce. I'd sit down now with an Elder Care atty to help you plan all of this out.

Best of luck to you
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Yep. That's me the little fixer always think I could or should fix someone or something and it's just gotten worse. Should have gone a long time ago. But it's not too late. Bitter lessons learned. But learned anyway.
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Could he have FrontoTemporal Dementia (FTD)? The variety of behaviors you described sounds to me very much like what I saw described in a caregiver support group for those whose loved ones have FTD. By all means take whatever steps necessary to protect yourself, the dog and your assets.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
I think that is possible. He's had a couple of head injuries which I have heard can cause or contribute to FTD.
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I find it extremely heartbreaking that you as the victim feel that it's your fault. That's the way abusers want their victims to feel, so they can continue on with their abuse. It's sickening and very disturbing.
Yes, file for a divorce, talk to a good elder law attorney, move out while your husband is still in custody or change the locks so he can't move back in, and DON'T under any circumstances let him talk you back into his life. He's not going to change but only to get worse.
You deserve better! Please know that.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Yeah, I kinda played into that manipulation. It's true that addiction is a family disease, they drag you along and down with them. I know, Iet caregiving, co-dependency, whatever kind of erase me.
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I can’t think you have any possible reason to blame yourself OR to think you could or should have handled this differently, but I also think that before you file you may learn valuable information by checking with a lawyer or Legal Aid about how to extricate yourself safely from this painful situation.

An Al-Anon or cross addiction-Anon meeting sure won’t hurt.

Hope it’s a comfort to you that you certainly aren’t getting any blame here- we get it.

Be good to yourself and keep us posted.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Thank you, Ann.
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If he is starting to be violent you need to call the ER when the cops take him and tell them he needs to be evaluated that he is violent. He is not to be released to home because you are afraid of him. IMO, he should never been allowed to walk home. You tell the police he needs to be baker act.

If tou can get him in a Psychiatric hospital, do not allow him to be discharged to your home. Tell them your afraid for your life. At this point he needs to be in Memory Care and if you can't afford that, in Long-term care with Medicaid. You have choices, refuse to take him home. Place him in care.

You need to make a decision at this time. Do u want to divorce him or continue with the marriage? If it were me I may opt to see an elder lawyer and have ur assets split. His split going for his care in a MC or LTC facility. When his split is gone, u can apply for Medicaid. At that time you become Community Spouse getting the home, a car and enough of his SS and pension, if it applies, to live on. I am just giving you the basics, a lawyer will give you the whole picture.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Thank you, appreciate the legal insight. I think divorce. I think he's probably too far gone memory wise to have any kind of relationship with anymore. We'll see what happens with a jail detox. Won't be pleasant. Maybe his mind will be clearer but it won't change things for me.
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You poor thing. It sounds to me like FTD, due to the hypersexuality. You should have left a long time ago. BUT that's neither here nor there. Now you have to follow through with your excellent plan. LEAVE now. You are not safe at all around him. File for divorce and refuse to be alone with him, ever. It's time to be strong and take care of yourself.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Thank you! That is the plan.
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First of all, I am very sorry that you are in this situation. Living with an addict is very difficult.

I don’t blame you for not wanting to continue therapy as a couple.

Have you considered therapy for yourself? It might help to get an objective opinion in order to see a fresh perspective on things.

Your husband needs more help than you can give him.

All you can do is offer suggestions. He will either accept or reject your ideas. Be prepared to walk away.

Sometimes it takes walking away to realize how bad it truly was.

I truly hope that you will find peace and joy in your life. You certainly deserve it.
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Siouxann, you did NOTHING wrong.

Sometimes, there is no right thing.

He belongs in a psychiatric unit, pending release to secure memory care.
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I'm so glad you've reached this decision.

You can go to Alanon, read the books, and buy him some candy bars, but WHY? You're way too nice and understanding to someone who has tried to hurt you over and over. Watch some Dateline TV shows and see what could have happened to you. He could have killed you.

Pack up his things and throw them out the door. You don't need to care what will happen to him. YOU stay in the house. YOU get the lawyer immediately, and I suggest one who is passionate about helping victims of domestic violence get a divorce.

You should also put on your phone the numbers of places that help abused women get help. You might need it. And be very careful about your home security. Don't take chances. Don't let him in for any reason, no matter how safe it seems. If you must let him in because of a court order, such as he has the right to get his belongings, get an armed off-duty police officer or security guard to be there with you.

Good luck in moving on, and congratulations for having the strength to do it.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Thank you Fawnby.
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You're doing the right thing, It won't be easy or pleasant, but your story, laid out like it is, makes me feel like his anger/physical abuse is ramping up.

Get out and don't look back. You should get a restraining order, and protect yourself.

Self preserve and don't look back.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Thank you Midkid.
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Your last sentence says it all. Yes, it is time for self-preservation now. There is little you can do to help your husband. Actually there is NOTHING you can do, nor is there much reason to WANT to do anything for him.
You should attend the Al-Anon meetings and will learn much about options there, and have at least some support. You may even bump into a great attorney.
I am sorry for all the woe, but you now need to take care of yourself.
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Siouxann Feb 2023
Thank you! Your words always help.
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I think you handled it well. Thank God you escaped serious physical injury.
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