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How do I leave a marriage when I don’t hate the person I’m leaving?

User Profile: flowershallgrow
flowershallgrow 2 hours ago

Hi ;) I'm not sure if this is the right place to write this because I'm new here but I'll give it a go. If anyone has any advice please tell <3

I’m 22 and I’ve been married for one year and a half.

I know I was young. I know we got married quickly. But when I met my husband, I was in a very dark place. I had struggled with depression since I was young and never really felt like I belonged anywhere or with anyone. He helped me through that time, loved me, and made me feel like maybe I had finally found where I belonged. I genuinely believed God had put him in my life for a reason.

I love him, and I still care about him deeply.

But I have become incredibly depressed in our marriage.

We live with his extremely religious parents, and I constantly feel watched, criticised and controlled. We are expected to attend church every single day for at least 3 hours, I have very little privacy, and I’m made to feel guilty whenever I want time for myself or disagree with them.

The church I go to it's a very toxic place and all they preach about is men being way above women and how women should only cook, clean, have children and obey her husband in everything he says or does.

There is also constant pressure about having children. I don’t want a baby, and his parents have even told me that if I had one, they would take it away from me and they would raise it themselves expecting my child to not know me as the mother. I cannot accept that.

My husband knows I’m unhappy and also very depressed. I have days where I feel like I can't stand up from my bed to even brush my hair but I do it because I know I have to. I’ve told him that I feel trapped and overwhelmed. I’ve tried to explain it, I’ve cried, I’ve asked for things to change. He has promised before that things will be different, but I don’t want to keep waiting and hoping anymore.

My mental health has become extremely bad again. There are days when I struggle to take care of myself and sometimes I genuinely can't do basic things. I don’t feel like myself anymore.

And the hardest part is that I do not hate him.

I don’t think he’s evil. I don’t think everything we had was a lie. He helped me when I was at my lowest, I loved him, and I still love and care about him. But I have finally realised that loving someone doesn’t necessarily mean you can build a life with them.

I don’t want to move out with him and continue the same marriage because his family will still be involved in everything. They will control everything. I don’t want another conversation where I’m convinced to stay. I don’t want to repair this anymore.

I know it will hurt him. I know his family will probably call me selfish, disrespectful, ungrateful, a terrible wife and a terrible Christian but I think I’m prepared for that.

What scares me is actually doing it.

How do you leave someone you still love? How do you deal with the guilt? Do you tell your husband beforehand, or make your arrangements and leave? Do you owe his family an explanation?

II just need to know that there is a way out. I don't hate him, I just want myself back. I want my life back. I know I seem evil and selfish but everyday I wake up in this house it's just another day of imprisonment for me.

3
User Profile: Amanda84
Amanda84 2 hours ago

@flowershallgrow

Thank you for being so honest 💛

You've found yourself in a very difficult situation.

And I can see you still love and respect your husband.

But equally you are your own person 

And I feel your pain, being told men are above you and you are there to serve them.

That's very dismissive and degrading and so out of date 💛

You deserve to be heard, respected and not feeling suffocated by him or by his parents 

Whatever you decide, I genuinely wish you the absolute best and I'm sorry you have to suffer this.

No man is better than you 💛

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User Profile: toughTiger6481
toughTiger6481 44 minutes ago

Love is simply Not enough to keep a marriage going when you are living like you are.  

 Family involved in any marriage is the beginning of the end. they always think they can run things with " advice"   Talk to him and set boundaries....he will need to choose if he is a husband or just a son.  he can go with you or stay but you deserve a life.   Leaving sounds like your best choice.  Leave when you can still have fond memories of him.  sooner or later living as you are you may grow to despise him. 

Do NOT have a baby to prove anything.  would you really want a child growing up in that?   Marriage decisions like having a family should be you and your husband not his family especially as it sounds like his mom just wants to raise your child. Even if you stay, they will never let you have things your way or space for yourself.  do not wait or hope for change it will not happen. 

it is hard to start over at any age but younger may actually be better.   Many wait longer hoping to change and then have it harder with kids or other issues. 

User Profile: Natureenthusiastic123
Natureenthusiastic123 40 minutes ago

@flowershallgrow you need to ask yourself why do you want to leave the person in the first place. Is it because you're unhappy, not satisfied in some areas , bored? Once you decide that that the first step into figuring this whole thing out. Hope this helps