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Husband's Strange Behavior After 37 Years of Marriage: How Can I Help?

Anu

Anu Krishna  |1342 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Nov 29, 2024

Anu Krishna is a mind coach and relationship expert.
The co-founder of Unfear Changemakers LLP, she has received her neuro linguistic programming training from National Federation of NeuroLinguistic Programming, USA, and her energy work specialisation from the Institute for Inner Studies, Manila.
She is an executive member of the Indian Association of Adolescent Health.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Nov 24, 2024Hindi
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After 37 years of marriage my husband , a renowned lawyer, is behaving strangely. Refuses to eat anything in the house or follow the normal routine. The issue that triggered this behaviour was apparently very inconsequential. But maybe it was the last straw on the camel's back... He feels the we ...wife daughter and son ... Just inform his instead of consulting him. Things have not gone as per his expectations... As his son did not follow his profession... Inspite of doing LLB and daughter's marriage ended in a divorce. Since we are living in a small town and he is a well known person... I don't know what to do.... If I react and the disharmony becomes public... We would never be able to reconcile....cit is getting suffocating for me... What should I do

Ans: Dear Anonymous,
What can you do with someone who behaves irrationally? Or maybe you are assuming all these reasons and his behavior change could be due to something else?
Can you request one of his close friends to talk to him and figure out what exactly is happening and what he wants to do about it? Are you also sure that it's not anything health-related? Sometimes, deficiencies can be seen as withdrawal, anger, anxiety etc...
And on a separate note, if he refuses to change despite all your efforts, it may mean that you need to withdraw into yourself and create a life for yourself. Difficult but not impossible...

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1342 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Oct 19, 2022

Relationship
 Hello mam,(I want to remain anonymous )I want to ask regarding my relationship with my husband.We got married in 2013 and after a month and so...He started saying I shouldn't mingle with Muslim friends who were my colleagues in my office. I told him they are good people and we've never had such kind of differences. But he got angry and from here one by one he started picking fights for each and everything. Since we are newly weds, I asked if we can explore new nearby(one day trip)places during the weekend, which he didn't do. My parents lived nearby and since we used to stay at home they'd call us on weekends for lunch or dinner. He started fighting for that also. He also started body shaming me saying I have gained weight (and everyone in his home are commenting about my weight). I had only gained 3 kgs after my marriage.He said I have relationships with colleagues even after my engagement, which was not the case. Later he said I shouldn't go out for lunch meetings arranged by the company for the whole team. He said I'm wasting time in the company and there is no bright future. I tried to find a job outside but I couldn't cope up with the demeaning and exhausting behaviour in the house and non-stop workload in the office. I agree I was a bit lazy to find a new job but I couldn't do it. In 2015 I left the job and was jobless for 2 months (this happened drastically after a big fight in his hometown that too for trivial reasons). During these two months he made my life a living hell. He would fight for the smallest of things. I had to take care of the house, his younger brother and sister. There were times when we fought because I took care more of his siblings and not him (I used to wonder why he is being hostile when taking care of his family).In 2016 we started our family planning and by God's grace we had baby in 2017. Even when I was pregnant he used to pressurize me to ask my mom to come and take care of me but my mom used to work in a different city and I was thoroughly taken care by my granny and my father. He had problems with that as well. When he started fighting for this matter, I asked him to bring his mother (I knew it was not possible because it's difficult to leave the home and come take care of me) but he kept on saying weird things and insulting my mother saying she is dominating, irresponsible.After having the baby he left me in his hometown for 1 whole year saying that till I prepare myself for the interview and find a new job he will not live with me. I kept begging him, fought with him and even tried to commit suicide because I didn't want to live there anymore after 8 months. I just wanted to come back and have my family which he denied saying he has financial problems. Ultimately I had to pressurise my parents to intervene and take me and my child to their home.Whenever he felt like seeing his daughter he used to come. Otherwise he totally ignored us. My parents and I begged him to come home and stay but he refused (we had a tight financial situation so we couldn't afford a house). My father arranged a small home without any amenities to keep his house's unwanted things. My husband said he will stay there and not in my parents’ house for which I objected. Yet he stayed there for almost 6 months. Later I found a job and moved to a new house.When the pandemic hit I lost my beloved father and my job. I could have saved him but my husband did not allow me to go to my parents place even after explaining to him the situation that my parents are facing. My father did not die of Covid but due to medical negligence. He wanted me to cook and take care of his family in his hometown.He suggested my mother and brother to take leave of two months and sort out all the legal activities which they couldn't. My brother had to leave for his job overseas and mother back to her job. She used to come every three weeks and ask for my help to get things done. He got angry for that and kept on blaming me that I only take care of my family and not him. After my father's death he started insulting my mother. He even made his father to call my mom and talk cheap with her and my brother.Fast forward to now, we have been fighting non-stop and every week there will be a fight, name calling, vulgar words exchanged. He stops talking to me for months together and there has hardly been any physical or emotional intimacy. Even after I confess, cajole and plead with him to sort out our family, he agrees momentarily and again within a week there will be a new topic to fight on in such a way it goes to extremes.This roller coaster ride -- the fights in our relationship -- has affected my child immensely and sometimes for the sake of the child we plan not to divorce each other. But I'm guilty that I'm not providing my child a healthy environment. That I'm not a good wife. I'm confused whether I should continue in this relationship or quit it for the betterment of the three of us because I cannot take this emotional abuse and have my child watching me cry non-stop. Please guide me if my husband will change in future. Should I try counselling or do I divorce him? Because whenever I keep my hopes positive, he goes back to his old ways.
Ans:

Dear VS,

You are married to a man who gets his self-esteem and validation by showing you in poor light, exercises control by telling you who your professional/social circle should be, makes you weak by detaching you from your parents and those who are your support system.

Does this put things into perspective for you as to where you are in within your marriage?

Once you fulfil the above, he might be willing to somewhat accept you, but there will be constant new demands to keep his self-esteem high. It’s all about him, him, and him.

Does he need to visit a professional who can guide him to a better way of thinking? Yes, but that will happen only when he acknowledges his false sense of existence and flushed ego.

If that is possible, do visit a professional who can help him ably and then he might be able to see the marriage in a new light and his contribution towards it.

Till then, this seems to be a battle with a child who is adamant about getting one candy and then another and yet another and then crying out loud when denied.

The child is absolutely growing up in an emotionally challenging environment and this will obviously affect his growth, both physically and emotionally.

I am glad you have been thinking about what to do and now you know what an absolute must-have for the marriage is, to continue.

He must change the way he thinks and acts and treats you like his partner and not someone who was married to him for his sense of validation and self-esteem.

Be wise, watch and decide!

All the best!

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1342 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Jun 24, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Jun 24, 2024Hindi
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Hi Anu Mam, I'm 36 yrs. old my husband is 46 now we have 2 sons. Before marriage my husband was in love with another girl. under pressure of parents that girl married to someone else and left city. later few months we got married. For few days of marriage everything was good he used to treat me nice and use to take out for shopping outing etc. i got pregnant he same year during my pregnancy he had to go to abroad for office work for 8 months, so gap came between us. he completely changed he minimized talking, chatting with family. we ignored may be due to work pressure he became like that. later i came to know he is interested in meeting new ppl especially ladies going with them for lunch dinner n all. after few years he met ex-girlfriend without our knowledge stayed with her few days. so, years passed he ignored us and always scolding getting angry with little things he started maintain distance with us. after 8 yrs. again i got pregnant. He used to go for site visits to other places he stayed back at hotels going with other Females spending time with them. through Facebook he made lot of friends always doing videocalls and chatting with them. everything i knew but i confronted him he uses to scold and flies from the spot saying if u want to stay, stay or else get lost. because of kids i had to stay. now he is renting a house in a same city where we live, (agreement was in his laptop bag) and we don't know what is going on? he never shares and opens anything with us. I asked him many times if u don't want to live with me divorce. He never liked me in this marriage he is always treating me anger. I feel loneliness in my life. Need help what should i do?
Ans: Dear Anonymous,
It must surely be shocking BUT over the years I am sure you would have felt it all slipping away...
He's just in the marriage with no great emotional connect with you; I don't know how he's with the children.
Knowing that over the years, he has not any great attempt to work on the marriage and bond with his family, do you feel that he is going to do that in the future?
Rather than 'BEG' for his time and attention, what if you started to focus on yourself and your children and start afresh? He's anyway living elsewhere...can you take this opportunity and actually figure out what you want from life, from your marriage?
Are you willing to be unsettled like the way you are now even 10 years from now?
A few answers will hit you hard; BUT don't waste anymore time waiting and watching for someone to accept you. It maybe an endless wait-game.
Of course, you do have an option of asking an elder member of the family to step in and intervene and hope that he will have a change of heart. But, be prepared to take a strong stance where required. He's doing this even more as he realizes that you are weak and won't object and 'anything goes' with you.
NO, it doesn't, right? Then buck up and speak for yourself. Whatever it is, come from a place of strength. Try the route of familial intervention first and then a lot will be clear as the way forward for you.

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

..Read more

Anu

Anu Krishna  |1342 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Aug 08, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Jul 30, 2024Hindi
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Dear Anu Krishna, I've been married to a person who has never valued nor cared about me for last 30 years. But I've never ever considered to rethink as I'm hailing from a conservative family. Not even when my husband had both his kidneys damaged n after a period of around 3 years serious medical treatment from various hospitals n various other kind of places then subsequent dialysis thrice a week for almost 3 years then his major transplant surgery then his vigilant care , which is very very important in this case .All this period starting from my marriage of 30+ years , I kept doing everything for him when only my school going 2 sons were there to support him along with my 90 yrs old mother in law ,who was bed ridden ( & could only manage to walk upto her washroom). I managed it all successfully n financial burden was taken care of by my company ( I've been managing everything along with my PSU job) .With the grace of God ????,my husband got all right n started with his business again n slowly got over everything along with her lady partner in business. Problem arises when again he started behaving in the same way as prior to his kidneys issues ( scolding me every now n then, belittling me in everything I do that too before neighbours or before the maids even ) . Now once when he abused my late parents n myself around last year (4th May '23) . I just couldn't take it anymore n started thinking what should I do now when my mother had expired just 2 years back n whom I was very close to . Going to live with my married brothers was also not a good option. So at once I decided that since my both sons are settled well now ( both are engineers from reputed institutes but not married yet) , so I'll take a room now n live in that n can take care of myself as I'm still working n since he always warns me of leaving his house ) It happened when around 16th of May , someone from UK ( a British citizen working at a respectable position) as shown in his Linkedin profile contacted me as business lead ( I had just put my first post on 13th May around Mother's day), though later I realised was interested to know about me rather. Immediately I stopped responding to him . Then later when he pursued, I clarified everything to him that I:m a married woman with two sons telling everything about me. Though there must be some confusion as when I told him that my husband was having kidney issues n he is now on life long medicines) I don't know what he could understand with that he kept on pursuing me ( thinking my husband is my ex now) but I think I had also stated having feelings for him n couldn't tell him the truth till now. Though he is more than ready to accept my kids happily as I too loved his 13 year old sweet daughter .( His wife has expired in a brief illness during COVID 3 years back).To my disbelief, inspite of not even meeting once in person, just by chatting n pics exchange, we seem quite similar n have come quite closer emotionally. Now please suggest in this situation,what should I do now?
Ans: Dear Anonymous,
Your journey has been filled with a lot of challenges and I am sure that you have done your best.
It's natural to respond warmly and want to explore a connection where you are valued and appreciated. But the fact remains that you are still married even if you live separately.
First things first...close one door and then walk through the next otherwise you will be stepping in and out of both only to increase your stress levels and you have had enough of that already.
If you feel this gentleman has not understood that you are still married, then tell him again. Yes, it may change the way he feels or he maybe fine BUT surely he need not be stepping into a confused married world of yours.
Time has come for you to decide what you want to do with this marriage irrespective of whether the new connection will lead you anywhere or not. Surely, you and this gentleman must meet and talk...understand the situations that you both are in; obviously him losing his wife has not been easy on him and his family.
Jumping into another relationship just because it offers your short-term respite from what you have is a mistake.
So, learn more about your new connection, be transparent with him and also in parallel, figure out what you want to do with the marriage. That will need a lot of thinking and work...Take your sons into confidence; they are grown men who have seen you through your most challenging times and will have a lot to offer in terms of perspectives and support.
Lead a good life; one that you deserve BUT one that is filled with clarity and purpose.

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

..Read more

Anu

Anu Krishna  |1342 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Nov 29, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Nov 23, 2024Hindi
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i got married late in life being a girl which was 30 years old, after i got married my so called husband started harassing me verbally and then in just three months i stayed with him he strangled me 3 times and hit me 2 times, and says sorry everytime and then repeat again according to people this is not even a thing as these things happens between married people, i was a working housewife there as i work from home being a software engineer but still this person and his mom had a lot of issues with me, And just to be in this marriage i did everything to made it work. His efforts which he say he put were he took me to honeymoon(in which he fought with me for day saying why did your brother didn't ask me which car did i will prefer) Basically this man thinks i didn't put much efforts for him in marriage that's arrange like buying things for him and according to his level ( the most irritating word for me he uses for himself, mere level ki watch nhi h, mere level k kpde nhi h, mere level ka hall nhi h). Even after marriage for 2 months he and his mom keeps on saying such things but i tried to ignore them. But how can i do that when at night my husband after my office hours end at 10'o clock starts fighting with me and keep that's up till 12. He don't even care if i eat or not but wants me to feed him with my own hands because according to him being a husband he deserves this kind of love and care from me. And says that you don't know how the world outside is he need to work with people and you just work online so that's not even work( i earn almost same as him). I did every thing washing his undergarments till placing his clothes in almirah. Providing him variety of foods, and make him enjoy a lot of sex which was the only kind of intimacy i had with this person. Even when he fought with me still he forcefully had sex because acc to him its his right and the only way to solve his fights or ruckus he has caused. So after observing his behaviour i am asking him divorce since then but he is not ready to provide me. Legally it will be a very long time, though i have started that too. i am 32 now and case will going to take many years and later even now no one will marry me at this age because i am divorcee & Also 32. What should i do?
Ans: Dear Anonymous,
You are doing what you should do for yourself. Move away from this very toxic person and the marriage. Yes, he may contest and this can be a long drawn affair, be prepared for that.
Consult with a good lawyer who will basically be able to contest it very ably from your side and make sure that it ends fair and square.
There is no need to think of yet another marriage right now as I suggest that you give yourself some time to breathe and move out of this one. Feel your freedom, physically, emotionally and financially and heal from this one. There will be a point in time when you might feel the need for a companion...

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

..Read more

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