Has your romantic partner checked out emotionally? if so what do you do?
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I've been married for 6 years to my wife and we are both in our early thirties now. But the last two years have been a total shift since I became severe with CFS. My wife is now the primary breadwinner and I spend most of my days in bed or at home while she has a full working and social life and travels without me (which I don't mind). We haven't had any intimacy in years and she has straight up told me that my illness makes me unattractive to her (this I do mind). It feels like I've become a ghost in my own home because she vents about her job for hours but completely shuts down or goes silent whenever I try to share anything about my life or my past. She also never reciprocates any compliments. The worst was when I found out she dumped a box full of romance letters and greeting cards I had written to her during the beginning of our 10 year long relationship. Since I am severe I didn't make a big deal to avoid PEM but the emotional stress from it is still brutal. I understand caregiver burnout but I do almost everything myself or with help of family friends. We just don't go out anymore which I understand can be a lot. I feel like I am stuck in a roommate situation where I am just an emotional dumping ground for her stress while my own needs are ignored. My family helps us a lot by taking care of cooking and cleaning most days so that my wife can only focus on her work. We tried couples therapy but it failed because the focus was always on me working harder to get better instead of addressing the loss of our connection. I am financially dependent on her so leaving feels impossible right now but staying like this is destroying my mental health. Has anyone else dealt with a partner who has completely checked out emotionally and how do you handle the isolation when you can't just walk away?
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