I’m finally waking up. Thanks for groups like this and the ever popular “Why Does He Do That” I have opened my eyes. I am now in therapy. My husband and I have two small children ages 5 and 8. We are about to go thru mediation and I am requesting to stay in the house and buy him out. I suspect he will seek to be with the kids half the time but I don’t think it’s healthy for them to be with him half the time. So my first question is…do we think it’s better to fight and protect our kids from being around their mentally ill father OR do we think it’s better to allow them to spend time with him, even though it has never been proven that he is sick officially?

His interactions with the kids are superficial and awkward. Pats on the head. Odd comments and questions. Never a deep or connected or meaningful conversation. He also has a girlfriend now for the last two months so he leaves at all hours of the day and night and comes home at odd hours. This is having an effect on my kids and me also. It’s very disruptive. Like many of you, I have zero feelings for him so I’m actually ok with him having a girlfriend and view it as a distraction away from me. He admitted he was obsessed with me a few months back so the girlfriend distraction is a welcomed thing.

Only YOU GUYS will relate to my story. I haven’t told my story to too many people because I don’t trust many people. Everyone thinks my husband is a great guy, funny, charming, kind. They have no idea that he is manipulative and mean. He spent our entire marriage keeping me in a bubble – getting mad if I spent any time with friends, did anything outside of the home like volunteer at the school, and took issue with my clothes and hair. I walked on eggshells for so long and how I am feeling so free.

But with all of this, do you believe he told his lawyer that he wanted to be married to me forever? This was about two weeks ago. I can’t make heads or tails of it. I am sad to be breaking up my family but I am relieved that I won’t have to live with him in a marriage in the future.

Thank you for reading this and if you have any words of advice based on your experiences, please write them. SURVIVORS of NARC ABUSE are the strongest people I have ever met. I am so proud of you!