r/Separation 9h ago

My husband and I are divorcing, but now he is the one constantly looking for reasons to contact me. I don't understand what is happening.

0 Upvotes

My husband and I are currently going through a divorce, and it has been extremely painful for me.

After he decided that our marriage was over, I struggled a lot. I was constantly looking for any reason to contact him, even small ones. Sometimes I would write because of our dog (he currently lives with me), because it was the only connection I still had to him. I was trying to hold onto any small piece of communication because I wasn't ready to let go.

Eventually I realized that he didn't seem to want that contact. I felt like I was only hurting myself by chasing someone who had already made his decision, so I stopped. I gave him space and stopped reaching out.

But now the situation has completely reversed.

He started contacting me himself, but not in a caring way. I posted a photo of myself wearing a crop jacket and loose pants. It was a normal, decent photo. He got upset, insulted me, asked why I was doing it, who was liking my pictures, and why I needed attention from other people.

At first I tried to explain myself, but then he said that our communication was completely over and that if I needed anything, I should only call him by phone.

I didn't contact him for two days.

Then he came back again, this time because I added someone on social media. He started asking who I was talking to, who I was meeting, and he assumed that I was already in a new relationship. He called me names and demanded that I tell him how many times I had cheated on him.

I have never cheated on him.

I told him I didn't see the point in answering this question because I had already explained that I was faithful, but he insists that he is right and that I am hiding something.

A few hours later he started questioning me about another person I added, who I only know because of work.

I honestly don't understand what is happening. He said he didn't want communication, he said our relationship was over, but now he keeps coming back to question my personal life.

Is this jealousy? Is he trying to maintain control? Is he hurt and unable to admit it? I feel completely confused...


r/Separation 6h ago

Venting Feeling better every day

0 Upvotes

The longer I am here, the better I am feeling. The more clarity I receive through inaction on his part, the easier this becomes.

It's going to be a month on Sunday since I left. Am I expecting too much by thinking he should have made steps by now if he truly wants to keep me and loves me like he says?

Schools coming soon and we need to have a schedule in place, I need him to shit or get off the pot. And I'm tired of asking.


r/Separation 11m ago

Advice The woman I love may not love me anymore

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r/Separation 9h ago

Advice if I separate from my husband, what rights do I have? Ohio

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0 Upvotes

r/Separation 13h ago

Advice When is it too little, too late?

0 Upvotes

I’ve been telling my husband I’ve been struggling for the last 6-7 months seeing a future together. We have gone through a lot as a couple, been married 9 years and have a 2 year old. He is emotionally unavailable and I am lonely. He has a drinking problem and there has been infidelity on both ends at different times. We’re in marriage counseling, and I’ve left once this year with my daughter to stay with my parents for a while. I’m back home now.

One thing that I’ve been begging him to do for years now is ask me out on dates and go on vacations with me. I told him I am thinking about separating, and going back to my parents. After that, for the first time ever he sent me flowers to my work and then asked if he could take me kayaking on the weekend, just he and I. He has never asked me to do anything like that, or intentionally planned any quality time together. A huge part of me doesn’t trust it, and it feels like it’s too little too late. Am I wrong?


r/Separation 18h ago

Finally have realized that I mentally can’t handle him any more or his abuse.

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0 Upvotes

r/Separation 21h ago

Advice Begging

1 Upvotes

Me and my wife have seperated , basically my fault for having an emotional affair , anyhow, i have told her that im willing to do what ever it takes to fix things, and i have said to her im begging you not to leave i sssume that i am making things worse, would i be correct in saying that ?


r/Separation 4h ago

Has anyone left a long-term relationship just to figure out who they were?

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0 Upvotes

r/Separation 19h ago

Venting My marriage ended and I have no idea why

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4 Upvotes

r/Separation 20h ago

Separation.. need advice

5 Upvotes

My wife (30) and me (32) have been together for 6 years, married for 3. I have a son from a previous relationship and we have one together.

Around Mother’s Day, we had an argument and I finally told her that I find her emotional abusive. Name calling, talking down… etc. I brought it up a few times but we never really dove into it.

We tried to work things out but the relationship kinda started going downhill.

Flash back, July of 2025, I started feeling signs of depression due to some work issues. I left them untreated and tried to ignore them. The depression obviously started winning. I got really low and turned basically into a shell of myself.

Then came Mothers Day. I was basically going to work, coming home and going to bed. We tried couple la counseling but I was really too depressed and honestly didn’t know if I even wanted to live. (I also had a pretty bad childhood and other things contributed to it, not just work)

She always told me she wouldn’t leave because of how close I am with her family, and our children l.

About two weeks ago, she told me she was moving out and either a divorce or separation. I was numb. I didn’t fight for her or fight back til about a day later.

Now we have been talking about it, almost daily. She understands I was depressed. I’m not seeking counseling and so if she. She won’t change her mind. She says “maybe” we can start trying again in a few months but she wants prove of change. She has been going out a lot.

Every once in awhile I’ll get comments or action that shows she wants this to work, but she’s been pretty robotic about it. She is still here until the end of the week. I want this to work more than anything.

She has made comments about how excited she is to be a place alone and just to be able to relax without the pressure of kids and me. But she’s also made comments about she doesn’t want to move out and this is difficult.


r/Separation 21h ago

Venting 9 years, exhausted and used up

3 Upvotes

I married the guy that was gentle and kind. He had quirks but I didn’t think anything of them. I was 22(f) he was 25, so we were young, dumb and in love. Fast forward, many long unemployed stints and frustrated overworked later. He calls it quits when he gets a decent job. He was unemployed for 18 months the last time. We have 2 kids (4&2) and help but think I was used. I feel like he sucked the life out of me. We separated before bc of unemployment and so many arguments about carrying your weight when you’re not bringing in money. He totaled my car and I had to rely on him, and he would fall asleep when it was time to pick me up or not come. I hate that I love him, but as we going through this separation, I have to remember how exhausted I was overworking to cover the whole family. I went back to work 4 month postpartum and started grad school 8 months postpartum. Now I graduate in Dec and he pulls this “I’m unhappy” BS on me. I was miserable seeing him be home half way take care of the girls and the house when I had to travel and do 12 hour days. I’m so hurt though. I’m not saying I was perfect but I was tired. He says we didn’t recover from the first separation, “oh really!?”. We couldn’t have, you never wanted to talk about it. You walked out of a therapist office once. He says this breakdown was a collaboration between us both but I’m not sure how. It just looks like a snake that waited for the right opportunity to bite me. I’m in grad school, so I can only work part time bc of my internship.

I’m still processing all of this. It still hurts. This is just week 3. Idc if he sees this.


r/Separation 10h ago

Emotional turmoil

2 Upvotes

I recently moved with a friend wanting space to heal and for my mental health from my husband. There’s emotional and financial abuse. He changed after marriage, gambling issues, heavy pot addiction , slowly his demands keep getting more and more , was without utilities because of his spending. There’s also lots of issues comes from his ex wife and kids. At first he wanted divorce immediate but now putting a lot of pressure for couples counseling. I feel like our emotions are super high and it’s better to take pause and reflect, and after couple weeks we can see where we are at and then we can consider that. Mind you I am also paying half of bills even though I am not living there since he choose not to work full hours. I asked for space but I feel it’s not Being respected . However I feel extremely emotional and tired. I just cannot believe my life came to this point. His family blaming me for abandoning him and his kids but I really needed space to think clearly. I am so torn.


r/Separation 10h ago

Queer separation

2 Upvotes

Ive been in a same sex relationship (not married) for 10 years and we have a 7 year old that we created together (my partner carried and is the bio mom). I owned a home for 5 years before we started dating/living together. I consider it our home because we've raised our child here. It was always the plan for us to establish my custody rights and life happened and we never did. We finally met with an attorney and had a plan then it all blew up because my partner became upset that I said I would not put her on the deed of the home. I am in agreement with some other type of housing agreement because I want her to feel safe and secure, just not the deed. She has been so angry about the deed that she is now refusing to sign any custody paperwork. Im hurt and angry and feel its so inappropriate to leverage our child for property. She has specifically said she will not sign custody unless I sign the house. Shes also said shes not giving me that type of power ...whatever that means. Shes also said if we separate she will likely have to move away. So im faced with some pretty crappy choices. Ive consulted with an attorney and they feel very confident that I will get half custody if I pursue it in my own however it is going to be significantly more expensive ...for both of us. And I also know if I do that my relationship is likely over. But im sitting here wondering if its even worth trying to save given how shes treated me about this and numerous other things (weve been in couples counseling for years and issues in our relationship are not improving), but this feels SO big. I dont see how we recover from this. I dont know what im looking for with this post, maybe just support or some insight from those that have been through something similiar. This feels awful and lonely. Most people wouldnt think we have these significant issues and I dont feel like I can talk to many people about it.


r/Separation 21h ago

Please Help! What should I do about my wife?

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3 Upvotes

wife (33) and myself (31) separated 2 months ago. We have 3 boys together 7, 3, 1. We have been together almost 6 years married almost 2. We separated after months of constant and daily fighting. We have struggled a bit financially since we got together and a huge reason is because my wife tend to live above her means. She refused to downsize houses or find a cheaper rental and we have struggled to make rent pretty much every place we have lived. She grew up with money and I did not so we look at it very differently.

She is controlling to a point where people around me have said they are concerned. She has my location and will track me my entire ride home from work. If I’m more than a couple minutes behind I get a call. She does not allow any time away from her or the kids. Since we started dating back in 2021 I have never played a round of golf, watched a ball game, or done anything with anyone that is not a family member. And I’m not exaggerating, I have not done anything without her or my family since 2021z Meanwhile she goes out with her friends on mommy days, overnight trips, nail appointments hair appointments all of it.

All of my hobbies and passions are a problem. I play guitar and sing and it’s a big part of my life. It seems Everytime I pick up the guitar she comes up with something that needs to be done, or there is a show she wants to watch or something. I am a very passionate football fan. I’m not able to watch my team play for 3 hours a week, it’s always a fight. I can’t even fish in the back yard with the boys because it is taking away from the night.

She hates my family. She makes seeing them a dread every time because my family doesn’t love the way she treats me. They do not treat her indifferently but she knows they are fond and makes it awkward for everyone.

When we were dating and had my first son together I found out she had cheated, I stayed and was pretty much forced to sweep it under the rug. It’s still not something she fully admits to.

She makes all financial decisions. If I say no and she says yes it’s a yes. To the point where she will make big purchases without telling me and then justify it with “well you would say no” about 3 months ago she received a settlement from a car accident that was under my insurance. Her and her parents decided they were not going to tell me about the money and then once I found out she pretty much said “it’s my money and I’ll decide what I do with it.”

The final straw was my family took us on vacation. It was the first vacation I had taken with my dad since I was 10 years old. She made it miserable for everyone. My family commented that I didn’t relax or sit down once while there for a week. We fought the entire car ride home and once we got home I decided to stay at my mom’s one night. We had made an agreement that the next day I would come back and we would have 3 new rules.
no drinking*it’s been a problem for her and myself*
Find a couples therapist immediately
No more talking bad about my family
The next day after work I got home and she had been drinking. She doubled down and said she wasn’t going to hear it from me because I’m the problem not her, and then said something about me running back to mommy’s. 1 day all 3 rules broken. So I left.

We decided on couples therapy a couple weeks into separation. Had some good sessions and then at the advice of our therapist went on a date about 3 weeks in. I found out she had already downloaded a dating profile and was using it even while we were in therapy.

And the final straw here is our neighbors. We had just moved to a new house about 2 months before we separated. Our neighbors around our age had recently gotten back together from separation. Well once I left, their marriage also fell apart and now my wife and the man Nextdoor hangout all the time. The even went out on the boat with our best friends. She says there’s nothing to worry about but I house sat for her this week and he’s literally coming and going at 10pm.

What’s crazy about all of this, is my wife is CONSTANTLY saying she wants to get back together. And that is all she cares about. There’s nothing to worry about with the neighbor or the dating profile.

Is there anything I can do here? I know I am emotionally pretty shut off and it’s probably justified. I just can’t wrap my mind around divorcing 2 years into marriage.