trying to keep a marriage alive save a marriage in the face of adversity

PTSD and Marriage Breakdown: Trying to Beat the Odds

I’ve been married for eleven years, and not one of those years has been an easy one. Even before PTSD became a part of our lives, marriage was hard work. But it was always worth the effort.

 

In the early years I would often wonder about other marriages. Did they have the same fights as us? Did they worry about the same things? Did they talk and shout, or did they cry and shut down?

 

I didn’t expect a perfect marriage, but I did want it to last forever.

 

When the first divorce within my circle of friends was announced, the realisation that not all of us were in this forever left me cold, it left me empty. And it made me  wonder even more. What was it that made us different? What was it that kept us growing together instead of apart?

 

But then, five years into our marriage, I stopped wondering about other marriages. PTSD had been written into our story, and everything had changed.

 

In the beginning, my husband and I naturally drew together. Adversity had struck, and together we would face this challenge. Shamed by the pain and shock of his PTSD, he turned in to find me, and I was already there, ready to hold him. I became his rock, prepared for the burden of his terrors and his fears, his nightmares and his tears.

 

We were a close family unit that kept up appearances on the outside at all costs, and, like so many others, we dealt with our demons behind closed doors. Month after month, year after year, I helped carry my husband through his darkest days. We had seen each other at our worst, and this intimacy – ironic though it was – bound us together and strengthened our relationship in ways that it would not have otherwise.

 

But although I had stopped wondering about other marriages, I recognised a new feeling overtaking my senses. An ugly feeling. Envy. I began wishing for just a normal marriage again, with just normal relationship issues.

 

PTSD had brought us ongoing financial strain from years of lost work, major trust issues from patterns of hidden destructive behaviour, and substance abuse heartache. I would listen to the issues my friends were dealing with, and inwardly I resented how easy they seemed to have it. And they were taking it all for granted.

 

Though, in all honesty, it’s likely that every couple will face adversity at some point in their lives. Whether it be a major illness, a tragic accident or death, a career collapse, a family breakdown, or a natural disaster – no one is immune from hardship. So time and again I would berate myself for the envy I felt, when I knew that so many others have challenges far greater than ours.

 

As I gradually let go of my envy, I soon found new marriages to wonder about.

 

We met other couples and other young families who were living with PTSD. From the outside they looked exactly like us – they laughed, they made coffee, they paused just a moment too long looking wearily at something no one else could see.

 

How were they coping? How did they manage? I didn’t dare ask. Their vacant looks told me enough. And I was honestly too scared to know the truth.

 

Despite their battles, they were clearly the resilient ones. They were courageous in their stand against PTSD as they continued to fight for a recovery that would keep their family together. I watched them, from the outside. We can be like them too, I tried to convince myself. Surely we can be just as strong and resilient as they are.

 

But as the years wore on, the weight of my husband’s PTSD was becoming unbearable. Although I still appeared just as capable to the outside world, the strain was crippling me inside. I no longer felt like we were turned in to each other, I no longer felt like part of a strong family unit facing adversity together.

 

As his relapses and destructive behaviour began to crush me, all I felt was an overwhelming desire to push him away, to throw him off my back so I could finally catch my breath.

 

Perhaps we weren’t like the other couples after all. Perhaps we were never as strong and resilient as them. They seemed to roll with the punches so much better than us. They still appeared to be in love. I felt suffocated. And I felt sick.

 

But then, a phone call.

 

Was it a shock? I still can’t say either way. We knew this family better than most, and then just like that it was over for them. They had crumbled under the weight of their PTSD. And I still don’t know how to feel.

 

Should I feel sad that their children were inevitably caught up in the middle? Should I feel frustrated that they weren’t better supported in the aftermath of a psychological injury? Should I feel sorry that they didn’t find a way to heal in time?

 

Or should I feel scared for my own marriage? Scared, because this family, in so many ways, is our family.

 

These days, the only marriage I wonder about is my own. What shifted the balance for us? When did we stop drawing together and start pulling apart? There are days that we feel barely connected by the merest thread, and I’m dreading the day that something might snap.

 

I think I’m strong enough to survive the tumble. But do I actually want to lose him forever? Is it still a matter of if? Or is it now a matter of when?

 

Please. Don’t answer that…

 

 

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18 Comments
  • Sue Pemblington

    29 March, 2018 at 7:50 pm

    I do so love the way you describe PTSD and the effects it has on us, all of what you say is so true. I am a veteran on CPTSD for the best part of 25 to 30 years (not sure exactly, married 30 years) In answer to your question on how to survive, it just boils down to “if you love them enough”, no shame if you don’t but to put one foot in front of the other and keep going requires unfaltering love and a little belief that tomorrow will be better xx

    • This Life This Moment

      12 April, 2018 at 10:06 am

      So true, Sue, we can only take one day at a time, but that day still needs to hold some hope of a better tomorrow. Take care.

  • Lourena

    8 November, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    I find solace in reading your blog posts and articles. It’s comforting, in a way, to know that I am not alone in this battle- though most days and nights sure feel like I am. I find comfort in knowing that someone out there gets IT… truly understands the struggles of fighting this “invisible” monster.
    Thank you for sharing!

    • ptsdcollective

      12 December, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Thank you for your comment, Lourena. There are too many of us out there that are sharing the same journey alongside PTSD. We all get it, unfortunately, but in sharing our experiences we can find solace too.

  • Anonymous

    14 October, 2017 at 9:16 am

    Thank you for this. My marriage has crumbled and are going through separation. I know why this happened and it breaks my heart. Some days I feel like I wasn’t strong enough and others I know it was because we had to heal ourselves and not each other. I still pray that my spouse will get stronger. I pray for myself to have the strength to deal with this loss. It’s hard to accept that love wasn’t enough.

    • ptsdcollective

      12 December, 2017 at 2:07 pm

      I’m so sorry to hear that your journey has taken this turn. It’s not due to weakness that a marriage crumbles, and it takes a very strong person to acknowledge that both sides need time to heal alone. Take care.

  • Charmaine Love

    28 September, 2017 at 6:20 am

    I can relate to this, my husband has what the experts are calling minor PTSD and I know compared to some cases, it is minor however it doesn’t take away from the fact that it has crumpled us as a couple. We are currently separated and although not all hope is gone, I am petrified of what the future holds. Thank you for your posts, they are so real. Makes me sad though to see so many people going through this

    • ptsdcollective

      12 December, 2017 at 2:01 pm

      It is sad, Charmaine, but although PTSD will always be a part of life for many people, it doesn’t have to mean the end of relationships or happiness. I hope you and your husband can find the right support and work though this dark time together.

  • Anonymous

    21 June, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    “There are days that we feel barely connected by the merest thread”
    My firefighter is pretty connected with the kids, but at this time doesn’t seem to care about our connection very much. Yet he can connect with strangers in the coffee shop, people he meets at a conference etc… Being disconnected from my partner is probably my single biggest challenge in the PTSD journey. It means not being asked how your day was, not hearing the words thank you, not being told you look nice in that dress, and a host of other things.

    • Lea Farrow

      22 June, 2017 at 9:25 pm

      Your experiences are so similar to mine. It’s hard to watch my husband connect with so many others, but there’s no energy left by the time it comes to us.

  • songlily

    9 June, 2017 at 7:10 am

    Thank you for continuing to write. I don’t currently know any couples personally who are battling the PTSD demons. I find your blog to be a source of comfort. I hate that you have to go through these things – that WE have to go through these things. I’m comforted, however, that this is “normal” for more than just us. This is OUR normal. Someone knows. Someone truly understands. It helps me to choose to not throw away the joy because of the pain.

    • Lea Farrow

      9 June, 2017 at 9:51 pm

      I think that’s why we’re all drawn to each other, because no one else truly understands unless they’re also living the same type of life. We have a very different “normal”, and it can be so very lonely at times. Take care.

  • patiencehcmason

    8 June, 2017 at 11:35 pm

    When I got to this point I thought I had tried everything and nothing worked. Then I found 12 Step programs. I got interested in Adult Children of Alcoholics because I knew a lot of vets drank and I was writing Recovering From The War, so I thought it would help their families. I found out I was trying to control Bob by cheering him up, telling him not to be depressed, etc. All the stuff I thought a good wife did was not helpful or effective. I have written a lot about it. Hope your readers will read some of it at patiencepress.com.

    • Lea Farrow

      9 June, 2017 at 9:49 pm

      Thank you for stopping by to comment, Patience. Any extra information out there is a big help.

  • Janet Miller

    6 June, 2017 at 8:24 am

    Tears. Tears. I feel this so much.

  • Mo

    6 June, 2017 at 7:31 am

    ” his relapses and destructive behaviour began to crush me” … such true words that are a reflection of my own ongoing experiences.

    • Lea Farrow

      6 June, 2017 at 10:39 am

      I’m sorry you can relate so well. Take care.