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Post by ironhamster on Jul 9, 2021 4:56:49 GMT -5
I hope your lawyer does well. My mom poisoned our relationship with our dad and we went along with it for many years then as we grew up we reached out to my dad. I have huge trust issues. I've shelled out money for lawyers and batted zero. I'm filing my own challenges, now, and still batting zero, but it's not costing me $2000 a pop anymore.
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Post by mirrororchid on Jul 9, 2021 5:42:21 GMT -5
I may have a few useful things to share if anyone's got a loved one or friend or friend's loved one suffering from substance abuse, major depressive disorder/dysthmia/double-depression/bipolar II (especially treatment resistant), borderline personality disorder, misophonia, self-harm/self-injury, and/or suicidal ideation. PM or maybe we can share of an off-topic thread. Whatever your insights are, I might be able to use them right now. In my last hearing with the family court judge, my ex and her lawyer argued for extended child support based on my youngest having mental health issues. My ex has poisoned my children's' relationships with me and I get no information as to what is going on in their lives. This is despite the child support agreement specifically stating that my ex is to make reasonable accommodations to encourage the relationships between myself and my offspring. I have no idea what those "mental health issues" entail, but I believe part of it involves Munchausen on the part of my ex, and my youngest suddenly developing gender dysphoria. I will have to file more motions with the court to learn more. Alas, this seems like you need skilled legal argument more than psychiatry. Perhaps this can be pasted to a new thread at "off-topic", but I'll have some questions right away: - Are the kids cooperative in the secrecy? Do they avoid you? - HIPAA denies access to adult health records if they're over 18. - Has a court specified who makes medical decisions for the kids? - Can you go directly to the kids' doctor for this information? - How have you obtained the minor reconnaissance you have? For both the gender dysphoria and Munchausen. - Of all your kids, are any of them a weak link? I think I'd try "divide and conquer". One kid has a pleasant functional relationship with the father, it gets hard to keep the fable that you're a monster intact. That kid may have info even the mom doesn't. Probing early on will get detected and potentially labeled as ulterior motive, sneaky, underhanded and evil, though. So it'll need to be an organic conversation. This won't be quick. Active in the LGBT community, my daughter befriended at least three transsexuals, so I may have a smidgen of second hand insight. The absurd North Carolina bathroom idiocy had me do some extra research as well. The process is long and drawn out. Unless you've been in the dark a long time, there's lots of time to look for details. Responsible medical/psychiatric personnel look carefully for any other rationale / course of action because the science of sex reassignment is woefully primitive in the 21st century. You better darn well be absolutely sure you want to do this thing. You speak of "extended" child support. This suggests beyond age of 18. Is that your youngest about to age out? Can you plead Christian and invoke 1st amendment rights not to change the body God gave your kid? (Then voluntarily help in a capacity YOU choose to.) At that point, the ex doesn't make medical decisions any more. Nor is she responsible for medical expenses. It strikes me as odd that her decision to help beyond legal requirements should extend to you. Her morals and emotional prerogatives should not carry the force of law, I wouldn't think.The Munchausen thing. If they reach age of majority, I would think offering a place to stay should allow escape from medical harm inflicted by the mother. If the child sees the mistreatment as beneficial, probing questions to sow seeds of doubt allow the victim the material with which to have an epiphany later to get out from under a controlling abuser. (assuming that is indeed the case.) Like your own services, these have been free, and you get what you pay for, so...caveat emptor.
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Post by ironhamster on Jul 9, 2021 6:13:55 GMT -5
mirrororchid, she is 18. Child support will continue into her 19th year, even though the law clearly states that it goes either until she graduates highschool or turns 19, whichever comes first. I need to ask the court's assistance in getting any further information. My ex is very adept at mind games, and she's had no problem getting the kids to block me on everything. The only communication I have received from any of them is an email, supposedly written by my youngest, asking for control of her UGMA. This happens at 21, but I warned her that financial independence is hard to achieve and easily lost. She could have her money for neccessary expenses, and I recommended we chat weekly about financial issues to prepare her for her new responsibilities. I never heard back. I suspect my ex is far more interested in the money than my daughter is.
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Post by isthisit on Jul 9, 2021 7:26:27 GMT -5
Thanks all. I may have a few useful things to share if anyone's got a loved one or friend or friend's loved one suffering from substance abuse, major depressive disorder/dysthmia/double-depression/bipolar II (especially treatment resistant), borderline personality disorder, misophonia, self-harm/self-injury, and/or suicidal ideation. PM or maybe we can share of an off-topic thread. Didn't mean to hijack the thread. Just get worried when folks are skeptical of medicine when doctors don't explain what they are and how they work very well. They don't work for some people, 'tis true, but they might work for some who think they've tried everything and they're not even close. Whatever your insights are, I might be able to use them right now. In my last hearing with the family court judge, my ex and her lawyer argued for extended child support based on my youngest having mental health issues. My ex has poisoned my childrens' relationships with me and I get no information as to what is going on in their lives. This is despite the child support agreement specifically stating that my ex is to make reasonable accomodations to encourage the relationships between myself and my offspring. I have no idea what those "mental health issues" entail, but I believe part of it involves Munchausen on the part of my ex, and my youngest suddenly developing gender dysphoria. I will have to file more motions with the court to learn more. Try the term ‘Munchausen by proxy’ which refers to the fabrication of ill health by a third party. This is a much more common phenomena in the field of child health than has recently been reported but is becoming increasingly recognised or at least considered. I hope this emerging recognition (here anyway-I imagine it is global as everywhere pulls on the same evidence base) advantages you in your court proceedings.
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Post by Handy on Jul 9, 2021 12:06:40 GMT -5
‘Munchausen by proxy’ is talked about on American TV programs.
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Post by lessingham on Nov 10, 2022 5:18:00 GMT -5
Updates. He is still in his lousy job and another round of redundancies beckons. He talks of fetting a sweet payoff and then taking time to find a job. Again. He has a girlfriend!!!!!!!! I hoped such responsibility might make him grow up but no sign yet. It is a bit like a sexless marriage I suppose. He clings on against all hope and experience in fear of finding something worse.
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Post by northstarmom on Nov 10, 2022 17:51:20 GMT -5
lessingham: Your son is a grown man yet you still are very involved in his life. Meanwhile, you're living a miserable life and aren't doing much to change it. I agree that what you're son is doing with his life is like how you cope with your sexless marriage. Your life, your choice....
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Post by lessingham on Nov 30, 2022 5:10:24 GMT -5
Interestingly we are having a family pow wow tonight. He says I am full of anger and rage. We need to sort things out. Perhaps he is sensing my change of attitude and trying to put that genii back in the bottle.
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Post by northstarmom on Dec 1, 2022 12:12:27 GMT -5
"Interestingly we are having a family pow wow tonight. He says I am full of anger and rage."
If you are like I was before I got a good therapist and began to heal from a lot of things-- not just my marriage, but also relationships dating back to my childhood -- you have long been an angry person. Your anger may just be coming out more directly now as you start setting boundaries and honoring your feelings when you are treated badly.
Also, it's not just your sexlessness that is a source of your rage, it's how your wife and others have treated you and continue to treat you. Your wife treats you with contempt and a lack of general consideration. Given her treatment of you, it baffles me why you want to have sex with her. She obviously doesn't like sex or want sex with you. This doesn't mean that if you got out of the marriage, you'd be doomed to at best have another partner like her. Even being sexless and single forever sounds better than being with a partner whom you do lots for but who obviously doesn't care about you. She just cares about what you do for her. But if you devote time to healing yourself -- via a good therapist who is a good fit with you and whom you can tell you are making progress in self confidence, considering your own needs, and making new friends who support you, you will be able to let go of your toxic marriage.
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Post by mirrororchid on Dec 2, 2022 6:38:46 GMT -5
..., it's not just your sexlessness that is a source of your rage, it's how your wife and others have treated you and continue to treat you. ...it baffles me why you want to have sex with her... Getting crap from his kid was new. Granted it may have happened before or all along, but you're on point with this whole boundaries thing being critical. Self-respect and valuing what you want has been a recent trend we're seeing and it isn't just teh wife who's dismayed by his investing less in others. Perhaps, his son is copying his mother's verbal strong-arm tactics out of the horrific realization his dad has turned a corner and has limits now. Mind you, service to others is vital to life's purpose. Hedonism is a road to depression, but when that service to other crowds out one's own desires entirely, you can also get long term blues. It becomes a same old-same old tedium uninterrupted with moments of novelty and amusement. Burnout. If you burned out long ago and didn't notice, I think you get Lessingham. A person feeling unworthy of "me time". Or, I'm assuming too much. As for wanting a refuser? When the vows say that's all you can have, and sex is a biological drive, you're going to want even someone that lacks appeal. If you're hungry and the only thing in the cupboard is canned okra and unsalted rice cakes, you'll still want to eat, even though you'll lament that what's available won't be that great and may remind you of much better meals of your past. Conventional wisdom is that men get "hungrier" than the ladies. It's possible you've never felt the same intensity of "hunger". Maybe can't?
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Post by northstarmom on Dec 2, 2022 11:40:20 GMT -5
mirrorchild: "Getting crap from his kid was new."
My guess is that his kid spoke truth. During much of my sexless marriage, I was angry but didn't realize it. The anger came out mainly as passive aggressiveness but it also came out in my tone of voice and way of seeing things. Lessingham has to be angry at how his wife treats him. My guess is that as he becomes more aware of how horribly she treats him, and as he starts pushing back and setting boundaries, his anger is coming out more directly as he's no longer swallowing his anger and allowing her to walk over him with impunity. He also is angry at his son for living his life in an irresponsible way and using his parents as his fallback. Lessingham's setting boundaries about that would not please his son and the son is reacting to that.
There is nothing bad in itself about being angry. It's your body's way of telling you that something is bothering you and you need to change-- not the anger, but the situation that's bothering you. There are good and bad ways of dealing with anger. A bad way is turning it against yourself or becoming violent or abusive toward others. A good way is getting out of the situations that make you angry.
mirrorchild: " As for wanting a refuser? When the vows say that's all you can have, and sex is a biological drive, you're going to want even someone that lacks appeal."
Nope. There came a point at which I couldn't stand the sight of my refuser and I didn't even want him to touch me. I fantasized about other men. I definitely didn't long anymore for sex with him. I also started sleeping separately. I craved sex, but not the awful indifferent sex with him.
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Post by lessingham on Dec 3, 2022 9:36:24 GMT -5
I agree about anger. As a English man I have great difficulty dealing with my anger, seeing it as a negative and destructive thing. But it can be positive. It is a gauge of feelings. Oh dear, you refused sex, that makes me very peeved verses I am really sngry about your inability to comit to a sexy marriage! I have to accept my right to be angry and express it in a non destructive or violent way.
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Post by mirrororchid on Dec 7, 2022 20:29:45 GMT -5
I agree about anger. As a English man I have great difficulty dealing with my anger, seeing it as a negative and destructive thing. But it can be positive. It is a gauge of feelings. Oh dear, you refused sex, that makes me very peeved verses I am really sngry about your inability to comit to a sexy marriage! I have to accept my right to be angry and express it in a non destructive or violent way. My wife asked for space, then she suggested I initiate since she failed to fill the gap in overtures. Then she confessed she didn't know what would work, but she seemed genuinely frustrated that she had no answer. I stewed a little and then switched over to resolve. To fix the issue. I was done being angry. I'm not sure how long I needed to be angry and I'll suggest getting anger over quickly and moving on to resolve. I enjoyed that stage very much more. Your efforts towards better health and road trips you, personally, would enjoy were possibly teh kind of action that could lead you out of both anger and sadness to something better. Serenity, contentment, satisfaction, maybe even happiness?
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Post by lessingham on Dec 8, 2022 3:18:14 GMT -5
Agreed, anger should not last. I sort of envy people who can get angry easily and end it easily. For me, since I do not allow my anger to vent I fear it and fear not being able to end it
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Post by northstarmom on Dec 8, 2022 11:34:48 GMT -5
lessingham: "Agreed, anger should not last. I sort of envy people who can get angry easily and end it easily. For me, since I do not allow my anger to vent I fear it and fear not being able to end it"
The way to end it would be to remove yourself from the marriage that is causing you to be so angry. Your anger is a normal, healthy reaction to a marriage that's miserable due to how your wife treats you. Your ignoring your own preferences while catering to your wife is contributing to your anger as is your sharing a bed with a wife who is doing her best to keep you from having any kind of sex, including masturbation. The more you do things that bring you joy, the less angry you'll be.
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