Posted June 7, 2013

I can relate to you all. I am 31 years old and married to a man with bipolar. I have been with this man for 13 years. In the beginning it was great; I was young dumb and in love. I married at 19 years old. Within months after I said “I do,” I begin to notice the drastic change. I realized he was not motivated at all, and I was really the only one pushing him. I left. Needless to say, he begged me back with empty promises.

Young and dumb, I took him back and tried to make it work. Well it’s been 13 years now, we have two kids ages 3 and 5, he is 40. I feel like he is my third child that I never wanted. It has not gotten any better. I am responsible for everything; I have to do everything. His IQ is pretty low also, so he’s a little slow as well. He does not talk to me and when he does he rambles on with a statement of confusion.

He does go to work every day, has no responsibilities at all, and is not held accountable for his actions. My family and friends know that there is something wrong with him. I have denied it for years to protect him, out of sheer respect, but now I’m just tired. I am thirty one years old and have heart trouble. I have a pacemaker and defibrillator, and I look about 40, because I’m stressed all the time. Recently, I had an anxiety attack when he let my 5 year old run in the road by herself to go to the playground!