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I Need Help and Comfort Please

Dianafrances

Active Member
I am an NT. I have been in a committed relationship with an Aspie for nearly 7 years.

I noticed some things early in the relationship that were different. He did not tell me about his Aspergers until at least 4 years into the relationship. We shared common interest in sailing and he spent a lot of time teaching me and we became racing partners and had the time of our lives together. When i was researching and getting my brother diagnosed with Autism, Brian told me that he had Aspergers and he disappeared into the other room. I followed him and told him I knew he did, but it did not matter to me, I loved his just as he was.

Fast forward: 2 years ago I fell very ill with Lyme disease. To not burden Brian, and to get treatment, I came home for a short duration closer to my parents. At first we did not know what was wrong and it took over a year to diagnose me. Brian came to visit, and we talk 3 to 4 times a day. EVERYDAY.

Brian's home has mold in the basement. I cannot be around mold as that combined with Lyme will make me critically ill. Brian knows this. This past winter he told me he thinks he has Lyme and has been very tired after work and shares a lot of the symptoms I have. I understood, and although I missed him terribly, I did not pressure him to fix the basement. I offered to pay for it but he likes to do the work himself. He doesn't trust anyone else. So I am dependent on him removing the mold before I can come home to him.

Sailing/racing season started this past April. I have not been well enough since early April 2014 to race, but Brian has not been afflicted as severely with Lyme as I have. So he is racing twice to three times a week. Racing takes a lot of energy. So this past Wednesday he raced and went to the race results party. He called prior to going to the club and I was on the phone with a family member. I called him immediately after hanging up and instead of speaking normally his demeanor was mean. He said "Hey" instead of Hey darlin. Then he said "I feel like a dick standing around here talking to you". Well that did it. That set my anger off. I don't like being spoken to so rudely and crudely. I sent him a text that said while I sit home, he has energy to party and race, but no energy to fix the mold so I can come home. I told him that I was not his priority and it hurt me.

Well, that started the silent treatment. He called me and accused me of trying to make him feel guilty for going to race results and to "eff off". He hung up.

He has not spoken to me since. He ignores all communication attempts to work it out. I get one line reply when I said I was hurting and it was cruel to ignore me. He wrote "leave me alone". then the next say when I texted "are you ok" he replied "yes, I am upset and yet don't feel like talking" I then texted Saturday "is our relationship over" he replied "I am very upset and not ready to talk about it". I did not contact him Sunday, and I did not hear from him. I made a video of me talking to him and sent it today. I texted asking if he got it "I can't get it to open". I resent it in a different forum and no reply and don't think he has viewed it. At his lunch, when we normally speak, I texted "you can call". No reply no call. For the most part he knows I am hurting and suffering over the inability to talk with each other. I am clueless if I even have a relationship because he won't answer either way. This is incredibly painful to me.

Can anyone give advice or suggestions? I am in a world of hurt and I certainly don't deserve it. I have a right to get angry and become frustrated just like he does 20 times a day.

Thank you kindly for reading and I'd greatly appreciate advice. I don't want to lose our relationship but need to be spoken to without crudeness and lack of respect. And then ignoring me feels a lot like abouse.
 
It is selfish of him to not get someone else to remove the mold if you guys have the money. That is serious business. That trumps whether he can trust someone else or not. If the person ends up being someone you can't trust and they take stuff, well remember that stuff in the end is material. Doesn't matter if he's an aspie or not- he should know better.

You might have to threaten a divorce if he doesn't get someone else to remove the mold. He basically won't do it even though he says he would, and maybe he's not as capable as he thinks. You can't wait on that. I'm so glad you have your parents to help you out.

If he doesn't follow through after your "threat," then you need to follow through on what you said you'd do. Otherwise he will know he can just do as he pleases and walk all over you.
 
I really don't see autistic issues here, just regular interpersonnal ones. Counseling, if he's agreeable, is the only suggestion I can think of.
 
On reading this, it suddenly occurred to me that with him saying he has aspergers and then, saying he has lyme disease, and both occasions was when someone else has been diagnosed, tells me that uses these to be rude, crude and horribly selfish; an excuse to be nasty basically.

Honestly, his attitude is not showing that he is aspergers, but one who is playing the actor of being aspergic.

I do get overwhelmed when there are bad vibes going on, but tend to shut down. When feeling corned, I can come out with saying nasty words, but it is pretty rare, because I hate swearing.

Aspies do not generally go out of their way to be insulting.
 
Ah yes, that good old "committed relationship". Maybe you are finding out that the commitment wasn't so strong on the other end? I share the suspicions, expressed above, that you may be dealing with "me too" diagnoses.
 
He is being cruel, whatever his condition, real or imagined. Relationships sometimes end, or change, but to shut someone out like that is just awful. So sorry he is treating you this way. His behavior is appalling. You know that you don't deserve this, which is good. Given his actions, are you interested in trying to do "better" to receive better treatment from him? Of course not. Whatever the reasons, right or wrong, it doesn't sound like he wants the relationship to continue. If he will not even acknowledge you, you are clearly free to move on to someone better. He sounds like a big bucket of problems that will not be good for you at all. No one is perfect, but if two flawed people can make each others' lives better, then it is worth it.
 
It is selfish of him to not get someone else to remove the mold if you guys have the money. That is serious business. That trumps whether he can trust someone else or not. If the person ends up being someone you can't trust and they take stuff, well remember that stuff in the end is material. Doesn't matter if he's an aspie or not- he should know better.

You might have to threaten a divorce if he doesn't get someone else to remove the mold. He basically won't do it even though he says he would, and maybe he's not as capable as he thinks. You can't wait on that. I'm so glad you have your parents to help you out.

If he doesn't follow through after your "threat," then you need to follow through on what you said you'd do. Otherwise he will know he can just do as he pleases and walk all over you.
Hi, thank you very much for your thoughts and advice. I texted him this morning and he replied he could not get out of bed Thursday, Friday or Saturday and sailing got him out on Sunday. He missed work those days. Now I feel horrible that I my NT outburst of frustration and anger at being talked to with such a lack of respect has really upset and hurt him. :(
 
He is being cruel, whatever his condition, real or imagined. Relationships sometimes end, or change, but to shut someone out like that is just awful. So sorry he is treating you this way. His behavior is appalling. You know that you don't deserve this, which is good. Given his actions, are you interested in trying to do "better" to receive better treatment from him? Of course not. Whatever the reasons, right or wrong, it doesn't sound like he wants the relationship to continue. If he will not even acknowledge you, you are clearly free to move on to someone better. He sounds like a big bucket of problems that will not be good for you at all. No one is perfect, but if two flawed people can make each others' lives better, then it is worth it.
Hi. Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your thoughts very much. I have been texting him once a day and he does reply with one sentence responses. He replied this morning that he could not get out of bed on Thursday (my angry outburst was Wed night) through Saturday, and only sailing got him out of bed on Sunday. He missed work for those two days. Now I feel horrible that my NT outburst of frustration upset him so badly. Ahh....:(
 
He is being cruel, whatever his condition, real or imagined. Relationships sometimes end, or change, but to shut someone out like that is just awful. So sorry he is treating you this way. His behavior is appalling. You know that you don't deserve this, which is good. Given his actions, are you interested in trying to do "better" to receive better treatment from him? Of course not. Whatever the reasons, right or wrong, it doesn't sound like he wants the relationship to continue. If he will not even acknowledge you, you are clearly free to move on to someone better. He sounds like a big bucket of problems that will not be good for you at all. No one is perfect, but if two flawed people can make each others' lives better, then it is worth it.
Thank you for your reply, suggestions and kind words. I texted him this morning and he replied he had not gotten out of bed Thursday thru Saturday and only got out of bed to go sailing on Sunday. It now hurts me deeply that my outburst of frustration and anger has hurt him so badly that he shut down.
 
He is being cruel, whatever his condition, real or imagined. Relationships sometimes end, or change, but to shut someone out like that is just awful. So sorry he is treating you this way. His behavior is appalling. You know that you don't deserve this, which is good. Given his actions, are you interested in trying to do "better" to receive better treatment from him? Of course not. Whatever the reasons, right or wrong, it doesn't sound like he wants the relationship to continue. If he will not even acknowledge you, you are clearly free to move on to someone better. He sounds like a big bucket of problems that will not be good for you at all. No one is perfect, but if two flawed people can make each others' lives better, then it is worth it.
It sure does feel cruel. The past three days has not been the total shut out. He replies with a one sentence text. This morning's replies informed me he could not get out of bed Thursday through Saturday and only sailing on Sunday got him out of bed. He missed work for two days and now I hurt for having upset him so deeply with my NT burst of frustrations.
 
On reading this, it suddenly occurred to me that with him saying he has aspergers and then, saying he has lyme disease, and both occasions was when someone else has been diagnosed, tells me that uses these to be rude, crude and horribly selfish; an excuse to be nasty basically.

Honestly, his attitude is not showing that he is aspergers, but one who is playing the actor of being aspergic.

I do get overwhelmed when there are bad vibes going on, but tend to shut down. When feeling corned, I can come out with saying nasty words, but it is pretty rare, because I hate swearing.

Aspies do not generally go out of their way to be insulting.
Hi Suzanne, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Since Saturday he has replied in one sentence texts. Today's reply told me he could not get out of bed Thursday through Saturday (missed 2 days work) and only sailing got him out on Sunday. I think he is at work today but cannot tell. He has stopped replying to my messages so I will stop texting for today. When you shut down due to be overwhelmed with bad vibes (and we had bad vibes) how do you need the NT responsible for the bad vibes to treat you? Does this make you not care about the person that upset you or stop you from loving them? He is not indicating anything about our relationship, about ending it. So I am clueless on how to help him get back to ok, and then back to ok with us. Thank you in advance for your reply.
 
I really don't see autistic issues here, just regular interpersonnal ones. Counseling, if he's agreeable, is the only suggestion I can think of.
Hi Tom. Thank you for the thoughts. There are definitely interpersonal issues here, and I being an NT am emotionally and logically expressing as an NT, forgetting that he takes things literally. But at the same time, I don't see how he can say he loves me and still speak to me with such crudeness and rudeness. He did reply to my text this morning that he barely got out of bed Thursday through Saturday, and only sailing got him out on Sunday. I think he is at work today, not sure though. He has to work as he has no saved money and a mortgage and expenses. It it really upsetting to me that I overwhelmed him with my NT outburst of frustration and anger at being spoken to so crudely.
 
It is selfish of him to not get someone else to remove the mold if you guys have the money. That is serious business. That trumps whether he can trust someone else or not. If the person ends up being someone you can't trust and they take stuff, well remember that stuff in the end is material. Doesn't matter if he's an aspie or not- he should know better.

You might have to threaten a divorce if he doesn't get someone else to remove the mold. He basically won't do it even though he says he would, and maybe he's not as capable as he thinks. You can't wait on that. I'm so glad you have your parents to help you out.

If he doesn't follow through after your "threat," then you need to follow through on what you said you'd do. Otherwise he will know he can just do as he pleases and walk all over you.
I really appreciate your thoughts. You are so right, mold is serious business and I am not only concerned for my health, but for HIS! You can see it growing everywhere. A couple of years ago he bought a new furnace and air conditioning system. He tore out the old one, but NEVER installed the new one! So I bought a free standing unit for heat and a/c. Without central air, the hot and very humid summers in MD have the mold growing insanely downstairs. The house is a wreck as he has been hoarding things since I returned to IL in fall of 2014 for diagnosis and treatment. I visted this past Oct and was abhorred to find the house absolutely FULL. He went on a buying spree of so many things as he said he didn't know what to do with himself while I was away. I feel so double horrible now. He replied to my text this morning that he could barely get out of bed Thursday through Saturday and only sailing got him out of bed on Sunday. So my NT outburst of frustration and anger upset him (and me) to the point of dysfunction..and it hurts me that I lost control of my frustrations and lashed out at his crude treatment of me.
 
He might have had a severe reaction (ie. meltdown) but it also might be some gamesmanship on his part (ie doing something to make you feel sympathy/guilty). The fact he missed work but not his fun raises suspicion in my mind. All in all I would be very wary. Autism is not, and should never be an excuse for bad behavior. Treating someone badly is a choice a person makes based on their character.
 
Try not to be mad at this point. Just be forthright in what you need to get accomplished and what you can to the best of your abilities. I get the feeling he's not doing this on purpose. He might just have to learn the hard way. You need to worry about yourself. You can't help him (or yourself) if he's blocking you from taking care of the mold. When you do decide if you're ready emotionally to go through with "threatening" a divorce, do so, but then you can also call the show Hoarders. With a full house and mold to go along with it, they are likely to air it on TV. It may be embarrassing, but at least it's potentially a big cost saver. You might get some included needed services too. The hoarding by your husband is a big indication that he is facing is own emotions and can't deal with the situation properly. He could very well be aspie, and is so delusional to what he really needs to take care of himself and you that he just wants to comfortably live in his own world. There definitely is "a point" where change must happen sometimes. It's unavoidable. This is one of those unpredictable times.

Also, instead of calling him, if he's not paying attention to you, consider writing a hand written letter, e-mail, and/or meeting in-person at a café or somewhere that is not his current home with mold or your parents. If you invite him to your parents right now, he could end up creating a hoarded mess there as well and all kinds of drama and your parents become that much more directly involved, which you don't need.
 
I think maybe you need to make a decision here, and not let him lead, day to day. I will leave you with this:

Love is wonderful, but relationships that are good for both parties are a practical matter. Combining the two is a fiendish task to charge anyone with. The fact is, attention and responsiveness are two of the biggest reasons to be in a relationship. If they are lacking, it simply will not work.
 
I'm sorry for your situation, both with your relationship and your health, but it seems this man is not responding in a fashion that expresses any concern for your well-being.

I would be very careful about continuing a relationship with a person like this. Things don't tend to get better as time goes by. On the contrary, people with his selfish attitude tend to get worse. They put their best foot forward as long as everything is going their way.

It really doesn't matter if he has Asperger's or not. It's how he responds to challenges that matters. Asperger's is not an excuse to be a dick. If he hasn't learned how to handle difficult situations, then he is probably going to be a lot of trouble in the long run.

If you have ongoing health issues, I wouldn't expect a person like this to be of much help. It sounds as though he's in it all for himself.

Sorry to be blunt, but I'd ditch him. In fact, I ditched someone quite similar just recently. Self-respect must come first. Good luck!
 
I'm sorry for your situation, both with your relationship and your health, but it seems this man is not responding in a fashion that expresses any concern for your well-being.

I would be very careful about continuing a relationship with a person like this. Things don't tend to get better as time goes by. On the contrary, people with his selfish attitude tend to get worse. They put their best foot forward as long as everything is going their way.

It really doesn't matter if he has Asperger's or not. It's how he responds to challenges that matters. Asperger's is not an excuse to be a dick. If he hasn't learned how to handle difficult situations, then he is probably going to be a lot of trouble in the long run.

If you have ongoing health issues, I wouldn't expect a person like this to be of much help. It sounds as though he's in it all for himself.

Sorry to be blunt, but I'd ditch him. In fact, I ditched someone quite similar just recently. Self-respect must come first. Good luck!
Thank you for your words of strength. They are much much needed. I have begun seeing a therapist this past Thursday. I need help coping. Brian is sending a text or two a day but still no ability to talk to me. I can't and won't go on like this for much longer and your advice is sound and strong.
 
I think maybe you need to make a decision here, and not let him lead, day to day. I will leave you with this:

Love is wonderful, but relationships that are good for both parties are a practical matter. Combining the two is a fiendish task to charge anyone with. The fact is, attention and responsiveness are two of the biggest reasons to be in a relationship. If they are lacking, it simply will not work.
You are absolutely correct. Somehow my release of frustrations in a burst of anger via text, really upset him deeply to the point of shutting down for a few days, and still is unable to talk to me. Thursday (one week after the blow up) he initiated the first text after I had fallen silent for nearly 20 hours. Being an NT I sure don't understand this inability to talk. Did I make him feel unsafe emotionally? Am I no longer the safe person he can trust because I got mad? So many unknowns and he's not expressing. I began seeing a therapist this past Thursday because this is killing me inside. I am fighting lyme and now this emotional distress is almost more than I can bear. I am grateful for a site like this to share and am grateful for all opinions and advice.
 

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