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When you can't give any more

When you can't give any more

Just looking for shared experiences from carers about when it's time to leave the relationship.

I've been with my partner for 10 years (married for 7) who was quite open in discussing the depression (leading to hospitalisation) that he suffered long before we'd met. When we met he was stuyding and advanced degree and about 4 years ago, was diagnosed by a psychiatrist with morbid depression and ADD with hyperfocus and was prescribed meds. You know - they were the good old days?He has been unable / unwilling to work for our 7 year marriage other than a few hours in a casual job on saturday evenings which he quit a year ago. First I was supporting him to finish his advanced study, but that didn't get finished in the time frame.


In the past year things have gotten much worse - he became obsessed by lesions that appeared on his skin which he would pick open to pull out various bits of "matter". One night i came home to see him trying to open a wound on his foot with a sharp instrument trying to take out a 'creature'. Mental health professionals in the early days labeled it 'morgelleons' or delusional parasitosis, but being from a science background he's turned into a 24/7 researcher into these 'creatures' infesting his body, picking through his food, finding things in dryer lint that were invisible that then became visible in water. For the first 7 months he was only taking samples from his skin, archiving them and trying to get doctors to send them off for diagnosis.Now in past 5 months he's pulling out 'creatures' from up his nose, and poo. Lots of poo. My home is full of samples of poo he places in small tupperware containers for 'processing' (find the creature, wash it, photograph it, put it in a container of alcohol for archiving). We have a former formal dining room which was our study and it's full of hording clutter and body samples. I can't walk in there, it's a complete health hazard hazmat area.

He'd ask for specific parasites to be tested or through the dr and those tests either came back negative, or the pathologists woudn't test for the particular bug he was trying to identify, which caused no end of frustration and conspiracy theories. We've tried lots of doctors, skin specialists and tropical disease doctors, nothing has come out of it. There is something coming out of his body that's not right but it's the behaviours that are unbearable.
There are other obsessions he has around hard rubbish collecting and electronics and turning junk into inventions and these are all spread around the house and I'm not allowed to move or tidy anything. I have no where to be within my own house. I work a second job from home and have to sit on a very small part of a couch at night to work because the house and where my desk was is covered in rubbish and body samples. We fight terribly about it. I am anxious in the home because it's like every part of my space is invaded by his stuff, even the insides of his body are strewn around.
He'll spend most of the night working on his 'samples' collecting, storing, photographing them ( to send to a parasite expert he will find when he gets the 'perfect' shot ) then goes out for a walk and comes to bed anywhere between 3-6 usually smelling of alcohol then tells me it's just mouthwash. Then of course can't get up and will sleep much of most days.I am so resigned. Tonight as I write this, I'm at my parents house with our child because there were samples in the kitchen when we got home this evening. Our laundry has a poo collection. There's stuff in the top cupboard of the kitchen. Our bathroom has flecks of blood on mirrors and the vanity where he has taken samples which i have to clean down and disinfect most days. That makes me so angry asking everyday he NOT DO IT THERE. The fact he doesn't get that we brush our teeth in there and cook food in the kitchen sends me into an absolute rage. If it must be done can't it be done outside?? The answer i get is "Do you think i want to do this? If I don't figure this out no one will do it for me? Our son probably has this creature too so I'm doing it for his wellbeing - I don't care if i die from this 'creature i'm doing this for him".So then i'm the bady.

He goes through our child's poo too and has got me to take his samples to the doctor before. (Negative for anything except poo). Everyday he promises today is the last day for collecting and he's close to a breakthrough in his self diagnosis and he'll clean everything up. Next morning they're still there and the cyclce starts again.
I am in debt living like this because he contributes nothing, plus spends an extra $30ish a day buying preserving agents and containers for samples, plus there's the alcohol he squirrels through ATM cash outs when he takes my bankcard.
I am so numb and only slowly waking up to the impact of what's actually happening to my own life.
I used to be a person who lived in a safe place, with dreams and desires and the power to do things with my life. He used to be a person with just bad depression who was coming out of it. Now i ust get up everday, go to work, pay for everything and come home to a loveless, cluttered horded, poo smelling, unmowed lawn, husband in pyjamas, who won't see that at least part of what's going on may be a mental delusion.

He's still under the care of his psychiatrist, but I doubt be tells her the full extent of his behaviour, and I'm not allowed to go along until I've seen all of his 'samples' so i can understand what it is.
I want to get out of this relationship. But i feel a huge sense of guilt and compassion for the man. He is a good man in a bad situation, but i don't know what more i can do to help.

I feel like i've been enabling for too many years by being the breadwinner and not asking for him to reciprocate in some way - hey how about cleaning the house?? cooking dinner on the days i work? mow that lawn? put your stuff away? And it's just dawning on me, that it's my life also.
I'm living almost in hiding from my friends because I don't want anyone to come over. His parents are aware of the situation, involved and are very supportive but no one knows how to help. I've hung onto the idea that someone will find what ails him and there'll be a treatment and i'll get my friend back. But after 7 years, things are getting worse and worse, and we have a child who is our no 1 priority.


I'm a broken sad demoralised and resentful person who's half way through her life living in a relationship and house of horrors that's putting me in debt and giving me no joy in life. I'm just getting by on autopilot, but i don't know how much more i can take before I fall over.
The only time i can breathe is when my son and i are out of the house away from his behaviours, the environment and the situation.How can you help someone when they can't see they need help? When as a carer do you know you can't take any more?
When you know you've given all you can give and there's nothing left in the tank?

19 replies

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In response to: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

Altho my situation is not good I realise things could be worse for us in caring for a son.Please get some help.It is not going to be easy and it would be lovely to have someone walk with you through the process but you really really need to change things.

In response to: Re: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

Hello @GreenT how are you today my friend , have being thinking of you today

Hello @williamtell, @Barbara, @Former-Member, @Former-Member

In response to: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

Hey @Shaz51 Thanks for checking in.
Things are getting worse on the husband front. There's been an increase in what's probably considered psychotic behaviour and I'm trying to make contact with his psychiatrist to look at treatment options.

I met with my doctor for a regular check and opened up to her about was going on and she was fantastic.

She's met my husband and got to observe his delusions about our son suffering parasitosis herself (he insisted on his poo being tested - no monsters present). So she spoke with some experience that that type of delusion doesn't just go away by itself and needs specific medications.

So I'm ready for what's next - it's just my fear of dealing with the problem head on that's a problem. My husband has never been violent so I don't fear that, it's just that he's so convinced there's just the physical problem and not mental illness driving the crazy behaviours that he talks me down and tells me I'm the one who's got the problem and if I really understood science (he's got two science degrees) and cared enough to look at his research (including the invisible made visible with aquarium supplies) I'd change my mind.

Tomorrow is a new day.
I'm cuddled in bed up with my little boy, with 3 toy fire engines and his little breath tickling my cheek and for the next 8 hours I'm in the best place there is.

In response to: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

@Barbara sorry I replied to your post below but hadn't used your @Name

In response to: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

@Barbara sorry I replied below but hadn't used you @Name

In response to: Re: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more


@GreenT wrote:

...So I'm ready for what's next - it's just my fear of dealing with the problem head on that's a problem. My husband has never been violent so I don't fear that, it's just that he's so convinced there's just the physical problem and not mental illness driving the crazy behaviours that he talks me down and tells me I'm the one who's got the problem...

Hi @GreenT, we had to deal with health-related delusions for years. Again, not on the scale that you're dealing with, but still significant and very disruptive. We consulted doctors and specialists (asthma, sleep disorder, neurologists and others). My son believed that carpet, smoke, TV screens and phone screens were damaging his health. He also believed he had a serious problem with bones in his neck and he had many Xrays and scans. It all led to eventual psychosis and one prominent feature was that he then shifted the health concerns onto me, believing I was seriously unwell and needed expensive treatment overseas. To cut a very long story short, the path then went like this: psychosis, hospitalisation (twice) then home with antipsychotic meds and frequent visits from the CAT team nurses. Then long term follow-up with psychs and medication adjustments. At the time I felt it was "all tunnel and no light". For years, smoke and air quality were big concerns. He would flee from a camp fire and ended up living by himself in remote places. Four years later, he's sitting at home and happily lights an incense stick. Some of those delusions just vanished.

In response to: Re: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

Good morning @GreenT

I am sorry to hear Things are getting worse on the husband front, sending you lots of hugs and we are here for you

My husband has cancelled all help , seems to go around in cycles , he had a breakdown 2 years ago and took himself to hospital , they kept him in hospital for a couple of weeks , changed his medication which has helped , but he still has ups and downs every day

Last week was bad and he wanted me to ring the specialist that he saw in hospital , I rang , but He is not on the list anymore and he will have to be reaccessed again , no way he said

In response to: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

Oh my goodness. I agree with everyone who has replied. You're husband is very very ill and reaching out to psychiatrist and CATT team is a matter of priority. I was under the impression that the sick person had to be violent towards others or himself for the police/CATT team to intervene. But I found out that it can also be for 'loss of reputation'. You have been an incredible woman to put up with this and getting him help is the best thing for him and your child and you. The psychiatrist and his gp and CATT team need to know exactly what's happening. Go meet them in person if they don't listen on the phone and take photos and a letter. They will surely point you to support services as well. Good luck. I'll be thinking of you.

In response to: When you can't give any more

Re: When you can't give any more

Dear @GreenT thank you for your reply, gosh i dont know what to say, every day seems like a nightmare in my life. i am not in control of anything nor myself and no way my sons obsessions. his place is getting worst by the minute and i feel sick every time i have to enter. he only got this hoarding obsession during hospital stay and after dicharge. he is on very strong meds which dont seem to make him better. i just have to try and ignore his state of mind and be grateful he is not violent to me at the moment which is thanks to the meds, they make him very sleepy and dosile. but what a way to live a life. if i only mention anything about the mouldy food, smelly liquids and toilet paper, terrible mess everywhere, not flushing toilet, not washing his clothes since many months, etc he gets so mad at me and it triggers another psychotic episode. so i just have to back off and 'stop nagging'... he has so many other weird obsessions which totally contradict eachother, i can write a whole book. i have told his case worker and he arranged one therapy session (one every 3 weeks which is not sufficient) and they discussed why i am so hostile towards my son. i only want him to live in dignity and not like an animal. thats all. just a basic standard. nothing fancy. i dont know how much they can see that it is not 'normal'... and if they would like to change their behaviour. this illness is a mystery to me. i am having so many heated arguments with my son that i have to give up and just wait how it develops. i can not do this by myself, i need help from outside but either way it will take a long time. keep in touch and please update your story, stay strong and hold onto the small positive things in life. take care!

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