My husband of eight years is constantly making unreasonable demands, yelling at me until I am just overwhelmed by his anger, name calling and threats (to leave me and our son). If I try to leave the house to escape his angry outbursts, he will block the doors with his body and dare me to make a move. Other times, I have become so frightened, that I am on the ground shaking and crying uncontrollable. After being forced to listen to his tirades for hours, I am unable to go to work because I can’t stop shaking or crying.
After his outbursts in which he sometimes blames me for everything bad in his life, even things that happened years before I met him, he would turn around and then act like nothing happened. Two or even three weeks will pass and he is Mr. Happy and expects the same from me. He is often angry when I enjoy myself or others do nice things for me. He has on several occasions blown up at me and stopped speaking to me for days because I laughed with his sister. He says that I need to put that effort into him and our relationship. I spend so much time and effort doing things for and with him but he is never pleased or even grateful. I readily admit when I am right and wrong but I don't see myself as his downfall.
He talks constantly of his problems and my role in causing them. For hours at a time and demands that I don't say one word. I was assaulted 3 years ago and he never wants to talk about that or any of my needs. He has also had two affairs that I know of and one that I suspect. This weekend was the final straw for me. He once again began his tirade against me and did it in front of our son. He then told me that I could not leave the room that I was in and stood in the doorway to block my exit. He dared me to try and push past him and steadily blocked every move I made to leave the room by pushing me back with his chest and arms. Finally I had to call 911 in order to be able to move freely within my own home. The police said that since he did not hit me, they could do nothing. Now he is calling me at work, yelling at me for calling 911. He now states that I could have gotten out of the bedroom and that I was wrong to call the police.
Is he crazy or am I just a no good, unfeeling, lazy evil woman? I am so depressed and always afraid to go home and face the music. His attacks are more frequent and I don't want to expose my son to them anymore.
I have to make a change and need some advice on figuring out what to do next. Right now we are attending counseling. But his tirades continue. He says that I make him so angry that he has no choice but to act out against me. Is there any hope in trying to work out this marriage? What can I do to protect my child and myself during his rages?