Alright, Tisha, I know we don't always agree, but man, did you just take a whole lot of blame that's not yours! "Divorcing my husband who I love because I have an emotional disorder that rears its ugly head in trying to be married to him, as he won’t meet my needs and continually gaslights me about it" I thought you were divorcing him because he wouldn't do anything to meet your needs, emotionally or physically...and gaslit you about it...how is that because of your disorder? Also, if I recall, your needs weren't like super weird or anything. Maybe you have a disorder, but from what I recall, saying it's because of your disorder and not his own behavior in the marriage (um, didn't he steal money too?) is not fair to you, my friend.

I'm not sure why you're trying to blame yourself for seeking a healthier situation for yourself. I'm sorry that you are dealing with the heartache of shared custody. I'm sure many parents wish that they could have their kids all to themselves. It's not abnormal to feel this heartache. You are human. You will survive this and you will grow. I have already noticed a change in you in your posts since you started this journey.

I hate seeing you blame yourself though. I know this was about your son, but I think you made this really hard, life-changing decision to finally take care of yourself and allow yourself to be happy, and that's not because of your disorder. That's because your husband was negligent and possibly even abusive in some ways. He neglected your needs, even when you asked for them to be met, and he stole money! That's not your fault. And you protecting yourself by leaving, also not your fault. Your son will benefit so much from healthy and fulfilled Tishabuv.

I wish my mother had been brave like you and stood up for herself and left when I was a kid, so I didn't have to witness quite as much as I did. So on your son's behalf, I thank you.

Seesaw