Thank you everyone for your candor and advocacy. Please know that I have protected myself financially and that I have made it clear that I will no longer function as his creditor. I am coming to terms with his mental health issues and addictive behaviors, and understand that our relationship will likely not survive. I find power in knowing that I am financially independent and in no need of support from him - I completely have the upper hand.

The honest truth is that I choose to stay because we have an amazing 13-year-old at home and I am his bonded parent and true source of stability. His birth mother has extreme mental health issues and basically abandoned him about three years ago. He rarely sees her and she is not a parenting option for him. In coming to terms with his father's mental health and addiction issues, for now, I am just living day-to-day trying to keep a stable household for our 13-year-old. I do understand that he perceives the stress, and I do my best with the tools I have gained in counseling to focus my love and energy in ways that support his continued development in a secure environment.

I realize that I will receive plenty of strong feedback here for this choice, but it is the best choice for now. I work actively with my counselor on ways to nurture my own spirit and interests. I have recently come to understand that this relationship has rewired my nervous system so that I respond to conflict by "fawning," and I am now strong enough to consciously make the necessary changes and stand up for myself.

I appreciate the opportunity to hear from others who have either traveled this road or know someone who has. Your words truly assist in fortifying my spirit and my resolve.
Thank you so much!