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I Don't Know What to Do

I don't know how to help my husband. Over the last two years or so, he has started becoming somewhat depressed. Once so patient, his temper is getting shorter and shorter. He seems to have lost all motivation to do anything in life, slacks on house work that he's normally done with no problem, no longer works out which he used to enjoy doing, etc. He doesn't drink, or do anything like that. It's like someone flipped a switch one day a couple years ago, and it's just been a downward slope. He picks fights over stupid small things and makes them a big deal. He went through a rough patch where he had been fired from a few different jobs, all for different reasons. He has had a steady job, (A really good paying one at that.) for the last year, so that seems to have leveled out. I know he felt a huge jab to his ego during that time period of losing job after job. Anymore he seems like a shell of himself. In front of our friends and family, he acts like he's perfectly fine. He's funny and social, etc. But then once we're at home, he totally changes. Our fights have become worse and worse, and I've caught him in some lies. Nothing HUGE, but lies nonetheless. Most recently being our water bill. Stupid, right? He's terrible with money, so I handle our finances. He had only the water bill that he would pay every month by dropping in the drop box which is a block away from our house. Long story short, I find out that he missed a few payments because he forgot about it. Our normal $30/month bill snowballed into $500. He started selling personal items behind my back on Craigslist to payoff the bill, hoping I wouldn't find out. He had only been paying our normal $30 so I wouldn't notice more $ missing from our acct. I confronted him about it, and he came clean. But this had been going on for nearly a year. I haven't ever caught him cheating, or talking to other women, nothing like that. He often tells me that he feels lost, and like he just lost his way in life. He doesn't know why he's always so mad. He's tried counseling, and reading the Bible, but they don't seem to help much. FYI, being medicated is NOT an option for him. Some days he feels OK, and others you can tell he's just miserable. I don't know how to help him. I've tried everything I can think of. I bought tickets for a band he likes, took him to a baseball game because he loves the sport, etc. I don't know what else to do. I feel helpless...
lasergraph · 70-79, M
It could be a medical condition or just some sort of midlife crisis. He may feel like he isn't in the place in life he thought he would be. That is the big one for most men at about the age I assume him to be, at least till he matures and figures out happiness has nothing to do with "stuff". If it isn't medical it may be just a phase.
AnarchoMetalchic · 41-45
@lasergraph He's only 29, so I hope it's not a midlife crisis. lol
will999 · 70-79, M
Hello AnarchoMetalchic 31-35. There is very little you can do for him until he is prepared to take action and ask for help on his own account. I have seen some very close friends of mine and even close family members flush the best part of their life down the toilet, obviously in some sort of a funk. I'm sad to say it did not end well for them. If his mind is completely closed to the possibility of receiving help from anyone else such as a doctor, that possibility does not exist for him.
AnarchoMetalchic · 41-45
@will999 He's open to help, but will not be medicated.
will999 · 70-79, M
@AnarchoMetalchic Hi again. Let's just HOPE he survives this ordeal.
AnarchoMetalchic · 41-45
@will999Oh he'll survive just fine. He's not clinically depressed or suicidal or anything. He's just been down. We're now trying different holistic approaches, which so far have been helping.
Kerrigan · 41-45, F
My father had the same years back. Clinical depression is a medical condition more than anything else. Being moody/sad/short tempered are symptoms, not causes. See a doctor, get Lexapro. My dad's life/mood/happiness did a complete 180. We call it his "happy pill". You can't make it go away with talking. It requires medication.
malizz · 70-79, M
There could possibly be a medical reason. Worth checking out.
malizz · 70-79, M
To clarify, I was not thinking of psychotic conditions requiring happy pills or suchlike, rather that diseases such as diabetes can affect one's moods.
coary987 · M
Depression is a really horrible thing to have you feel so down utterly useless can't do nothing write .
Has he been to the doctor they have got meds that will help him a lot.
My friend gets it a lot and sometimes I have to kick his butt to get him out of it.
I hope he gets the help he surely needs the quicker the better.
Soartofreedom · 61-69, F
It sounds like he's depressed which is greater than you can fix. It's been going on long enough that it's safe to say he needs help. Depression can be brought on by a stressful event,such as job loss. A suggestion is for him to temporarily take an anti depressant
to balance back the chemicals in his brain. I hope this helps!!
AnarchoMetalchic · 41-45
FYI to all, being medicated is NOT AN OPTION for him.
Kerrigan · 41-45, F
@AnarchoMetalchic Can you explain why? Medical conditions require medical treatment -- not talking, not wishful thinking. It's likely a very simple and unavoidable chemical imbalance. I mean, If you get an infection, which do you think works better? An antibiotic or talking? It's the SAME thing.
AnarchoMetalchic · 41-45
@Kerrigan He and I are totally against any mind altering medications.
SW-User
Talk to him
AnarchoMetalchic · 41-45
@SW-User I do. CONSTANTLY. I give him literally all of my attention when I'm with him.
sounds way to familiar..

 
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