So, I never thought I'd be posting about my relationship possibly ending but here I am. Last night, out of the blue my fiancée had a breakdown and left to go get some space at her mother's for the week. Not because of me or anything I've done but because of the stress and strains around my eldest daughter from my previous relationship.
My daughter suffers greatly with her mental health after physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother. While we are getting help for her, her behaviour is extremely challenging a lot of the time. My fiancées mental health is also not the best due to historic sexual abuse which she's put off getting therapy for, for years. She's been on a waiting list for months at this point with no start date in sight.
While they used to be very close the two of them now have a very strained relationship. My daughter, because of her issues around her Mum and a weird sense of guilt about having a relationship with my fiancee. And, my fiancee for several reasons including feeling constantly feeling rejected by my daughter and also because due to the situation and our circumstances she can’t have another child that she desperately wants. There's other reasons such as my disability and health too, though.
So, last night she left, taking my youngest daughter with her saying she'd be back on Saturday and that she just needed space from my daughter. This then caused my eldest daughter to self harm for the first time in months as she feels responsible for it all, she's 12.
The problem is this doesn't really feel like "just space" to me. All the reasons she cited last night, while totally understandable are still going to be there "when" she comes back. Things aren't going to get any easier, in fact with both of them waiting to start therapy, plus my daughter finally starting back at school in September I suspect things are actually going to get worse. At least at first.
We've spoken several times today, but it's been difficult. While she promises she'll be back and apologies for hurting me etc she keeps mentioning unsustainable solutions for things to improve like expecting less from my daughter, expecting herself to work harder and do more house work etc all things she does more than her fair share of because I'm disabled. She also says she feels she is losing her self etc.
This is the first time she's ever left for space, the only time we've not been able to discuss things and make a plan to move forward with and the only time I've ever felt that my relationship was in severe danger of ending. I'm scared that she's going to come to the same conclusions that I have about things not getting any better. I love her more than anything but now it feels like it might not be enough and I'm distraught.