AIO for not being able to forgive my husband after a reveal of debt?
A couple of weeks ago I (late 30s, f) found out my husband (40s, m) has been lying to me by omission about debt. Big debt.
Some background:
When I met him he had debts. He put it down to an emotionally abusive ex who had a hoarding problem, who he was emotionally manipulated into paying of credit cards for, buying things etc. The ex thing is true, as I got to know her.
When we got together he consolidated his debts and had a plan to pay them off.
It turns out he is rubbish with money and he is perfectly capable of getting into debt on his own. So the debt has grown and been consolated at least 3 times since we have been together.
It is worth nothing he is not on a small wage. And also that he probably has undiagnosed ADHD, because of the impulse control and executive function issues.
We moved into a new, cheaper house a few years ago after I had to stop work due to disability, and so that my husband could consolidate his debts into the mortgage. He has a loan, which he has been telling me will be paid off in 3 years time.
He has been reassuring me of this fact regularly, and regularly tells me that our debt (other than mortgage) will be gone in 3 years.
Well 3 weeks ago I found out this was not true. In addition to this loan he has multiple maxed out credit cards, and several other loans. All of these have been built up over the last 2.5 years, and in total amounts to around 90,000$US/ £66,000... £66,000 in 2.5 years...
£4k went on home improvements that came to more than we thought. He did pay for my wheelchair too. These two things were what I thought was on the single loan he had.
He has very little to show for the remaining £50k. He spends on takeaways, and he is into photography and seems to exchange his second hand cameras every few months.
He is not having an affair. There are no secret accounts (I now have full visibility of his credit reports).
Now I have found out about the debts I have made him do something. He has consolidated the debts into our mortgage. This means our 50% mortgage is now back to 75%....
We have been living on the breadline for ages, and I have been given the impression that it's because my disability is so expensive, because our lives are so expensive... Even though I pay for my disability expenses (other than the initial wheelchair outlay) myself. I pay for food shopping, for fuel, I buy DIY and other needs for the house when they come up.
Every time I questioned if we could afford the takeaway or the new gadget, he would snap at me for even questioning it... But it turns out we couldn't afford it.
Now I know about the debt I have stayed calm and helped find a solution.
He has agreed to sit down with me monthly and discuss income and outgoings from the month. He is giving his financial adviser instruction for copy me in to all emails. He says he might get therapy or ADHD coaching.
I am so hurt and angry about this. I have not been able to get past it. He doesn't seem to think I have a reason to be unforgiving as he is now being open with me, and he 'just didn't think about the debts' and wasn't directly lying to me. He doesn't see why I am hurt as he has agreed to these transparency steps, which he sees as fixing the problem.
As this might be ADHD impulse control, am I overreacting for being so hurt and angry, considering it was an omission rather than a lie, keeping these debts from me?
Posted Jul 9, 2025, 11:16 PM UTC