Struggling with controlling ILs

I’ve been married for a little over 2 years. I moved abroad and live with ILs. My husband is the only child.

On the surface everything is fine, but the environment is very controlling. Mainly the FIL, who is very involved in everything and controls everything. Nothing happens without his permission as my MIL would say when I came here.

Every time I wanted something, it didn’t matter how big or small, it always led to ILs talking behind my back about it, leading to tensions and me stressing out over it.

Recently, I told my husband about how I wanted to go to India to visit my parents. My husband being himself, who never does anything without his parents permission, never really gave me an answer, and that is his behavior about every little thing, everything in life. The usual pattern is, he would text his mother, who would pass it on to FIL, who then of course gets angry about it.

The same thing happened this time, to which they came with many excuses about how it’s not safe to go now and stuff ( I’m in US and I am on the safer side). And then my mother also talked to my MIL. And that led to a huge argument between me and the ILs. They insulted me and my family and all the stuff ILs do when you express that you also have needs as a human being. I told them how they never give us space, I haven’t spend one single day or even had a dinner with just my husband, they are always there.

I went all out and told them everything about how my husband never seriously talks about anything, how he never shows any interest in what I want to do and things like that. And that they also interfere a little too much in our lives forcing us for babies. All of that was dismissed later on, and they didn’t even talk about me going to see my parents, to which they said why do you want to go, why are you even sad?

It’s a very long story, and I couldn’t put all of it in but to summarize, very controlling ILs who don’t let us be a couple because they fear I might take away their son from them so they don’t allow us any space and my husband who always listens to his parents no matter what, never talks about anything, and doesn’t listen to how I feel. My family says that now they will talk about me going to India with ILs again. I don’t know what to do or think. I’ve tried and told them everything and still nothing happened.

I have no support from my husband, none whatsoever. Financially, it’s a struggle I have to ask for every little thing repeatedly, to the point that I am exhausted now and don’t do that anymore. In terms of career, no support again, I am trying to find jobs which I know I have to do on my own but he shows no interest about it and I don’t think he feels happy about me trying. And emotionally, well that isn’t even a thing. And basically, it’s all good if you follow ILs and do as they and stay quiet.

I had posted here before, and I really don’t understand anything at this point. I don’t know if it’s in my head or something. As my FIL said, your problem is that you’ve no problem.

Posted Jan 18, 2026, 3:38 PM UTC

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