I was in a 3 year relationship with my ex girlfriend. We had a baby boy together and I really believed we were building a family. The plan was for me to stay home with our son while she worked as a nurse manager. I was taking care of the baby going to school to become a drug counselor cooking cleaning doing night feeds and being a stay-at-home dad.
Before I met her I had only been a few months sober after struggling with opioid addiction. I was honest with her from the very beginning about my past and told her I wasn’t perfect. She said she accepted me and was willing to take me as I was.
About a month after our son was born she was hospitalized with postpartum psychosis. I was suddenly handling everything alone taking care of our baby and working because I needed to provide for us. Eventually I reached a breaking point and needed a little time to breathe. My mom took the baby for a few weeks so I could have some time alone.
That decision ended up leading me to relapse. It was only for a short time around a week or two but I was honest with her immediately. I told her I needed to go to detox and she supported me. I found a place that could take me two days later. We talked about staying together me getting help and coming home to rebuild our family.
I was so happy that she understood and wanted to work through it with me.
But two weeks into rehab she called me and ended the relationship over the phone. After that she shared my personal struggles with other people said things about me that weren’t true and made people turn against me. She uses my addiction against me now even though I was honest with her from the first day we talked.
We’re currently going through a custody battle. Thankfully the judge has seen that I got help and I now have a year sober. But emotionally I feel completely broken.
I loved her so much and I still think about her every single day. She contacts people I try to date and says hurtful things about me and it has affected any chance I have at moving on. It feels like she’s still trying to control my life but somehow I still miss her and want my family back.
I cry myself to sleep thinking about everything we lost. I feel lost and I don’t know how to move forward when a part of me still wants her back.
Last updated on:2026-07-14T23:25:12+05:30
Comments (4)
i couldn't build a future by chasing the version of us that existed before everything fell apart. i had to put all that energy into being the dad i wanted my kid to remembe
i lost my family after my own relapse too, and the shame kept telling me i deserved every bad thing that came after. getting a year sober while carrying all of this is HUGE, even if it doesn't feel like it.
wow that sounds really rough. congratulations on 1 year sober through all the stresses. That is huge and you should be really proud. I dated someone with an addiction In the past and the fear of losing that person can be overwhelming. Not everybody can continue with that stress. Focus on your beautiful child and getting yourself mentally strong.
when she reaches out to people you're dating, is that still happening now, or was it mostly right after the breakup?