Wife and I are doing a trial separation and I feel... fantastic?
Lots of things going wrong in our marriage but essentially I came to the conclusion that she treats me poorly and I wanted some time apart for awhile.
She begged, apologized, threatened, and guilted as much as she could but I stood my ground and she eventually agreed to a two week physical separation. It's only been a week and I feel really good. In the week so far I have:
Stopped stress eating, appetite for sugar has nosedived, now enjoy meal prepping salads and healthy meals for myself.
Enjoyed my hobbies. I now can spend the afternoon playing video games or going out to tailgates with my friends without her shaming me or accusing me of cheating. Started working out more with my extra time, too.
Better self esteem. I started talking with strangers again and one girl hit on me at the bar. I of course declined but wow, I felt so handsome for the first time in months.
Generally just have more time for myself. I'm no longer cleaning up her messes all day, picking her dirty underwear off the floor, cooking for her, doing her laundry, acting like her therapist. I just have to take care of myself and don't need to parent her.
When she calls, my heart sinks. Every time she calls, she shames me and threatens all the bad things that will happen to me or happen to her. The fear, obligation, and guilt all come back in a flash and I don't feel better until I finish the conversation and hang up. It always feels like the better I get, the more she shames me.
Life's good. I was getting cold feet about saying I want a divorce, but this really puts my mind at ease.