I have recovered from very late stage breast cancer and have an abusive husband. My husband is verbally abusive, and my wonderful son, intelligent and honorable, still lives with us and has to listen to the bad things. My father died decades ago, the money he left me, substantial, was stolen by his siblings. Yes this does sound like a bad made for tv movie. Summary, I have always had lots of women friends. We moved to a rural area, one I find difficult to contend with. People do not like me here, an yes I can acknowledge the whiny tone of this post. Please forgive. I feel shame and despair. I am violating my own values by this despair. Question: At 57 can I qualify for any kind of independent living place? I would love to be around other people. Oh, one more obstacle: My husband forged my name on tax returns and I have a choice, turn him in or accept the enormous debt. Of course I am not going to turn him in. I sure do feel foolish though.
I noted, inter alia, that your main caregiving role related to your well-off MIL; and that two years ago you and your husband were then struggling with financial difficulties, although at the time you seemed to have confidence that you would pull through these; and that you were recuperating from cancer.
But I'm struggling to understand the timeline about when you were ill, when you moved, and what has gone on. And you mention a stepson - living with you and your husband, or out of the picture now?
How old is your son?
You say your husband forged your signature on tax returns, plural. Does that mean this has been going on for some years? And you've only just found out about it? Would you be able to prove it?
I'm sorry that you're having to deal with so many issues all at once, when in an ideal world you would focus on staying well - very hard to do under stress. "When troubles come, they come not single spies but in battalions..."
But the only way to deal with them is one at a time.
Would you like to say a little more about where you are in life, and where you would like to get to?
Why are you not turning him in?
Is divorce part of your thinking at this point?
So sorry for what you are going through.