Depressed Guy Needing Advice

Ok, long term lurker, first time poster here. I'm in a tight spot and I need to get some thing off my chest. Any input is greatly appreciated. Well here it goes. I am 31 years old. My wife is 45 years old. She has a history of substance abuse. She used to shoot heroin and smoke cannibals on the streets 24/7 when she was my age.

To make a long story short, I took her from Limerick and moved her up to Dublin. She still continued to use drugs, but not as much. She has ran up all my credit cards without my consent to get money for drugs. She goes on binges, then stops for 10 months or so, before repeating.

We have a 7 year old son. He is autistic, but doing very well in school. The problem is my wife is very verbally abusive to him and me all the time. She has to be in control all the time. She can be sweet when everything is going her way, but when it is not, or I stand up to her, she goes ballistic. This includes physically attacking me, scratching me, throwing things at me, and punching me when I'm not looking.

Yet she is the one that always claims she is the victim. I have been with her for 10 years and I'm at my wits end, but she is a VERY vindictive, ruthless woman, and I am afraid to leave her. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I am literally afraid of her.

I have to hide in my room and do everything in secret. She can talk to whom ever she wants, but I can't have any friends without her going into a jealous rage, and even threatening any friends I have had over the years.

My concern of leaving is my son. I do not know what will happen to him if I leave. I have to type really quiet or she'll kick in my door to see who I am typing too. That's how controlling she is. I feel like a prisoner.

There is a lot more but I am going to end this post now. I'm at a loss of what to do. I feel like my life is slipping past me and I am stuck in a miserable situation with no way out that wont hurt everyone drastically.

I'm literally considering waking my son up one night in the coming week and flying over to relatives in the States just to get some down-time. As much as I'm depressed with it all, I really don't want to get the Garda involved but there is a gun in the house.

In the past I shot rifles in Co. Dublin on a Thursday afternoon as a hobby with two friends. I have a license and all but I don't know where it is. About three months ago I came home and the inventory room where I've kept it for several years was moved around. The rifle is gone and whether it's in the house or not at this stage, I'm unsure but I haven't mentioned it to her.

I better end this now. Any advice is much appreciated, thank you in advance for the replies. I'm sorry if this is not the right section.

Desperate Dan.