Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Unflip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Unflip

1 2

AIBU?

In thinking this is emotional abuse?

37 replies

debbs77 · 27/02/2014 18:33

Can't find a relationship thread, so putting it here.

Tonight my other half has for shitty with me. We've been arguing the last couple of days anyway. He pushes and pushes (verbally), takes the Mickey out of the way I'm talking, turns the blame round onto me. Until I blow and get mad.

Then he backs down, so he is essentially the one being shouted at. Tells me I'm the one with the problem. Acts all nice, smiling, asking for cuddles. Then is extra attentive to the kids.

I don't want a load of man haters shouting "leave him!" From the roof tops. This is a genuine post

OP posts:

Report

debbs77 · 28/02/2014 09:53

By hurting him I mean completely by accident while trying to push his face out of mine I've scratched him

Half the problem is that it is my house and he would refuse to leave

OP posts:

wyrdyBird · 28/02/2014 00:58

Yes, this is EA.
If you would like more support, go to
Talk Topics > Body and Soul > Relationships

AgentZigzag · 28/02/2014 00:47

You did say you'd hurt him in the past didn't you OP?

I can't see how anything can excuse 'hurting' someone, whatever you mean by that.

It's not OK to try and put the responsibility on to him for 'making' you do that, you chose to behave like that.

I'm not saying I wouldn't do the same given the situation, and have in the past, but you have to accept that it's not all him.

olgaga · 28/02/2014 00:42

Call Women's Aid. Try to get help from anywhere you can for your children's sake and yours.

debbs77 · 28/02/2014 00:10

Noslimbody, that is exactly what happens. Tonight my children didn't even bat an eyelid. I don't want it to be the norm for them, or for them to see me cry.

And for those of you saying you feel sorry for him, wow thanks. I would like to see how others would react to someone following you round while shouting at you, getting right in your face and you not react by pushing them away.

OP posts:

olgaga · 28/02/2014 00:03

noslim
Oh dear you have just described my mum & dad. I am so pleased she left him before my younger siblings realised what was going on - but my older brother and I were traumatised.

And that's an understatement.

noslimbody · 27/02/2014 23:14

My stbxh used to do this. He has now moved on to upsetting the children in order to 'wind me up', after I started ignoring him.
He used to say anything he could to hurt me, until I complained, then keep talking over my voice, and when I spoke pretend not to hear me until I raised my voice then start calling me crazy.
I realised what was going on when I saw him snigger.
He also used to do the being all nice to kids thing to try to make them think that he was the nice one and that I was the scarey one. The being nice to the kids was not genuine, but just another tool to destroy my mental stability. My 7 year old used to tell me I was a stupid bitch a couple of years ago, I know where he learned that one..
You must ignore him, but be warned he will definitely move on to something else.

chateauferret · 27/02/2014 22:55

I'm not a man hater, I'm a man. And he is a twat. HTH.

SeaSickSal · 27/02/2014 20:59

It is the same principle as hitting someone, blaming someone else for your own lack of control.

And it does appear that the OP HAS hurt him but justifies this as deserved as he was 'getting in her face'. Which also sounds like an abusive man.

And that's an awful thing to say. Having split up with 3 exes hardly counts as being roundly rejected by the whole of womankind, it's normal.

If your ex is so great why aren't you with him then? Do you tell your partner that you didn't argue with him?

After that comment about his exes and your admission of violence I'm starting to feel sorry for him.

Perhaps the reason why he always got dumped was because he tends to keep on trying even when relationships are unsalvageable. Ahem

FLURMP · 27/02/2014 20:55

This is how men are when they're winning the arguments. You must crush him.

debbs77 · 27/02/2014 20:19

Thank you everyone for your messages.
The reason I added about Man haters is that I've seen so many threads on forums where people's immediate response is "leave him".

We argue every few weeks. Mainly about the kids as we are a step family and sometimes it gets too much.

The recent row was about our daughter and her bedtime routine. I made a comment which he took in completely the wrong way and got crappy with me. Same thing happened yesterday about something else.

The rest of the time we genuinely have a great relationship. He is great around the house, great with the kids. It's just this thing when we argue. He sees negativity in everything, be it me, or the kids. If someone paid him a compliment he could easily read a negative into it.

Yes I do blow up......because he literally pushes and pushes and pushes. I try to ignore him but I lose my temper, specially when he gets in my face. I've hurt him before, just by getting him out of my face .

I was married for ten years to my ex and I can count on one hand the arguments we ever had. My OH has had three women leave him. It's always been their fault though of course.

I am looking into counselling. We have too much together to lose, but I won't carry on this way

OP posts:

AgentZigzag · 27/02/2014 19:59

I read stuff into tons of threads too Newt, but the OP's hardly said anything really, just on its own I can't see how it's gaslighting or done in order to manipulate the OP for his own evil ends.

People argue, some all the time, some sniping at each other constantly, some of it is drawing on your own experiences of what you know pushes the other persons buttons. I'm not afraid to push DHs buttons if I think he's being an arse.

I don't think that makes me abusive it just means I've got a great memory for detail I won't take shit, and nor will he.

Horrible after it happens, but there aren't that many who genuinely enjoy a good barney.

MistressDeeCee · 27/02/2014 19:57

& theyre always contrite afterwards - they can afford to be, theyve had their fix.

NewtRipley · 27/02/2014 19:53

Agent

Yes. I guess I'm reading stuff into this.

OP

I'd like to know if your DH apologises to you; if when you argue you reach a resolution

MistressDeeCee · 27/02/2014 19:53

Yes, he is an emotional abuser - he is gaslighting you, messing with your emotions by making you blow your top, and then increasing your stress and bad feelings by presenting you as the unreasonable one. Men like this never stop their behaviour, theyre addicted to the game as a cover up for whatever else is bothering them in their lives. They need the drama, and to feel superior to someone. Best is to completely and utterly ignore. Its no fun for them if you won't play the game. He will just find some other way to get you back though, its just what gaslighters do. A bunch of supposedly manhating women is the least of your problems, methinks..

AgentZigzag · 27/02/2014 19:48

I'm not sure I'd describe a couple of days as relentless Newt, it depends on why the OP thinks they've fallen out for that time.

The fact that DH backs down as much if not more that I do after an argument is one thing I value in him.

Much, much worse to have a sulker who punishes you for days and days, or one that goes on needling you to 'win' the game they're playing in their head.

That to me is more towards the boundary of abuse than someone who's contrite after the event.

Hoppinggreen · 27/02/2014 19:46

I only hate abusive arseholes, can I be on this thread?

CoffeeTea103 · 27/02/2014 19:44

You sound just as abusive as him.

BillyNotQuiteNoMates · 27/02/2014 19:44

What Seasick said. You can;t blame him for YOUR reaction. If you react that way, and neither of you are happy with that, then you need to consider your future together, or communicate about what is going on. You can go to a councelling service, such as Relate, or just talk to each other.

NewtRipley · 27/02/2014 19:43

Agent

Fair enough. Relentless arguing isn't healthy, and if the OPs DH doesn't see a problem (not sure if he does or doesn't) then she has got a problem

AgentZigzag · 27/02/2014 19:41

'... I mean in the midst of an argument'

Given

That'd be odd else.

NewtRipley · 27/02/2014 19:41

SeaSickSal

That's an argument people use to explain hitting their partners. The OP did not say she hit her partner

AgentZigzag · 27/02/2014 19:40

Nor has mine after 13 years Newt, but some people's argument technique is little more than that of a 5 year old (without doing 5 YOs down), and they feel that making the other person out to be ridiculous (ironically) gives them more points (and I hate point scoring).

But that's not abusive on it's own, it's just the way they argue.

And it sounded as though he got back as much as he gave, 'blowing' to me (apart from a BJ) means exploding in anger.

It's just arguments.

SeaSickSal · 27/02/2014 19:37

I'm sorry but your argument sounds very much like the one abusive men use. 'She pushes me and pushes me until I lose it'. You're essentially blaming him for you losing control. That is your responsibility not his. It sounds like you are the one behaving badly but you're determined to blame it on him.

NewtRipley · 27/02/2014 19:37

... I mean in the midst of an argument

Unflip

1 2

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.