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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think I've made a huge mistake...

186 replies

Neve77 · 11/03/2017 17:26

I have been with OH for five years. I thought he was the love of my life. We have been engaged for a year and have a baby on the way.
We moved in together two weeks ago (house is mortgaged) and for the first week things seemed fine. He has always corrected me on things but now it seems like everything I do is wrong. He even criticised how I ironed a pillow case. Every thing I tell him he knows better than me or I must be in the wrong and he tries and proves me wrong. Every day I make breakfast, wash up, make the bed, go to work, come home and make tea and wash up from that. Today he said to me "you know you have to do housework too". I have cleaned the bathroom and kitchen each Saturday we lived here (a deep clean, I do tidy as I go along as well). Which hurt as I felt I had been pulling my weigh! He's now argued with me over the cost of a washing line and I just wanted to cry and the situation that I have got myself stuck in for the foreseeable future 😭. AIBU to wish I had stayed in my own place?

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 12/03/2017 07:57

To that list I would add 'belief in rigid gender roles as a means of establishing and maintaining a hierarchy or power imbalance in a relationship'.

Another big issue here is the emotional unkindness.
This man simply is not kind. The OP wants safety, trust and a caring relationship and all she is getting is meaningless apologies for deep hurt he is causing.
If The P wants safety, trust and a caring connection he will not get those life enhancing elements from this relationship, and this is because he has set it up that way. He does not want any of those things. He wants the feeling he gets from hurting the OP.

liveboldandbloom.com/11/relationships/signs-of-emotional-abuse
Another checklist. Any of the 30 should be cause for serious consideration.

Some advice from this site:
"If the emotional abuser in your relationship isn’t interested in changing, and you aren’t in a position to leave the relationship immediately, here are some strategies for reclaiming your power and self-esteem for the short term:

"Put your own needs first. Stop worrying about pleasing or protecting the abuser. Take care of yourself and your needs, and let the other person worry about themselves — even when they pout or try to manipulate you and control your behavior.

"Set some firm boundaries. Tell your abuser he or she may no longer yell at you, call you names, be rude to you, etc. If the bad behavior occurs, let them know you will not tolerate it and leave the room or get in the car and drive to a friend’s house.

"Don’t engage. If the abuser tries to pick a fight or win an argument, don’t engage with anger, over-explaining yourself, or apologies to try to sooth him/her. Just keep quiet and walk away."

"Realize you can’t “fix” them. You can’t make this person change or reason your way into their hearts and minds. They must want to change and recognize the destructive quality of their behavior and words. You’ll only feel worse about yourself and the situation by repeated “interventions.”"

"You are not to blame. If you’ve been entrenched in an abusive relationship for a while, it can be crazy-making. You start to feel like something must be wrong with you since this other person treats you so poorly. Begin to acknowledge to yourself that it is NOT you. This is the first step toward rebuilding your self-esteem."

"Seek support. Talk to trusted friends and family or a counselor about what you are going through. Get away from the abusive person as often as possible, and spend time with those who love and support you. This support system will help you feel less alone and isolated while you still contend with the abuser."

"Develop an exit plan. You can’t remain in an emotionally abusive relationship forever. If finances or children or some other valid reason prevents you from leaving now, develop a plan for leaving as soon as possible. Begin saving money, looking for a place to live, or planning for divorce if necessary so you can feel more in control and empowered.""

Emotional abuse is a form of brain-washing that slowly erodes the victim’s sense of self-worth, security, and trust in themselves and others. In many ways, it is more detrimental than physical abuse because it slowly disintegrates one’s sense of self and personal value. It cuts to the core of your essential being, which can create lifelong psychological scars and emotional pain.

Miserylovescompany2 · 12/03/2017 07:58

By the sound of things he hasn't changed. OP will just be on the receiving end of more criticism because he has more to complain about. Pillow cases and alike would have been a non issue prior to moving in together as they'd both of been responsible for their own...

He seems to have VERY specific ideas of how things should be done. He also seems to lack empathy? OP is 8 months pregnant, working and he's still expecting a shit load of house work to be done to his exact specification?

If it were me, I'd be telling him to do the things he isn't happy about himself. If he wishes to iron his own pillow case that's his lookout. I'd also be pointing out the blindingly obvious, that I'm 8 months pregnant and NEED support not fricking nit picking.

Personally, I couldn't live with someone picking everything I did to bits. It's not just the little constant digs at everything that would bother me, it's the picking away at me as a person. I would never feel good enough.

Coastalcommand · 12/03/2017 08:40

What's his approach to housework? When I moved in with my now husband, he'd come from a small flat which he cleaned from top to bottom each day.
We moved into much bigger house and he thought we could both do a full clean every day!
I thought we should do the basics each day and a full clean the weekends.
It turned out that my standard of cleaning was not acceptable to him so after him moaning about it I said the cleaning was down to him.
We have divided the jobs I do the cooking laundry, shopping, gardening and make sure all bills are paid.
He does most of the cleaning and puts the bins out.
When I was heavily pregnant he did everything apart from cooking and laundry. When baby was born he did everything as I had a c section.

It works for us, but it took some adjustment at first.
Can you sit down and talk to him about it?
Would getting a cleaner in and an ironing service help?

monkeysox · 12/03/2017 08:46

Very concerning that you are a teacher working more than regular full-time hours and he is still expecting housework on an evening. You probably have marking to do never mind being exhausted from work all day and growing your baby.

Counselling may be worth a try or ltb
Life's too short for this shit.

Catrina1234 · 12/03/2017 17:18

Wow that should do the trick mathanxiety - I bet the OP is en route to stay with a relative or friend, either that or she has kicked the P out together with his stuff in a bin liner. I don't understand why people get so pissed off with posters who don't agree with them, especially in relation to these kind of situations.

Has anyone noticed that the OP has not returned.

mathanxiety · 14/03/2017 05:03

Here is why, Catrina - some people don't know what they are talking about and post advice that is only suitable for dealing with decent and normal human beings, which is not what so many women post about here. It is because 'these kind of situations' are being completely misunderstood that people get pissed off.

The advice for dealing with decent, normal human beings is very often what the OPs have been trying for years and coming up against a brick wall. It can be demoralising to the point of soul destroying. That is why it is called emotional abuse. Advice pertinent to dealing with abusive men is needed.

Some people do not believe that one person can single handedly wreck a relationship; they are sure it takes two, with each rubbing the other up the wrong way, and if only they could 'sit down and talk' or 'go on a few dates to rekindle the romance' everything might work out well. It is a naive view that echoes society's reluctance to believe that some people are extremely toxic and enter into relationships with no intention of giving, loving, supporting, encouraging, and helping their partner blossom. They are emotional vampires and they suck their partners dry. The truth is not always a nice scenario.

If you want to learn more about personality disorders and abusive types you can read the books I have already recommended by Lundy Bancroft and Pat Craven, and there are numerous sites too - in particular outofthefog.website/ for family members and loved ones of people with personality disorders, and www.outofthestorm.website/ for those experiencing complex post traumatic stress syndrome.

You could also navigate through this exhaustive site - samvak.tripod.com/.

There is no need for the sarcasm btw. You have no idea where the OP is or the reason she has stopped posting. She may even have gone into premature labour thanks to the stress and overwork she is forced to endure at home.

WhereYouLeftIt · 14/03/2017 10:33

Great explanation mathanxiety Flowers.

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 14/03/2017 10:50

I hope you're ok OP

Two things I was wondering and haven't seen are, is he critical with everyone as a rule, or does he single you out? And when friends notice his corrections, do they remark on it to him or just to you?

My OH is critical of the way I do things sometimes, but it's not restricted to me. When he does moan I tell him as he's obviously got more idea than I have he's won the job. He's on permanent washing up and hoovering and does nearly all the cleaning 😄

kittybiscuits · 14/03/2017 11:53

Excellent post @mathanxiety

welovepancakes · 14/03/2017 12:09

Another vote for the Lundy Bancroft book.

Atenco · 14/03/2017 12:28

Great post mathanxiety

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