Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu - just had an argument with bf

322 replies

Tinkofhousepan · 11/02/2018 05:40

Hi all, this is quite personal (and it's gonna be really long as ive got a lot to get off my chest so Sorry in advance), but I really need some impartial advice. I'm really confused and I genuinely don't know where to go from here or even if i should try to fix this. I am posting this in AIBU instead of relationships because people tend to give blunter answers - and that is what I need!

Been with BF for a while, we don't live together, but I stay at his every other night (he lives on his own, I am with parents saving for the seemingly impossible to obtain mortgage - this is relevant).

I have to commute for about 45 mins each way to work, whereas he works locally to where we both live, practically in the town centre and 5 mins walk from the pub. He goes to the pub every afternoon after he finishes work at 4. I work weird shift patterns so some weeks I finish at 5 and others I could finish as late as 8pm if we are running to time, sometimes we can still be there at gone 9 if something takes longer than expected or if we have a walk in emergency that can't wait.

On my early days when I get to our hometown at around 6 he is fine, and he genuinely is the loveliest most caring partner that I've ever had and I just want to be around him all the time because he makes me genuinely happy and I am in love with him, and I feel his love back.

He cooks for me, gets me tea/hot water bottles without me asking for them (just because I look like I need one), runs me baths, doesn't pester me for sex if he can see I've had a bad/stressful day or if I'm just exhausted. But our sex life is great, he has really embraced some of my more wacky desires and does it really well!

He texts me throughout the day taking a genuine interest in how its going, tells me several times a day that he loves/misses me. He is so attentive and makes me feel really special and loved throughout my work day - all great.

The problem is on my late weeks where he could end up being in the pub from 4pm - 9pm, and when I meet up with him he is obviously pretty drunk but still ok to be around, if a little belligerent and opinionated.

It's when I'm not going home with him on those occasions he goes really paranoid and starts a row over nothing. He will accuse me of getting up to no good and says he 'knows what I'm up to' but will not elaborate any further.

The other day i text him to ask if he was still in the pub so I could see him briefly and get a cuddle and a kiss on the way home, and he accused me of checking up on him to find out his wherabouts so I could meet someone else without worrying about bumping into him Confused. I have never done this so I don't know where he got that idea from.

He gets quite hurtful and once he has this idea in his head, nothing will change his mind, not even if i take a picture of me sat in the living room or on my bed.

This happens on a fairly regular basis (3 times this week, latest one being tonight) literally over an non issue!

Tonight's was he was out with the boys, it got to midnight, I asked if he was coming over and he went all funny and passive aggressive saying that I had said I would stay at his tonight and calling me a liar etc.

When I relayed the conversation that we had had yesterday about where I was staying tonight and that he was welcome to stay over, and in the morning I'd make him a hangover breakfast feed the cats and then we would go to his for a 'fun' day (parents are away this weekend so have to be here to feed the cats -which he knows!!!!).

He started again accusing me of lying to him, and insisting that I had said nothing of the sort yesterday. He blew his top and went super cold on me when I screen shot and sent him the conversation where it showed i had said that i was home tonight and him saying that he remembered and that he might come over if he wasnt too drunk.

It sent him into a spin of him then asking me questions about my evening , what did i do? (ate fajhitas, had a bath and some wine and was chilling in bed watching the hobbit when this all kicked off) which pub did i go to? (Didn't go to any pub) who did I meet up with? (The freaking tooth fairy came round and we did a ouija board obviously) which are his way of trying to trip me up and catch me in a lie, so he can feel vindicated that he was justified in starting this whole pointless argument when he sobers up tomorrow.

It's really draining, and I am not happy for this behaviour to continue. The next day he is full of apologies etc, but I am now quite frankly fed up of this.

He is lovely in so many ways, but I can't help feeling that this is just something he does, and won't change or even try to change, and I don't want to deal with that any more.

What should I do?

Thanks for reading, it felt good just writing it all down.

OP posts:
TheStoic · 11/02/2018 12:21

Tell him you don’t find it particularly ‘special’ to be accused of cheating every second day.

Serialweightwatcher · 11/02/2018 12:22

I would have tried having a conversation with him about the drinking first because it does change people and makes them paranoid sometimes but if you think he won't curb it, then I understand. He needs to know why though - he needs to know he caused this with his constant accusations and put downs and that now because he was completely paranoid for no reason, he has lost what he wanted to hold on to.

eddielizzard · 11/02/2018 12:23

yeah it wasn't just once or you'd over look it. it's regularly. and over time he won't bother with the nice appreciative bits because you've seen him at his worst and you're still around. so it will get worse.

you've done the right thing. now you stay strong.

nakedscientist · 11/02/2018 12:24

The drunk him is the real him. But you know this.
He will argue fiercely when you break up. Be strong, resist and be free.

usualGubbins · 11/02/2018 12:24

It's 'special' because he thinks he can manipulate you. It's not, it'b abusive. Sadly one of my close friends is in this sort of relationship (although drink isn't involved, he just gets like that all on his own!) She's broken away a couple of times but keeps returning. I worry so much about her, but it's her decision and I pray that at sometime soon she will realise that nothing will ever change.

Onlyoldontheoutside · 11/02/2018 12:24

You may get a few of these trying to win you over messages then the nasty ones will start.You don't have to respond or get into a discussion.Just reply that your last message is all you have to say.

TealStar · 11/02/2018 12:24

Tink he will never learn how to change while he is being enabled by you. This could be a wake up call for him, it could actually save him so that when he goes on to another relationship he may (we can hope) be different. But his problem is not yours anymore. Let him go and get out of this mess.

wolfmom · 11/02/2018 12:25

He sounds like my ex and he should sound like your ex tbh

MiddleClassProblem · 11/02/2018 12:26

A drunken mistake that happens repeatedly every week and he doesn’t trust you when he’s sober as he still thinks you lie.

Bye, Arsehole!

Lkjem · 11/02/2018 12:26

Well that's a lie.
Don't reply as it will start a conversation and encourage him to believe he can get you back.
Silence is the only way. Then he can dig big hole which only he will fall in don't go into the black hole with him!
Be strong & ignore that and only that will make you feel better.

DistanceCall · 11/02/2018 12:28

Also, now he knows that you can run, if you go back to him, he'll try to make sure that you don't run ever again.

At first he'll turn on the charm and love bomb you. And then he'll become even more controlling and paranoid, and accuse you of even worse things and of wanting to abandon him.

Please stand strong. You deserve so much better. You can't be with someone who actually treats you well if you're chained to this fuckwit.

GabsAlot · 11/02/2018 12:28

whats special about being accused of cheating every 5 minutes

just say no its over and block him

expatinscotland · 11/02/2018 12:30

'It is a message saying how sorry he is, how he didn't mean it, he was drunk etc. That what we have is special and to not throw it away over a stupid drunken mistake.'

Do NOT give this person a second chance or even a chance to discuss anything face-to-fact with you because he has already proven himself a gaslighting, manipulative git. There is nothing special about a relationship with a possessive, aggressive, increasingly abusive alcoholic. This type of abuse is a cycle because people think the abuser is okay when sober/not using and think that's the real them, and it is, but so is the drunk/using person.

This is who he is. Best way to get out are when there are no ties.

You don't owe this person anything. 'Don't I deserve another chance?' No. 'How can I make this work?' You can't. Promises to 'cut down' or even quit are bollocks, too.

This is a cycle. There's only one way to break it. Leave.

Qvar · 11/02/2018 12:31

I wouldn't live like this.

His jealously and controlling behaviour are going to impact you far mor than they ever impact him if you stay with him. He will start tantrumming about the clothes you wear, the people where you work, and this will start when he's sober rather than spilling out when he's drunk

Chugalug · 11/02/2018 12:31

Fast forward 5 yrs and yr married with dc and he's doing the same..will it be good for the children? No...so you have no future with this man...he is showing you who he is...it won't get better...apologies if you've already left him,I've not read the full thread

Mutiny0nTheBunty · 11/02/2018 12:34

God yes don't get into justifying it = It's not a mistake, it happens all the time and this isn't a relationship I want to be in any more.

Then the promises to 'change' will come in = That's great but it doesn't change my decision; this isn't a relationship I want to be in any more.

Then the accusations will start, there 'must be' someone else = This is getting ridiculous. This is due to your repeated behaviour nothing more and if you think I'm going to get into such a silly discussion you've got another think coming. This is not a relationship I want to be in any more and I won't be responding to any further messages.

Then stop texting and mean it. Even if he goes back to apologetic, sweet etc, radio silence.

You're doing brilliantly Tink. Took me 6 months to get out of a relationship like this and 10yrs (plus one DC!) to get out of one that was similar but didn't feature the accusations or checking up but was still emotionally abusive. You're a legend: now you've made the break don't go back Thanks

GatoradeMeBitch · 11/02/2018 12:34

It wasn't one drunken mistake, it was just the latest one.

ReanimatedSGB · 11/02/2018 12:37

Ignore the tex. You've told him he's dumped and there is nothing more to say. Don't answer the phone to him and if he turns up at your house, don't answer the door.

It doesn't matter if he's upset. He's a knob, and you have every right to dump and move on.

And, as PP have said, abusive alcoholic men sometimes start stalking the women who have been smart enough to get rid of them. Zero tolerance approach, OP. If you get a lot of texts/phonecalls, text back once: The relationship is over, do not contact me again. Any further contact will be reported to the police as harassment.

And report, if necessary. He may give up fairly quickly and settle for whining in the pub with his loser mates about what bitches women are.

Lweji · 11/02/2018 12:38

I would have tried having a conversation with him about the drinking first because it does change people and makes them paranoid sometimes

It doesn't change people. It just removes the conscious social checks.

Him drunk it's him.

AdalindSchade · 11/02/2018 12:40

Breaking up with someone is the worst
It feels so horrible and you feel bad and they feel bad and you feel bad for making them feel bad...so it's so tempting to just call it off to stop both of you feeling bad.

I really hope you don't. If you get back with him you'll be here again sooner than you think and probably worse.

AdalindSchade · 11/02/2018 12:43

intheknowwithro.blogspot.com/2014/02/nine-types-of-abusers-who-are-you.html?m=1 Have a look at these. Your guy fits about 3 of these. Abusive men are boringly predictable

WheresTheHooferDoofer · 11/02/2018 12:43

Tinkofhousepan Sun 11-Feb-18 12:18:17

It is a message saying how sorry he is, how he didn't mean it, he was drunk etc. That what we have is special and to not throw it away over a stupid drunken mistake.

Yeah, my ex didn't drink, but came out with something similar when I left because of abusive behaviour. It's just manipulation, always minimising.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 11/02/2018 12:44

He’s a belligerent bully who drinks too much.your relationship sounds rocky
You don’t have kids,can still walk away from this,maybe you both moved too fast
But what you describe is not a healthy or mutually beneficial relationship

viques · 11/02/2018 12:49

Sexually demanding, jealous, alcohol dependant, with stalker tendencies. What a catch he sounds.

Think of it this way, if this story had been told to you by your best friend what would your advice be to her?