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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel repulsed by DH sometimes..

260 replies

Fedups · 07/05/2018 10:58

Feeling so down about this today..and DH has just stormed off refusing to speak, as he always does. I honestly need some perspective on this, so thank you for reading if you do.
DH has always had a problem with initiative, probably due to growing up with an overbearing controlling mother. He can be sweet & kind and loving, but often lacks such basic drive, it’s been like living with a child sometimes. 3 years ago, I discovered he had been having an affair with a young girl at work, and had been lying to me for 18 months. It tore our family apart, but I managed to keep things together, and for the sake of our young family, gave it another chance. For a time things were great, he seemed interested and motivated by us. And being with us. However, since then, his motivation for anything..has simply disappeared. He takes no interest in himself, has developed a huge paunch. Can’t stand up easily, or bend down to pick things up, because he has got that big.
He eats everything & anything, including tubs of clotted cream..’because he can’..and if I comment, he just eats more.
His dental hygiene has become appalling..which really hurts, as he always had a fresh bottle of lusterine on the go, when he was seeing this girl. His breath is sometimes so repulsive, I can smell it from feet away. But he says he doesn’t care.
As well as this, he has taken to not bothering to shower on the weekends..which I just don’t understand. He really cannot be bothered..and seemingly can’t be bothered about me, or what I think. This morning at breakfast, I could smell BO, and he claims he was simply too busy to shower yesterday. At home all day in the garden, on the hottest day of the year..but he was just too busy to shower.
I’ve finally snapped, and commented that he used to shower twice a day for this girl. In fact he used to make more of an effort with everything. Does he not see how it might seem to me? I look after myself. I am 50, and am slim and still considered young & pretty for my age. I feel like I am wasted on this man sometimes. I can’t feel anything towards somebody who has so much apathy towards themselves, or me!
I’ve tried not saying anything for months, to trying to talk about it gently and openly...but he never responds. He just makes some derogatory ‘yes dear’ comment..and walks away. I honestly don’t know what to do. But it is making me feel so lost & low.
Am I being unreasonable in wishing he would look after himself more? Or am I right to think that a man who truly cared what his partner thought, would take some pride in with his hygiene and his appearance.
I know this all might seem ridiculously over sensitive and inane, but thank you for reading Flowers

OP posts:
Fedups · 07/05/2018 11:35

I agree re the depression possibility. That’s exactly what I tried to broach this morning, but he just upped and left. He has always had a huge problem with emotional ‘disconnect’. He can be happy & loving and kind...but always on some upper level. If I try to dig deeper on anything that’s bothering me, he clams up. Which is probably how the affair was ‘buried’ so quickly. And he maintained, it was never emotional on his part. It was just an escape. And it was only when she started making plans for ‘their future’ together, he realised he’d gone too far.
As for health & hygiene, he would say I am just being controlling. He works long hours in the city, so naturally showers every morning in the week, and heads off clean shaven, suited & booted. And can actually look quite handsome! But come the weekend, he thinks it’s his business whether he showers or not. (Which of course it is) And he slobs around in old t shirts that ride up his paunch, and does nothing whatsoever to get himself fit, because he doesn’t have the time..or the energy. Now we have this glorious long weekend, and he hasn’t showered since Friday...and he’ll shower when he feels like it. And I’m sure he’ll be thinking how bad things have got between us, because I show no affection or love towards him, and all I ever do is nag..Confused

OP posts:
fannyfelcher · 07/05/2018 11:35

im sorry OP but listen to yourself. Then reassess his behaviour. He checked out LONG ago. He does not want to be married to you, he has totally let himself go which shows that he does not respect you in the slightest. But you should already know that seeing as he was actively shagging another person for 18 months. You did not need to keep your marriage together for the sake of your family, that suggests that your family is only worthy of a cheating scumbag that can't keep his dick in its Y fronts. And now its worth even less, a cheating scumbag with BO, poor hygiene and blatant disrespect for you all.

Get rid of him. I am cringing for you and your super low standards. You may be a young and pert 50 year old, but you aren't acting like it. You are clinging to the revolting man when you deserve better. People will judge you on that , hard.

Fuck him off and find a better model.

annandale · 07/05/2018 11:37

Lots of people aren't prepared to be 'the bad person' and end a marriage. Perhaps he is wondering what he has to do to make you finish it. When you do, perhaps he will spend years giving a sob story to his future partners, saying how you were an appalling nag who dumped him because he'd gained a little weight, leaving out the affair, the aggressive lack of hygiene and the refusal to talk. Oh well. Think about what you want and what you are prepared to put up with.

Beeziekn33ze · 07/05/2018 11:37

Ask him who'll look after him when he's incapable of looking after himself. He's a terrible example to your children. Is it possible to talk to his doctor?
Stop buying clotted cream and similar unnecessary unhealthy food, it sounds as if he wouldn't get around to buying it for himself.

SevenStones · 07/05/2018 11:40

He had enough initiative to start an affair...

AnyFucker · 07/05/2018 11:40

I feel like I am wasted on this man sometimes

Let me correct that for you. All the time.

I think it's telling that you said "I managed to keep things together...." after his affair. What did he he do exactly ?

Seems to me he is showing you less and less respect and I am afraid it started with you forgiving his huge betrayal and then taking on all the work of trying to fix your relationship

End it.

GrandTheftWalrus · 07/05/2018 11:41

One of the reasons I ended it with exh was his hygiene and weight. He couldn't even walk upstairs without being breathless. It wasn't depression it was just laziness and eating crap while sitting at a computer all day.

He rarely showered or brushed his teeth. But then his whole family were like that. So I ended up working more to get away from him.

DP however is like a breath of fresh air!

Bluelady · 07/05/2018 11:41

Over eating and lack of self care are symptoms of depression, he may well not care much about anything.

croprotationinthe13thcentury · 07/05/2018 11:41

Hard to understand why this marriage is continuing. You sound like you dont even like each other, let alone love. Bizarre.

VladmirsPoutine · 07/05/2018 11:41

This sounds awful, sorry you're going through this. I agree with pretty much everyone else - it's time to call time on the marriage as he already has - consciously or otherwise. How old are the dc?

colditz · 07/05/2018 11:42

No. Unless you live alone, it's NOT your business whether you shower or not. You do not get to drag a sweaty stinking carcass into a shared bed. Tell him get get showered or get the fuck out.

colditz · 07/05/2018 11:42

BTW you're repulsed because he's repulsive.

ohfortuna · 07/05/2018 11:44

Very passive aggressive
he is sabotaging his own health in order to get back at you or insult you

pepperpop · 07/05/2018 11:44

"I feel wasted on this man sometimes" - you are!

You deserve so much better.

Birdsgottafly · 07/05/2018 11:45

He wants out of the marriage, but wants you to end it, that's the initiative that he's struggling with.

It would be really easy for him, if you left and I'd put money on him hitting the gym and moving on, very quickly.

This isn't depression, this is aimed at you. Have you got another room that you could sleep in? I'd be discussing, unreasonable behavior, as a cause for Divorce.

ohfortuna · 07/05/2018 11:45

I would get out sooner rather than later before his health fails completely and he becomes nothing more than a millstone around your neck
apologies for being so harsh

HollowTalk · 07/05/2018 11:49

OP, he won't even brush his teeth for you. What does that tell you about what he thinks of you? He'll do it for others (work, girlfriend) but not you.

Come on. This marriage died when he had the affair. For 18 months he was living another life. Now he's a slob and thinks all that's your fault.

Time to get out.

Juells · 07/05/2018 11:50

He's depressed because he's 'trapped in a loveless marriage'. Sorry to be so harsh, but I've been on the receiving end of that and it destroyed my self-confidence. Do yourself a favour and LTB, you are too good for him.

TomFun · 07/05/2018 11:51

You deserve much better, OP. Much, much better.

GetOffTheTableMabel · 07/05/2018 11:51

This makes me nauseous and angry in equilibrium measure.
He is being filthy and obnoxious on purpose to disrespect you. Your description of it makes it sound like persistent, deliberate, almost aggressive behaviour, rather than depression.
He wishes to be offensive to you.
I think you should end this. Your nose will thank you.
He is also setting an abysmal example to your children.

JoeElliotsMullet · 07/05/2018 11:51

Agree with the previous posters that he's checked out of the marriage but is too cowardly to actually ask you for a divorce so is making himself repulsive so you are forced to initiate it...
I would cut loose now OP, however messy or painful it is. Get your ducks in a row and live your best life without him in it.

GetOffTheTableMabel · 07/05/2018 11:52

Equal measure- not equilibrium. Auto bloody correct

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 07/05/2018 11:54

He actually has contempt for you, OP. Real contempt.

I find that hard to fathom as you've pulled out all the stops to give him another chance, make it easy for him. Perhaps that was what it was, instead of him taking it as the wake-up call it was, to reinvest and reinvigorate his marriage, he's behaving as if he's been dragged into it against his will.

It's over. You will never get past these feelings of revulsion and nor should you. Not only did he cheat on you, he is pointedly doing all the things he never did when he was having his affair, ie. putting on weight, letting his hygiene go completely. That's is disrespect for you and, as I mentioned already, contempt.

Please - for your sake - stop mentioning to him what he did when he was seeing this woman . It's just giving him a little frisson that he was that 'great' man who could be with a younger woman - and in his idiotic head, he probably feels he deserved her.

Well one thing is very clear - he does not deserve you and it goes without saying that you are way above what he is worthy of.

My advice would be not to waste another second of your life trying to fathom him out, it doesn't matter why he does these repugnant things, the fact is - he does them.

Your new life is somewhere out there waiting for you, if you want it. Thanks

WomaninGreen · 07/05/2018 11:55

I think he's trying to push you to ending it so he doesn't have to.

Debfronut · 07/05/2018 11:56

He could be depressed but in my opinion he just does not want to attract you. He is repulsing you because unconsciously or consciously he wants you to take the lead and get rid of him. He wants to end the marriage but does not have the courage to do so. I am so sorry that he is a coward who cannot be truthful but for your own sake you need to be strong and tell him you understand why he is behaving so nastily and you agree it's time to seperate. You have tried your best but he does not appreciate and love you. Unshackle yourself from this man you have been wonderfully forgiving to a man who does not deserve it.