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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think this was NOT emotional blackmail?

32 replies

MeteorShower · 20/01/2019 20:00

XP and I met 15 years ago. I was a single parent, he was a bit of a party animal and borderline alcoholic (yes I know) with serious depression (yes yes I know ). We knew each other through friends and got on really well for 3 years before we actually got together.

From very early on in our relationship I made it quite clear that I was looking for a quiet family life, that I wouldn't tolerate heavy drinking in front of my DC, and that I would like to have more children in future. I always made all of that clear. He wasn't sure if he wanted any DC of his own at first, and I said quite clearly that in that case the relationship wasn't going anywhere, because that was one of the things I wanted most. He chose to stay with me, and we moved about 100 miles when we got a once in a lifetime chance to live in a really lovely rural area that we normally wouldn't have been able to afford (I inherited a cottage).

We had our DD 4 years into the relationship - planned, as in, we stopped using contraception - and she has some SN that have caused considerable stress over the last few years. Things were hard, and I'll admit I became increasingly resentful over his utter inability to take responsibility for stuff.

He doesn't drive, so everything from school runs to hospital appointments to shopping had to be facilitated by me. I had the money to pay for him to learn to drive but there was always a reason he didn't want to. If I didn't organise it, nothing happened. Occasionally he'd say something like, for example, oh wouldn't it be nice to go to Skye - but never do anything like suggest a week to go, or organise accomodation, or find ferry times or anything at all, so things he wanted to do didn't happen. He didn't see much of his old friends because I wouldn't have them in the house (all heavy drinkers and casual drug users) and I didn't facilitate it by driving him to visit them. I was the main earner for the last 6 years while he faffed about 'building a business' that never made any money. He used to go away to 'work' at festivals but I did say I wanted him to stop as a) it was basically a week long jolly for him while I was at home alone with the DC (he'd meet up with old friends and spend the week pissed while litter picking) and b) I never saw a penny of the money he made doing it so it felt like lose lose for me!

XP announced last year that he had had enough, felt like I'd treated him like shit and emotionally blackmailed him into having a baby and giving up everything that made him happy, and walked out. He claims that I stopped him seeing his friends, made his life a misery, never wanted him in the first place, and have resented and bullied him for years. He says it suited me for him to be unhappy and that I've been quite happy to keep him depressed as it meant he never pursued his own dreams.

I feel very very hurt by this - I mean yes by the end I did resent him but tbh by then it was all so fucked anyway that it's not really fair to use that as the benchmark for the whole 12 years! But I can't shake what he's said to me, I feel so crushed by it and can't stop worrying that he's right, that I am an awful person and that I'll just keep fucking up for the rest of my life.

OP posts:
Windgate · 21/01/2019 08:41

Wrong thread 😣

outlineMethodologies · 21/01/2019 08:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ushuaiamonamour · 21/01/2019 08:51

I'm sorry you're feeling so wretched and I hope you'll be able to put a remark that so upset you to one side. Having said that, something in your posts makes me long to hear his perspective on this. It might well simply confirm that think he's a feckless layabout who didn't pull his weight and that you're well shut of him but it might make the matter seem much less cut-and-dried than other posters seem to think it.

I wish you good luck and a quick recovery from the split in any case.

Sarahjconnor · 21/01/2019 08:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Poppylizzyrose · 21/01/2019 09:08

Windgates post actually fits quite nicely in this thread 😂 cheered Me up this morning!

Piffle11 · 21/01/2019 09:25

He's trying to manipulate you into believing that his problems are due to your actions - it's bollocks. My exDP was a bit like that: he had all these ideas for a career: we bought all the kit, etc, and he sat on his arse staring at the PC for the next 5 years. He had trust issues - he was always accusing me of cheating on him (never did): we spent years and £££ seeing doctors, healers, hypnotherapists, family therapists, counsellors … to no avail. I left him, and at that point he started saying how it was all my fault: my attitude and behaviour towards him had made him that way. It was all crap, he was a very damaged individual who had been blaming a past relationship on his problems when I met him. It wasn't that woman's fault either: he just didn't want to accept any responsibility for his behaviour. My Ex had all these ideas about what he 'could' do, and what he 'should' be, but the truth was he couldn't be bothered to do anything about it. He used to get very jealous when anyone he knew actually had any kind of success - he couldn't see that their hard work had paid off, and the reason he hadn't had their 'good luck' was actually because he wasn't prepared to put in the effort. Your ex is the same - can't be bothered to make anything of his life, so he's trying to excuse himself by pinning the blame on someone else. Don't let him get to you. It does take effort - you do start to question yourself - but he won't change, and in the future he'll no doubt be blaming someone else.

Femaleassassin · 21/01/2019 09:37

It sounds like you're better off without him however I'm not sure banning his friends from visiting sounds like a very balanced relationship. But it does seem like he has a lot of growing up to do and he should get a bloody driving licence for a start

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