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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH is being selfish - please tell me if I'm BU

275 replies

FlyingTingTing · 26/02/2019 17:05

I'm so miserable right now.
Background info so as not to drip feed:

Been married to DH for 12 years (we're both early 30s.)
He's always been quite inconsistent, e.g. one minute he wants to do something, gets all excited and passionate about it, then the next minute he changes his mind.
We've mostly been happy. He suffers from depression and anxiety and goes through periods of deep, dark depression where he tends to act a bit selfishly , doesn't want to do anything or see anyone, can be quite horrible, says hurtful things like he wished he'd never got married, thinks he'd be happier being single etc Sad

He's cheated on me twice. Once was 10 years ago, the last occasion was 2 years ago. The last time was the worst. The affair lasted 6 weeks and he lied to me constantly during this time. I only found out by accident. My mental health was quite bad (I suffer with anxiety myself) and this almost killed me. I had to be put on strong meds and was under the care of a mental health team.
He was surprised when I said I wanted to forgive him and was somewhat taken aback I think . I made it clear that i wanted to forgive him and make it work but the road back from infidelity is a difficult one ,and I expected him to do certain things (delete her number, never contact her again) which he did.
He swore he would get help, swore he loved me to bits, swore it was a terrible terrible mistake, swore it would never happen again because he couldn't bear to do that to me again. He swore to do whatever it took, for as long as it took.

Fast forward 2 years to now..He's recently been through another selfish, depressive phase (I've tried my best to be really supportive. ) I've tried to ignore his mean comments.

The last few weeks have been hell. He wants to travel alone. Says it's always been something he wants to do, ALONE. Abroad, without me.

I'm not comfortable with it at all. I think it's because of the previous way he's behaved, but if I'm honest then I probably haven't ever been comfortable with it, even before he cheated. I feel like I would miss him too much, and my anxiety would be too much while he's gone, not knowing where he is or who he's with.
Now he has two affairs under his belt, the trust between us is understandably damaged a lot, and this is a huge factor now too.

I am starting to trust him again (or I was.)
I'm trying to leave the affair in the past and move on, but I can't pretend to be ok with something that would make me uncomfortable.

He's really angry with me for not agreeing to what he wants and is accusing me of being controlling and of keeping him "trapped. "
Last week I tried to compromise and said why didn't he book a few days away with his sister? He agreed. Then I asked why doesn't he go away travelling by himself to visit our friend who lives in Italy ? (This would make me feel more comfortable. )
He agreed and I thought we'd reached a compromise.

Today he comes in saying how unhappy he is with life, he shouldn't have got married at such a young age (22) and he's "just going to do it whether I like it or not."
Apparently I'm controlling him by dictating what he does with his life and who he sees. The compromise we reached isn't enough. He wants to go abroad ALONE and he's booking it right now.
He also made it clear he's not happy about my wishes regarding meeting up alone with female friends (This was because of his past infidelity).

I get sworn at every time I try to talk to him about the subject.

AIBU to not want my husband to travelling by himself?
Apparently "other wives let their husband do it" and I need "to let go and deal with my own anxiety issues. "

OP posts:
Wallsbangers · 26/02/2019 17:28

LTB. You don't want to look back and realise you wasted so much time on a man who didn't behave in a way that was respectful and loving towards you.

You can do better. Much better.

Bluetrews25 · 26/02/2019 17:29

It sounded like he was hoping you'd take the initiative and do the hard job of ditching him after affair #1.
Give him what he wants.
Your MH will be better after you break free.
This will never last.

Luckingfovely · 26/02/2019 17:30

I agree with all the other comments - your marriage is over, but he hasn't got the balls to say it straight. What an absolute bastard.

As hard as it is, the best thing for you would to take control and end it on your terms, rather than waiting for him to go 'travelling' or having another affair. There is no coming back from this.

You're still young, and have your whole life ahead of you - and now the chance to find a good, kind man who will truly love you.

RelaisBlu · 26/02/2019 17:31

The relationship seems in a lot of difficulty - the travelling is neither here not there.
You don't mention children - do you have any?

StrongerThanIThought76 · 26/02/2019 17:31

He's not going on holiday alone OP, just without you.

SassitudeandSparkle · 26/02/2019 17:31

Hmm, it would be interesting to see his reaction if you started telling friends and family that he is leaving you. Because he is, really.

Onceuponacheesecake · 26/02/2019 17:31

Sorry OP but I agree with other posters. He wants out and it sounds as though he has since you discovered his last affair, he just doesn't have it in him to get the ball rolling himself.

On the travel issue specially, YANBU to be anxious over it. I've had a partner that broke my trust, not cheating, but something involving keeping things from me for a number of years, and the result is me behaving in a way that would get a resounding YABVU on here. It turns you into someone you don't want to be. It's toxic. Honestly, I think you two need to split and gain some perspective. He has cheated on you twice. You are worth more than this life.

EggysMom · 26/02/2019 17:33

What's your practical situation - any children, do you work, do you rent or own a house (and if you own, whose name exactly?)

The marriage is at an end. But you may need to get him to sign stuff / work out practicalities before he disappears with no means of contacting him ...

Bluesmartiesarebest · 26/02/2019 17:35

You need to let him go travelling and see a solicitor about divorce while he is away. Your mental health will probably improve without him because you know you can’t trust him.

Duchessgummybuns · 26/02/2019 17:36

I have a feeling you’d be much happier without him OP. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. I think PPs are right, he wants out of the marriage but is hoping you’ll be the one to end it.

SpanielEars070 · 26/02/2019 17:39

Poor mental health is no excuse for treating someone like shit.

Time after time the "anxiety" and "depression" words are dropped into threads to justify cheating and general shitty behaviour.

OP if he's depressed and you are depressed, something is badly wrong in both of your lives. Let him go, for both your sakes.

FlyingTingTing · 26/02/2019 17:40

No children. On this issue, he's suddenly decided (after previously declaring that he never wanted children for 12 years) that he wants a baby Confused
Less than 2 months ago he wanted the ship. Totally adamant that he would never want kids.

Now he's pressuring me to give him a baby and has insinuated he'll be leaving me if I "deny him a child. "

OP posts:
rosinavera · 26/02/2019 17:41

I'm so sorry OP but I agree with the rest of the posters on here. You will be so much happier without him but you just can't see that yet xx

FlyingTingTing · 26/02/2019 17:41

*Snip

OP posts:
crimsonlake · 26/02/2019 17:41

I am sure the responses you have received are not the responses you wanted to hear. However I agree with other posters, it would appear your marriage is over and you are trying to hang on to something that is clearly making you both unhappy. Let him go and make a new life for yourself, time to be brave.

FlyingTingTing · 26/02/2019 17:42

What do I do.

OP posts:
NeedAUsernameGenerator · 26/02/2019 17:42

Do you think there's more than depression/anxiety going on with his mental health? He seems very self destructive and impulsive. I'm not an MH professional but I do think there's some concerning behaviour. It's hard to see how he can be a supportive partner to you right now, I would bee thinking about what you need to do to protect yourself if I were you.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 26/02/2019 17:45

Why do you want to be with this man who so epitomises selfishness he has cheated twice?

Split and find someone who loves you, don’t be bound by the sunk costs fallacy.

Ellie56 · 26/02/2019 17:45

I agree this so called relationship is dead in the water and has been for some time.
He sounds a joyless twat to live with in any case. Tell him to sod off on his travels and while he's gone take control of the situation and see a solicitor about a divorce.

Then when the knob comes back hit him with the divorce papers. You can do it OP, you really can. This is no way to live. You can do much better than him. You deserve better. Keep telling yourself that.

AWishForWingsThatWork · 26/02/2019 17:47

Leave.

He's tried to get you to dump him by cheating on you.

He's tried to get you to dump him by planning to holiday without you.

He's now trying to get you to dump him by insisting you have a baby, out of the blue after agreeing no children, or he'll leave.

He wants out. The dick just doesn't want to be the one to do it.

Please value yourself and kick him out. Don't look back. You deserve so much better.

AlexaAmbidextra · 26/02/2019 17:48

What do I do.

Well I know what you don’t do and that’s have a child with him. He sounds awful and I cannot for the life of me see anything positive that you are getting from this relationship.

LostwithSawyer · 26/02/2019 17:48

What do you do?
You help him book the holiday and whilst he's looking he'd better be looking at places to live when he gets back.
You're a doormat to him.
Stand up for yourself. Your worth 100 times more than what this prick is offering!
Divorce the miserable git, he wants single life so bad, let him have it.
Your saving grace is that you have NO children with him. Thank your lucky stars for that!
Divorce him!

ciderhouserules · 26/02/2019 17:49

Op - let him go. Your anxiety must be being made worse by constantly trying to hang onto a cheating, liar. You know he's going to cheat, you just don't know when or with whom. Or where. But you know it will happen.

Re children - this is something else for him to beat you with. If you want them, he won't. If you don't, he will. It's an easy stick for him to use on you.

Let him go. I'm willing to bet that when you don't have this constant worry, the constant fear of what he wants, what he will do, what next - and you have LET GO - your own MH will improve. When you only have yourself to rely on, and to worry about.

The Letting Go of him will be hard, but it will be in both your best interests.

lottiegarbanzo · 26/02/2019 17:50

Let him goooooo! On holiday and forever.

I've read posts from women before, complaining that men don't 'get hints' and it's necessary to spell things out for them in simple terms. He's spelt things out in simple terms for you - he wants to sleep with other people, holiday with other people, spend time with other people (this I suspect is what he imagines would follow from tying you to the home with a baby) - he wants out and he really thinks he's spelt it out in mile high letters. Now he's offering to be the one to leave 'on holiday'.

Let him go!

Alsohuman · 26/02/2019 17:50

So very sorry but it sounds as if it’s over. Let him go off travelling and sort out your new life. Your existence sounds so miserable, please don’t stay with someone who makes you so unhappy.