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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is my husband right or am I reasonable?

243 replies

Mayjune1 · 02/10/2019 11:51

So my husband (who does drink far too much) got very drunk last night. Hes generally sweet as pie when hes drunk (hes soppy not abusive). But when he falls asleep he wakes up a couple of hours later for a wee. But he's not properly conscious when he's in this drunken sleep state and doesnt know what hes doing.
Last night, about two hours after he fell asleep he woke up, was totally incoherent and went downstairs. I tried to usher him back upstairs but he was getting very upset so i let him go down to the kitchen. Where he proceeded to wee all over the kitchen floor and cupboards. I was furious and at the end of my tether with all this. It was late and i had work the next day and i was so upset. So i filmed him on my phone doing it, just to show him what he is like when he gets into that state.
This morning when he woke up he saw the video i sent him. Hes angry at himself for doing this and he admits he was very wrong. He cleared up all the mess. But he seems more angry at me for filming him doing it. He says he’d never to this to me and i am wrong to film him during a dark moment. I told him i only did it to show his sober self what his drunken self is like, but hes so angry with me. Im pretty sure he’s deflecting and i told him so, but he insists hes not, and that I shouldn’t have done it.
Its not like im ever going to post the video anywhere and i genuinely only did it to show him what he’s like so that he can see it for himself.
Am i as out of order as he says i am?

OP posts:
Drogosnextwife · 02/10/2019 12:02

Sometimes telling someone about their behaviour isn't enough, either they don't believe it or they don't really care. I think you were right to do it. He's angry because he doesn't want it shown to him because he wants to live in ignorant bliss and go on happily having a drinking problem and not do anything about it.

CucinaBreakfast · 02/10/2019 12:02

Yanbu. My dh sometimes goes really weird after drinking and I'd love to have had the forethought to film him as he never really gets it in the morning. Seeing it himself would definitely change his behaviour i think.

My take is that he's embarrassed and feeling terrible about it, and hopefully it'll lead to a change. Sorry it's being shown as anger towards you.

MaybeNew · 02/10/2019 12:02

He is not the one who should be angry. I would be livid if my husband did this once let alone regularly. And have you been cleaning up after him previously?

Your DH needs to know what he does when he is drunk and the video was perfect for that.

And I would leave someone who thought it was acceptable to get so drunk regularly.

CucinaBreakfast · 02/10/2019 12:03

Maybe you also need to show him as you delete it off your phone if he's worried you're going to do something silly with it like share with others?

VeThings · 02/10/2019 12:03

Sounds like he has an alcohol problem and you have an issue with it, but you’re unable to talk to each other.

Was this a one-off occasion, was he drinking to celebrate something or is it normal for a weekday night? Is he ok with drinking so much that he can’t find the toilet?

I’m in two minds as to whether you were unreasonable. It seems you want to help him realise he has a problem. If telling him that you don’t like the way he is when drunk, I can understand why you filmed him to show him. You were hoping he’d have a lightbulb moment but it’s not worked out that way.

Soon2BeMumof3 · 02/10/2019 12:05

YANBU- What disgusting idiot behaviour. He should feel the full effect and shame of getting in that state.

You had to witness it, why shouldn't he?

He is absolutely deflecting on to you. What is he doing about his problem drinking?!

Raphael34 · 02/10/2019 12:05

I’ve done this to my oh when he was ‘going off the rails’. The reason why is he had no idea what he was like and what he was putting me and the kids through, they don’t realise how bad it’s gotten unless they can see themselves doing it. It was a wake up call for my oh, hopefully it will be for yours too

ISmellBabies · 02/10/2019 12:06

It sounds like, having seen it for himself now sober, he now understands how awful his drunken state is. Especially as he had to clean up after himself as well this time.

Yanbu. He needs to stop getting into such a state, and you had to do what you did to get him to see that.

VeThings · 02/10/2019 12:06

Took so long typing that I didn’t see your updates.

I couldn’t be with someone who got so drunk they pissed the floor - not at this stage of my life. Could this be the instigator for a serious chat (maybe with a counsellor) about how you move forward if he wants to continue drinking at the same pace?

maddening · 02/10/2019 12:06

Yanbu, you would be unreasonable if you showed anyone else or retained the video after showing him but he obviously needs to understand what it is like living with him.

Loopytiles · 02/10/2019 12:06

The key issues here are his drinking and the effects his behaviour has on you.

You’ve told him about your concerns, in different ways, and he continues as before.

Suggest Al Anon, for families of people with drink issues, and reflecting on your options.

GettingABitDesperateNow · 02/10/2019 12:06

If it was a one off that woumd have been unreasonable

But if hes done it before and you've asked him to stop and he hasn't, well the message hasn't got through so I dont think it's out of order to try something else

Nottobesoldseparately · 02/10/2019 12:07

I think you are right.

Not quite the same but similar, my DH snores. Badly. He knows he does and even an operation hasn't helped.
However, sometimes it's so bad I record him, just so he can understand why I'm so bloody knackered the next day. Otherwise he thinks I'm exaggerating.

Fluffiest · 02/10/2019 12:08

YANBU but you have made your point and need to delete the video. Delete it immediately or as other posters have said, wait until you are together and delete it in front of him.

Her0utdoors · 02/10/2019 12:08

You are the reasonable one here. He's furious that he can't deny or downplay the huge impact his behaviour is having on his family. Sorry you are in this position and I hope this is a positive turning point for you.

AnotherMonickerChange · 02/10/2019 12:09

I think he DOES need to see it. He's not taken action before when you've told him. Now he's seen it for himself. He needs to admit to the problem and sort himself out. This isn't on you. You want to help. Sometimes it takes a slap in the face, metaphorically speaking.

Bananalanacake · 02/10/2019 12:09

does he drink this much every night or once a week. does he work ok with hangovers.

Loopytiles · 02/10/2019 12:09

A “soppy drunk“ is still a drunk. Their drinking still impacts negatively on them and others.

sugarbum · 02/10/2019 12:09

Actually I think you aren't being unreasonable here. Sometimes words aren't enough. They may even make what is actually quite a serious series of incidents quite 'funny' (oh, DH pissed all over the kitchen floor again LOL).
Whilst he feels humiliated and embarrassed by seeing what he is like, he really needs to SEE not just hear. Because how else does he understand what its like for you, having to live with behaviour like this? If he is so pissed that he wakes up still pissed after a couple of hours, and doesn't know what he's doing, then he has a real problem.

PettyContractor · 02/10/2019 12:10

If he's done this before and not changed his behaviour, he's bloody lucky to have someone still living with him to film it.

I can't believe people are saying it's unreasonable to film this. Surely that's an obvious step to take if he needs help understanding how badly he's behaved.

messolini9 · 02/10/2019 12:10

Would he not have believed you if you'd just.....told him?

Maybe, & maybe not.
It certainly would not have had the emotional impact it has had.
He's already minimising & deflecting, because his continued access to alcohol & getting into this dreadful state are more important to him than his wife's feelings. Or kitchen floor ...

OP, maybe show him that you are deleting the video from your own phone. But only at the same time that you are telling him that he either gets help for his alcohol addiction, or you are going to reconsider the state of your marriage.

Mayjune1 · 02/10/2019 12:11

Id love him to drink less. And he knows that. Ive deleted the video and it doesnt post anywhere

OP posts:
Jeezoh · 02/10/2019 12:12

I don’t blame you, you were clearly trying to get him to grasp the seriousness of what he’s doing. It’s absolutely disgusting that he loses control in such a way and you shouldn’t be expected to carry on shielding him from understanding the gravity of what he’s doing. If he’s too incapacitated to grasp it himself, filming him to show him seems logical to me. I hope he gets the help he obviously needs and that you are supported by others in real life xx

Crunchymum · 02/10/2019 12:13

Post the video of the dirty fucker on FB

(not really)

Poor little diddums feeling violated for being filmed being a vile, drunken, incontinent slob.

I'd feel violated to have someone piss all over my kitchen!

PookieDo · 02/10/2019 12:13

I can see why you did it, and I can see why he feel embarrassed by it

But his argument doesn’t work both ways as you are not getting regularly so drunk you obliterate your kitchen with urine

Perhaps this is the rock bottom he needs to be honest. I appreciate he is hurt by it, as hard as it must have been to watch it, if you have no malicious intentions I get why you did it

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