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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH is sulking over sex

443 replies

erin48 · 29/09/2021 22:05

This is so embarrassing to post as I feel like I'm in the wrong here but I need some opinions.

DH loves blowjobs, I don't hate them, don't enjoy them but I will do it because he enjoys it.

The last few months have been difficult. I had an early miscarriage (DH was nothing but supportive during this time). Then he has been completely wiped out with covid for the past 2 weeks.

Due to being double vaccinated, I am still working, my boss and colleagues are aware he has it. He's been sleeping in the spare room and contact has been minimal.

Then, my uncle died unexpectedly Monday night, I received the sad news on Tuesday morning.

Today, on our temperature check upon entrance into the office mine was a little high and I'd woke up with a headache. My boss told me to keep an eye on my temperature and 2 hours later, it was flashing amber with a temperature of 38.7. My boss sent me home and asked for me to have a test done ASAP. I went straight to the local drive through test centre and I am waiting for results.

His first reaction to this was "you can't not work for 10 days, we can't lose the money". Then tonight he's got out of the shower and asked me for a blow job knowing that since about 5pm I've had a sore throat and feel shivery. I said no, now he's sulking and has ruined our evening catching up on a couple of tv shows we watch together.

I said to him "I feel rough" and he said "we don't have to have sex we can do other things you know" in a shitty tone.

My uncle has passed away unexpectedly, DH has had covid so I've been doing everything whilst he has been wiped out with it and now I suspect my test is going to come back positive, I feel fluey and do not want to have sex or give him a blow job! I'm not in the mood and I feel shite, mentally and physically.

He does this every now and then as I suspect he's not happy with the amount he gets.

How do I handle this? He always has a smart arse response ready for when I try and defend myself.

OP posts:
ohfourfoxache · 01/10/2021 00:14

As horrendous as you feel now, at least you know and you haven’t wasted another 15 years on him Thanks

CheekyHobson · 01/10/2021 00:54

All he's doing is swearing at me calling me a prick when I try and talk about why he said that to me "no wonder men cheat" he said it's because he's unhappy, he can never talk to me about what's bothering him. He said he meant men in their 40s, I said what? He said I'd of had enough by then anyway. I asked him "just for confirmation you're saying women like me are why men cheat?" He said "yes" I burst into tears and walked away and he said "it's a combination of things not just the sex" I've just walked away and come to bed, I feel very worthless. I already have anxiety and depression but try and keep my head above water, hold down a full time job and try my hardest to be a good wife. I'm a kind person, I am better than this. Hopefully I manage to find some self worth and confidence that he's shattered and leave.

You do have the strength to leave, because you already have perfect clarity on the problem if you will just listen to your own words. I know that is hard to do because your husband has conditioned you to listen to him, not yourself, and this is at the heart of your issues.

You listen to him because has shattered your self-confidence, your trust in yourself. You doubt your own capacity to see clearly, which is why you feel worthless.

Now, read carefully, because he does it in a way that's very predictable because it's how all abusers operate. This is how he does it.

You say you think of yourself as a kind person, and I feel quite sure you are. Your kindness comes across clearly in your posts. When you have faith in your own good qualities, like kindness, this gives you self-confidence.

However your partner undermines that confidence by claiming you are the opposite of what you really are. He asks for something unreasonable (like a BJ when you are sick and grieving) and then acts as though you are unkind for declining to provide it. Because you ARE in fact a kind person, your natural inclination is to to doubt yourself, to think, "Oh no, he's very upset. Have I done something wrong? I don't think so, but he's so angry I must have done something, even if I can't work out what it is. He loves me, so he wouldn't tell me I'm awful if I wasn't. What could I have done?"

This is where the self-doubt sets in. You no longer feel completely confident you are a kind person. You feel unsure whether you are unkind without knowing it. You're not even quite sure why he's angry, though he clearly is. Your confidence in yourself declines. And because you no longer feel like you can trust your own judgement, you listen more to your partner, who speaks with complete certainty that he's right.

The irony is that actually, it's your partner who is unkind, and he is projecting his own unkindness onto you. It's a very clever trick.

In fact, he uses EXACTLY this technique in your comment above. You tried to talk to him about something that's bothering you and he refused to listen. Then, he immediately complains that he can't talk to you when something's bothering him! Amazing! Suddenly you are doing to him exactly what he's doing to you! You're the offender and he's the victim. This is known as DARVO - Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.

The especially clever part is even if you then say, "Actually, you don't listen to ME', then he gets to say, 'Okay fine, we don't listen to each other, we need to work on that'. And because you're a good person, you will actually try to do that. You'll listen to him even more. But do you think he's really going to start listening to you? No, he's not.

Do you see how it works? It's no coincidence you have anxiety and depression. Having a partner who emotionally abuses you causes anxiety and depression. I one hundred percent guarantee that your anxiety and depression will decrease substantially when you kick this abusive arsehole out of your life.

mammummt793 · 01/10/2021 01:59

I'm sorry OP that you're having a bad time but not sorry at all for you that you'll be getting rid of this absolute arsehole. You will be so so much better off DaffodilThanks

Onthedunes · 01/10/2021 02:38

Op

Listen to @CheekyHobson

None of this is your fault, it never was.
He's had a good run but your eyes are opening.

See him for what he is a selfish, manipulating, abusive bastard.

SpringCrocus · 01/10/2021 04:08

Oh @erin48
Flowers and an unmumsnetty hug

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 01/10/2021 04:41

Seems like you've grown apart anyway - or maybe him being in his 30s and not his 20s any more has started him off on the route of dissatisfaction with his lot.

I saw something earlier that said the age of men that women are attracted to changes with their own age, whereas many men are always attracted to younger women. Which helps explain why so many of them "trade in" for a younger model as they get older.

Maybe this is where your H is at - but since he came out with that crack about cheating, I'd say if he's not there already, he soon will be so best off getting out of it ahead of the game.

I'm sorry that he's let you down like this but in all honesty if you've no respect left for him either then you really do need to split.

Toutsain · 01/10/2021 06:35

This reply has been deleted

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Toutsain · 01/10/2021 06:41

Actually, re-reading your whole post I think you’ve realised you don’t like him and you could do far better, and I predict you will leave him and find someone kind and loving. He’s abusive! Not worth having a discussion with him.

pictish · 01/10/2021 06:56

I doubt he’s about to go out and cheat but it doesn’t matter…it’s a threat and the fact that he used this tactic to bully you is just as dreadful.
He’s calling you prick because you didn’t service his pathetic cock on demand. He’s also projecting his own inability or willingness to communicate on to you by way of implicating you as the perpetrator and him the victim. What a wanker.

Isthisit22 · 01/10/2021 07:11

He is a horrible person.
Leave him and I bet your anxiety and depression miraculously improve.

erin48 · 01/10/2021 07:34

Just want to say thank you to everyone for helping me realise I'm not the problem here.

Unfortunately I'm still stuck in the house as still haven't got my PCR results back.

I've actually never felt so hurt by him, so many years of loving him for him to turn around and say no wonder men cheat and then to try and say he meant men in their 40s?! And he'll be gone by then anyway.

What a fool I've been.

OP posts:
DrSbaitso · 01/10/2021 07:43

You're not the first and you won't be the last. If anyone could work out the formula for never making a mistake or seeing the future with regard to love and relationships, they'll become the richest person who ever lived. And single handedly destroy art...

It's never too late to cut your losses.

Hopeisallineed · 01/10/2021 07:49

I really hope you find the strength to leave him and realise you are so much more. A loving partner does not say these things nor act in this way. You will hopefully find things massively improve with your anxiety after you leave this idiot behind. Having kids with him would be a nightmare…sending lots of strength and hope.

SunshineCake1 · 01/10/2021 07:52

You haven't been a fool. He's a fool for letting someone who was always too good for him go.

You are no longer a time. You are now starting the process of building a new life for yourself. I strongly suspect you will find your mental health will dramatically improve Flowers.

Mother87 · 01/10/2021 08:23

He's a thoughtless fookwit. Hth

LookItsMeAgain · 01/10/2021 08:25

You're not a fool @erin48. You are not. You are a kind and decent person. You fell in love with a man when you were very young and he was presenting one image of himself at that stage but as time has gone on, that image has slipped somewhat and you are actually seeing the man he really is. You're quite allowed to not like that person or want to be with that person because it's not the same person you fell in love with when you were younger.

Best of luck to you when you do make that break and leave the relationship and build a new life for yourself, be that going solo or at some time in the future, finding another companion who really values you.

arethereanyleftatall · 01/10/2021 08:30

When I first realised my marriage was over I sobbed and was ashamed to tell anyone. Now, it's two years later and I live in peace, sing round the house and skip down the street. Good luck op, you got this.

pinkyredrose · 01/10/2021 08:51

Hope you're ok OP. What a horrid way to find out that he has fuck all respect for you. At least now you know and you can make plans for the future.

pilates · 01/10/2021 09:05

A horrible time for you but you will find happiness. You know this is a huge red flag. Good luck 💐

HereticFanjo · 01/10/2021 09:56

Leave this horrible creature. You will be so much happier x

HappyGoLuckyLuLu · 01/10/2021 10:01

I'm genuinely gobsmacked that you had a high temp & felt terrible, had to come home from work & he complained about you potentially not bringing in money & tried to demand a BJ Confused seriously, he's weirdly done you a favour in showing his true colours here. So uncaring and lacking in respect!

I hope you're feeling better and get the PCR results soon (that's taken a long time!) & I hope you find the strength to ditch this asshat as soon as possible so you can get on with the rest of your life and surround yourself with genuine people who actually care about you ThanksThanksThanks

ohfourfoxache · 01/10/2021 10:10

You’re not a fool

You did what any of us would - fell in love and made a life with him

This isn’t your fault, this is all his doing. If he wasn’t such an absolute bellend and mysognistic twat then he wouldn’t have treated you like this

He’s done you a favour, this is your chance to be happy

billy1966 · 01/10/2021 11:59

I mean this very kindly OP.

You are not a fool loving him but you will be some fool if don't act on this and leave him.

He is an ugly, nasty little man.

I'm married a long time and I completely agree that no decent man treats his wife like she is there to randomly provide BJ's.

That he had the temerity to ask when you are ill, abuse you for refusing, is just how ugly he is.

Do not waste any more time with such a loser.

Keep posting.
Flowers

me4real · 01/10/2021 13:39

I think if you don’t like giving oral sex you might just possibly have a few hang-ups

@Toutsain Erm, no. It's just a matter of personal likes and dislikes. I don't like receiving oral (maybe either?) But it's not because I'm uptight, just I personally don't like how the sensation feels to me personally.

Your comment is like something a bloke might say to a woman to coerce her into something she doesn't want or enjoy. For instance if a woman doesn't want to try/ doesn't enjoy anal, a bloke might say 'that means you're repressed.'

Immaculatemisconception · 01/10/2021 13:53

I think if you don’t like giving oral sex you might just possibly have a few hang-ups

I think if you judge other's preferences, you might just possibly have a few hang-ups.