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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My husband shouts/swears/storms out whenever something upsets me

92 replies

Losingagain · 12/01/2026 19:50

My husband is generally a good husband.

However over the years his anger has become a lot worse. When we first married I knew he had anger issues from his teen years because he told me about them, involving smashing stuff up and punching walls. He said being in the army helped him with this anger.

over The past maybe 18 months he has done stuff which I feel is just not ok to do when an issue is raised. He shouts, swears, moves to the sofa out of bed, threatens to shout louder etc. over what I think are not big issues.

some examples:

  1. i brought up the fact that he has spent most of his wages on a hobby and was left short to pay our mortgage (we pay half) - met with shouting “well I’m just a shit husband then aren’t I” / “you earn more than me, you pay it” and pulling down books from a shelf
  2. i was expected on holiday to his home country to stay up until 5am playing poker with all male friends. I didn’t want to do this. He continued to do it for the 3 weeks we were there. I said it would be nice to do a date night - met with breaking his laptop, calling me controlling, shouting at me “you really don’t want to push this, I can get much much louder”, packing up our things in a case and saying “well if you feel like you’re not safe here let’s go to hotel
  3. telling him I felt distant from him as he was spending a lot of time in the evenings on his hobby and then expecting sex - met with calling me controlling again, saying he is a free man and can do what he wants, saying I need to get out and do a hobby (which I do anyway) and shouting at me to “fuck off, always fucking talking, fuck you”
  4. i was vomiting in the bathroom one morning and he came in and asked me a question I didn’t hear. He slammed the door. A few days later he asked me why I didn’t answer and that I basically said “fuck off” to him by not replying and I was “milking” being unwell

he’s pulled the duvet cover off me when I’ve been lying down, shouting over me as I was lying down. He laughs when I ask him to stop shouting. He says I’m condescending and act like I’m an angel and he’s the devil.

it sounds awful written down, it is awful. But it’s only about 10% of the time. Which is a lot I know. When things are good he’s funny, caring and like my best friend. When things are bad I cry alone in the bathroom.

I’ve stopped mentioning anything now. I just let him get on with what he wants to do because I can’t cope with the fallout.

I need a plan on what to do and how to do it. I feel sad nearly all the time, walking on eggshells. I just feel like I’m a burden

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 13/01/2026 03:11

He's not a good man.

He's a dangerous man who doesn't like you.

No abuser keeps up the rage 100% of the time. They would end up exhausted if they did. It takes a lot of energy and adrenaline to muster up the rage you've had dumped on you. They rage exactly enough to get the result you're now living - walking on eggshells and silenced.

You need to get a good solicitor and divorce. The house can be sold and you can get half the equity. Don't waste time haggling.

Do not use the word 'divorce' to this man until you're ready to.move out and file.

Move out before you file.

mathanxiety · 13/01/2026 03:14

Women's Aid number - 0808 2000 247

Call them from your workplace tomorrow. Leave a message with your number and a time when it would be safe to get a call back from them.

everythingthelighttouches · 13/01/2026 03:53

Potteryclass1 · 12/01/2026 23:13

Find a support group on Facebook for partners of people with ADHD.
it sounds like he had an emotionally abusive childhood and he is unable to escape from his trauma bonds. He is simply repeating what he saw and learned in his childhood as an adult.
one or both of his parents will also have undiagnosed ADHD or BPD. When it’s severe enough it causes a dysfunctional and abusive household. If he is not from the UK you also have cultural norms which encourage aggressuve behaviour or make it seem socially acceptable.
he is a damaged person hence the 90% of the time he is ok.

Edited

This is absolutely terrible advice.

Why on earth would she do anything except just leave?
she doesn’t need to attempt to understand his background or upbringing or neuro diversity (if there even is any).
She doesn’t need to join a group of strangers on Facebook.

She needs to leave.

Extremely carefully and as soon as possible.
With advice from domestic abuse experts and a solicitor.

surprisebaby12 · 13/01/2026 04:14

Anger and good husband do not go together

DeepRubySwan · 13/01/2026 04:28

He is abusive and if you have kids with him it will get much worse.

whoamI00 · 13/01/2026 05:23

He has a clear anger management issue. With that issue, your relationship with him will not be civil. I strongly suggest considering divorce if you don't have kids together.

graygoose · 13/01/2026 05:28

This was me with ex-DH. He wasn't as horribly angry (and scary) but would give me silent treatment for days if I challenged his unreasonable behaviour. I have only recently learned that this is also a form of abuse.

I don't want to be over dramatic, but your DH is also showing abusive behaviour. Refusing to take accountability for his actions and intimidating you into silence is emotional abuse. So many times I thought about leaving my DH and only did so when his behaviour was so extreme and a clear danger to our DD and he STILL refused to take accountability and subject me to silent treatment and DARVO tactics that I finally had to leave.

I know this is hard to hear, and that many on MN have a tendency to shout "DIVORCE" when someone's husband leaves a dirty dish in the sink, but from what you posted it seems you already know what to do, you just want the permission and support to do it.

Open up to a friend, a family member, a therapist about what is happening. Seeing the reaction of another person whom you trust is a first step to acknowledging that what you are going through is truly heinous and he is the problem. Then get your courage together, make your plans and get out.

Laughuntilyoucry · 13/01/2026 05:29

You did know it though. He told you he had anger issues as a youth!

Seek legal advice & divorce. I don't think you have another option based off his awful behaviour.

graygoose · 13/01/2026 05:30

Also, when you say he's only like this 10% of the time - if someone offered you a meal and you knew 10% of it contained human shit, would you eat it? No. There is your answer. Genuinely.

leaflikebrew · 13/01/2026 05:33

standingongold · 12/01/2026 21:36

He's being abusive. I do know some men (quite a lot I think) find any display of negative emotion from women like crying or being otherwise upset as some kind of emotional manipulation which is misogynistic and sexist in itself as if women aren't ever experiencing their own emotions for their own reasons. Its dehumanising as it makes everything a woman experiences about a man.

In this case OP he's not only being a misogynist but also abusive.

Sad

Sadly all these posts are true. He has major anger issues that are not going anywhere.

Bestfootforward11 · 13/01/2026 08:13

You sound really lost and hurt. I’m really sorry. You are spending a lot of time and energy trying to work out why he is behaving the way he is and what it is that you are doing wrong. But you are not doing anything wrong. You are not controlling at all, in fact quite the opposite. But he is deliberately making you question your sense of reality so that you don’t know any more what is ok or not. He is without doubt being abusive. You without doubt need to leave. The focus now is not why he is behaving like this- you will never get to the bottom of that. Your focus now is on you and how you find a way to leave safely. Things like doing the freedom programme will help. You need to speak to people in real life. The fact you have been posting here is because deep down you know you need to leave and is a step in that direction. But he is pulling you back in and distorting reality to make you question yourself. He is one man. You have an army of mumsnet posters telling you that you’ve done nothing wrong and need to leave. We have no interest other than that you be happy and safe. He has lots of reasons to keep you small and afraid. You can have a better life. Good luck x

strugglingwithlife · 13/01/2026 12:39

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Hoppinggreen · 13/01/2026 12:42

He is an abusive Twat
Even if it was 1% of the time its unacceptable never mind 10%
You need to leave asap

happysinglemama · 13/01/2026 13:06

I agree with everyone . Plan to leave

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 13/01/2026 13:18

My husband is generally a good husband.

How can you possibly say this, with all the other stuff you've listed below.

He's not a good husband. He's a godawful one. And he'll only get worse.

Alpacajigsaw · 13/01/2026 13:21

In what possible way could this abusive prick could be a good husband?

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