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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Partner mad at me for not going up to bed with him

97 replies

Meetthenewmans · 16/07/2026 20:01

Last night, my boyfriend and I were in the living room, I was watching TV and he was on his laptop at the table. He got up and said “I’m going for a lie down, I don’t feel great again” and I said okay no problem. He does have anxiety so when he says he isn’t feeling great I know he will be feeling dizzy as he gets vertigo with it and needs to go and lie down in a dark room. About 45 minutes or so later, he came downstairs clearly in a mood. I had to repeatedly ask what was wrong with him before he told me that he was upset that I didn’t come upstairs to comfort him or make sure he was okay. I just left him to go to bed knowing he didn’t feel great. I told him that I thought that’s what he would want, to go and have a lie down by himself and wait for the dizziness to pass. I didn’t do it out of not caring, I just thought that me going with him wouldn’t be helpful. This isn’t the first time he’s dealt with this, if it was the first time then I’d be more concerned and have gone up to check on him and ask what he needs. But we know that it’s anxiety, it’s happened many times before. So I thought he was just going upstairs to sleep it off or wait for it to pass. He is calling me cold and saying i don’t care, but I didn’t know that that’s what he wanted from me. If he was unwell or had a virus or something, I would have been more attentive, but I used to have anxiety in the past and know that in that situation I would’ve wanted to be left alone. How was I supposed to know that he wanted me to go with him?

I am now feeling guilty and questioning myself. Am I in the wrong? Whenever he has anxiety, I always do my best and try to get him to calm him down or get him anything he needs like water etc. but he chose to take himself away so I assumed he wanted to be alone!

OP posts:
Iamthemoom · 18/07/2026 04:30

LTB. No other words.

Feeeeesh · 18/07/2026 04:56

Am I being unreasonable?
Total votes: 207.

You are being unreasonable 0%

You are NOT being unreasonable 100% 👈🏻

PollyBell · 18/07/2026 05:05

This is harsh but are you so desperate for this? Do you honestly think this is normal? Do you travesties attention? What on earth do you find attractive about him?

notatinydancer · 18/07/2026 05:35

Ffs. What’s your housing situation? Can you leave easily ? Or start planning?

maxslice · 18/07/2026 05:55

You’re not a mind reader. If he wants something, he should ask for it.

firstofallimadelight · 18/07/2026 06:01

So it seems like he was feeling crappy and he decided to take it out on you. It’s hard in the moment but try to have a stock response for moments like this. Something like “if you need help or support all you have to do is ask. Stop expecting me to be psychic it’s unfair. And stop taking your moods out on me” Then refuse to pander to him further.
If it’s a regular occurrence or there’s other stuff too I would question if he is worth the bother.

AtlasPine · 18/07/2026 06:08

You need to practice saying: ‘ This is not ok.’

Nowthatshuge · 18/07/2026 06:18

Meetthenewmans · 16/07/2026 21:17

Thank you, I was sure I wasn’t being unreasonable but then I started second guessing myself and feeling guilty

Maybe take a step back from him behaviour and take a cold view of whether he is managing his own needs and life well or if this is slipping into trying to make you responsible for it. I was with me ex husband for 16 years and he had a pretty awful childhood, stressful job etc which is rough for him but what I didn’t have to maturity to see at the time was the difference between supporting someone and shelving any need of your own you have along with being manipulated and kept small to make him feel better about himself. Anyhow, he left me when our second child was a baby completely out of the blue and was emotionally abusive to me for years after.
the reason I’m saying all of this is if you had of asked me at the time what our relationship was like I would have said we were best friends I was so lucky to have him, I didn’t see he was a narcissistic big baby. Have a think OP, you can spend years feeling so sorry for your partner that it leaves no space for you in the relationship x

Browbeeton · 18/07/2026 06:24

How old is he OP? Has he had his physical symptoms checked out?

Beaniebobbins · 18/07/2026 06:31

Meetthenewmans · 16/07/2026 21:17

Thank you, I was sure I wasn’t being unreasonable but then I started second guessing myself and feeling guilty

These are big red flags OP. You shouldn’t feel like you are second guessing yourself and you shouldn’t feel guilty for letting an adult man have a lie down for 45 minutes.

There is a clear asymmetry in the way he treats you when you are poorly and the way he expects you to treat him. He is slowly chipping at your confidence and self worth OP. The best thing you can ever do for yourself is leave him.

NoLifeguardOnDuty · 18/07/2026 06:32

He sounds attractive...

I get terrible panic attacks (I know everyone's symptoms are different) but I would still be able to somehow communicate if I wanted someone with me even if it took a while and I could barely get words out. I
If he said he's going to lie down because hes not feeling well, I would take it to mean he wanted to be alone for a bit.

MyDeftDuck · 18/07/2026 06:46

Sorry OP, but you have to be desperate for a relationship if you stay another day longer with that waste of space!

OneNewLeader · 18/07/2026 07:09

Meetthenewmans · 16/07/2026 20:13

Once I had tonsillitis and he asked for a hand job. But usually I just stay in bed when I’m ill, I don’t really need him to come and get into bed with me. He will fetch me things if I ask

I think you need to set your standards a little higher.

Myfridgeiscool · 18/07/2026 07:14

Living with someone who gets moody when you can’t mind read sounds like a recipe for disaster.
People don’t change OP, I’d be thinking very carefully about the future.

IFancyABaconSarnie · 18/07/2026 07:16

Eurgh, he sounds like a needy manchild. Whatever floats your boat I suppose.

Big Baby Crying GIF
PuggyPuggyPuggy · 18/07/2026 07:19

He’s definitely not the best though

Then get rid, otherwise you won't be available when "the best" (or even just "better") comes along.

BMW58 · 18/07/2026 07:22

Oh good grief what a needy wanker!

Surely you can choose someone better than this pathetic specimen OP? Yuck.

Seeing70 · 18/07/2026 07:27

DollydaydreamTheThird · 16/07/2026 20:20

Jesus OP. Do you really want to spend your life with an anxious moody fucker who expects you to wank him off when you're ill? Raise your standards girl.

This with bells on!

Branwellgirl · 18/07/2026 07:34

He sounds controlling, but I am very sensitive to it because of my previous experience. Are you able to leave him easily if you wanted to? Mortgage? Children?

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 18/07/2026 07:38

He is controlling, he’s just not very good at it yet. He’s grooming you into it. I’m pleased to see you aren’t falling for it. Keep it up. You are not obliged to stay with him, to pander to him. Don’t let him tell you that ‘if you loved him…’, to get you to do things you don’t want to do.

Saintsgirl7 · 18/07/2026 07:42

Is he 5?!

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 18/07/2026 07:45

Boyfriend? Send this one back, he sounds like a man baby. If DH had gone upstairs feeling dizzy or whatever, and it wasn’t an unusual occur ave I would, like you, assume he was tired and needed sleep, and I would avoid disturbing him.

This one sounds petulant and self-absorbed. But f you envisage having children in your future, don’t pick this be to be there dad, you will regret it.

PrayForPlagues · 18/07/2026 07:56

Once I had tonsillitis and he asked for a hand job🤮🤮🤮

Partner mad at me for not going up to bed with him
CountBoscoTheSecondsWife · 18/07/2026 07:58

He sounds like an insufferable man baby who will likely constantly drag you down. I hope you leave him asap.

Ineffable23 · 18/07/2026 08:04

I also don't think fussing about anxiety will even be helpful in the long run will it?