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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

Coparenting/Cohabiting

2 replies

findthecourage · 07/01/2022 10:50

Wonder if I can have some input/ advice/ handhold please ?
Have posted here quite a bit the last 6 months and have gained strength from it. Little back story; Been with H 22 years. Have the ick. He, over the years has subjected me to silent treatment/ stonewalling/ deflection on and off. Latest was from Aug- Dec. Told him I want to separate. He then comes back with I have emotionally neglected him ! Different parenting styles. Not being a martyr but have no family here in UK. Parents both passed away & siblings living different countries. Worked out finances and I will really struggle. Have an 8yr old DS. Light of my life! So I finally agreed to cohabit & coparent for a period of time as H has started counselling for his behaviour. But now I feel like I have regressed and he's acting like all is 'back to normal' as he has come out of his mood. Am full of anxiety. Am sorry for bothering you all with this. @19Bears @freeatlast2021 @lemonmeringue85 & many more have been a huge support to me & I wonder if you might be able to give me some advice on why I'm so stuck.
Apologies for long post ☺️

OP posts:
19Bears · 07/01/2022 11:14

Hello friend! You're never a bother, we all need each other here.

I know exactly what you mean with his 'back to normal' behaviour. I remember not long after me and dh went to counselling and I told him I never wanted a physical relationship ever again with him as I just didn't have those feelings for him, he was mentioning to me in front of the kids about booking a holiday, as if I'd just completely forgotten the whole thing. I gave him the look as if to say 'what the hell are you talking about?!' and he flew off the handle, saying I was being deliberately miserable all the time, upsetting everyone.
I think this is just what they do, try to appear as if everything is fine, until you find the courage (!) to say something and then it's all your fault. Your dh clearly doesn't want his life to change, so he'll be doing everything he can to keep you ticking over just enough to stop you moving any further. I'm not sure what you do about that, apart from making it clear this is a temporary arrangement while you both sort out your short term future as coparents, and that you do not want to stay with him. It's hard, I know because I can't do it either, but it's the only way. Always here for you @findthecourage x

freeatlast2021 · 07/01/2022 19:07

Hello @findthecourage. I am so sorry to hear about your troubles. This seems to be a very common occurrence in relationships that a man refuse to listen to a woman, pretend all is well and in the end when she calls is quits he acts like he had no idea and blame her for everything, like @19Bears said. I have no idea why they do it and what do they think this would accomplish. All that it created in me was resentment, and more resentment.

I am afraid there is no one way of dealing with these situations, every person and couple are different and have different way of solving things. However, I can tell you two things I know for sure, once you decide the relationship is over, there is no mending it. My therapist told me this: if a couple comes to counseling and a woman believes that there is a chance, there is, if a woman thinks it is over, it is over. She says it is because a woman is often the one working on a relationship, trying different things, adjusting, while man just tags along. So, if a woman comes to a conclusion it is over it is after she has done everything she could to save it and no counseling can help it.

The other thing I know for sure, break up will hurt. It will hurt you and your husband, and it does not matter whose “fault” it is, who instigated it, who wanted it. It will hurt and postponing it will just prolong the pain and suffering.

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