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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.

Is this normal?

3 replies

3girlsmyworld · 07/04/2025 02:27

Back story: myself and husband and out families were friends and neighbours for 15 years before we got together. He is 6.5 years younger than me and us getting together was a big shock (he had tried it on with me a few times before we got together).
Fast forward to 12.5 years ago - I dont know how it happened, but at night out turned into something more and we were both completely smitten. We were so happy and our families were over the moon and everything was literally perfect. We got married and had 2 children together and he became step dad to my eldest.
His partying days calmed down until our middle child started having multiple health issues, because he didn't know how to handle the situation (he admits that now) he ended up spending alot if time down the pub, playing golf and socialising. He absolutely adores all of our children but does find our middle child very hard work, and he deals with her issues by going to see friends.
In turn, I became resentful, stopped wanting intimacy and just got on with our new "normal,"
We ended up having marriage counselling- which was great and massively helped. Until I saw that he
had messaged to other women in our town. Nothing had happened, but i do think if they came onto him I think he would love the attention. Things still didn't feel quite right, I then found multiple calls to s3x workers - which of course he said nothing happened as he "wimped out". I don't buy it at all and my confidence levels are at rock bottom. (There's alot more to the story)
It has become extremely toxic (we've never argued, let alone toxic).
He has now moved out (which is the right thing to do) He has done me SO wrong, but why am I now an absolute wreck? Will I ever get over this?
Because we were friends for so long before becoming a couple I feel absolutely lost and it's him that I would go to, but I can't. His behaviour has been appalling, he has said he is sorry over and over again. It's been a month and I still am finding that I'm an emotionall wreck. He says we need at least a 6 month break because we become strangers to eachother. He didn't want to come home to a bad atmosphere, and in turn he spent even more time down the pub which led to an almighty fall out as our relationship was completely one sided. We both found out last year we both have ADHD and likely both ASD. I agree we need a very long break, but heart of hearts - i can feel were not ever going to get back together. Consider ive been treated like absolute shit, why am I so sad and missing him? My head and heart are saying different things and I still can't stop randomly bursting into tears. I just want to move far away with our children so I don't have to keep bumping into him (I wouldn't because he and thr kids adore eachother and thr children come first) i just feel so lost and don't know a way out of feeling so down (I'm already on long term antidepressants) someone pls tell me something that might help?I just can't cope with the torment, the embarrassment of his actions and how yet again ive been treated like I don't matter. I'm just so sad.

OP posts:
Babysteps123 · 07/04/2025 08:17

I'm so sorry that you are in this situation. I would say that your reaction to his behaviour is completely normal and that, although it hurts like hell, the only way to get through it is by feeling everything. Can you see a therapist to help you untangle it all and offload some of the emotional weight you are carrying?

I hope more people will chime in with their own experiences, or advice. Take care of yourself x

3girlsmyworld · 08/04/2025 00:37

Babysteps123 · 07/04/2025 08:17

I'm so sorry that you are in this situation. I would say that your reaction to his behaviour is completely normal and that, although it hurts like hell, the only way to get through it is by feeling everything. Can you see a therapist to help you untangle it all and offload some of the emotional weight you are carrying?

I hope more people will chime in with their own experiences, or advice. Take care of yourself x

Thankyou for the reply :)
I have a counselling session in 2 weeks (she was our marriage counsellor and really liked her and she knows our complete back story).
I do have major abandonment issues and it is very triggering to me. It happened to me as a child, and I watched my eldest go through it too which was devastating to witness. And now I'm going to have to go through it all again, and I have to be brave infront of the children while my heart is breaking for them whilst being extremely triggered myself. Ive been saying for 2 years I want him out.. and now it's happened, I feel like my side kick has gone. He talks about us potentially working out in the future (like a year or so) which i feel like he has all the control and not fair to keep me hanging on while he acts single (,he says that's the last thing on his mind, but i don't 100% believe him at all as he has hot so good at lying).
He also had a coke problem and is in debt. He didnt realise it was a problem until he went a therapist and it was a HUGE shock to me. He is now 8 months clean which is amazing. Part of me is grieving the family life I've always wants and the happy memories and I just want that back because I've been so unhappy for thr past couple of years. I'm not young mum so I feel like he's robbed me of my best years. I'm.so annoyed that I feel like i desperately want him back despite all the crap hes put me thru-just because i miss him so much and I know that I will never ever get involved with another partner again. It's just been so humiliating and painful x

OP posts:
Babysteps123 · 08/04/2025 08:45

Honestly, from the outside, it seems like the best thing would be for you to try to put all thoughts of getting back together behind you. With the extra info you've just shared, there's no happy ending with him. (I'm sorry to be blunt, but sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see what we can't). But there is definitely the chance of a happy ending for you and your children without him. You may be an older mum (I am too) but your best years can still be ahead of you and I trust that they are. When you see your counsellor (can you not see her sooner, tell her it's an emergency?) be sure to go in with the objective of working on yourself, not just trying to analyse and save the relationship.
I wish you lots of luck x

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