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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

What can i do about my insecurity?

5 replies

avariceandlatinos · 18/11/2010 12:30

I'm terribly unhappy.
I want my family to work. But I can't get over my massive insecurities and I'm ruining our relationship because of it. When i was pregnant my partner was out all the time, he wasn't ready for a child, and I have some slight suspicions he might even have had a one night stand, but I don't know! The uncertainty is killing me. If it were true I would open that door and slam it shut forever on him, forget how many years we've been together. To me cheating is the cardinal sin i can never forgive, and he knows this! (hence why he won't tell me). It's the deception not the act. I don't want to feel like someone I love has, and still is, lying to me. However, he might not be! But only the truth will set me free, and i don't know what it is. My intuition is just going wild that something isn't right.

I have reason to fear. After my child was born he really did start an affair, badly hidden because I picked up on the signals instantly and knew, maybe it was his guilt. It was just an emotional one (certain no physical stuff), he never even told the woman he and I were together, he said all kinds of vile things about me! I left him, we got back together shortly because he told me it was over, but it wasn't! He still couldn't make up his mind what he wanted! (this is what scares me, being strung along unhappy and unfulfilled while he has fun playing me and some other woman at the same time!) He did stop shortly later when he finally bonded with our child, (again, i'm certain of this, he didn't hide his msn logs very well) and as far as I'm aware hasn't restarted it because he wouldn't have time in his day, but i know he could restart it at any time if he wanted, and i'm terrified that if i so much as do one thing wrong in his eyes, he'll see it as justification for going back to her, hurting me, messing things up after i've become more dependant on him to provide for us, and also make me feel a fool.

The problem is me I know! I'm just waiting for him to slip up because I can't let it go, because I don't know the full story and what i do know makes me terribly terribly angry at him still. I'm also suspicious he doesn't 'adore' me, which is why I think he might cheat. He showers all his love on our child (good!) but I'm an after thought, making me think that him being here has nothing to do with me at all. Or maybe I just don't understand him, maybe he's just settled.

I want to just relax and be happy, but I can't! I love him and the thought of leaving upsets me too. Also, i've got anywhere to go!

I'm not looking for an excuse to leave, although I would if i needed to. I want to know he hasn't just as much as he has been unfaithful. Or at least I want to feel like he is genuinely devoted to me so it doesn't matter, but that's insecurity speaking. I don't want to waste my best years being played.

He's a nice man, but he is also very prone to getting emotionally involved with other women, to the point he'll happily run to their rescue in times of need. He used to be like this with me, but not anymore.

So yes, it is me, and my insecurity. But what can i do about it?

Advice please?

OP posts:
avariceandlatinos · 18/11/2010 12:32

I should add, he really is a kind man, except when it comes to his relationships! He hasn't always been that great to me, but I'm not slurring his whole character. People are complex.

OP posts:
avariceandlatinos · 18/11/2010 12:33

And no i'm not asking him all the time whether he cheated. I don't want him to think that I suspect him already so he might as well. Which makes it more difficult.

OP posts:
SevernTrentWater · 18/11/2010 12:48

You just need to wipe the slate clean and give him a second chance if that's what you want. If he acts like a big fat jerk again then YOU don't need to feel bad about it.

I can see what you mean though when you say the problem is not knowing! I guess the hard part if you choose to follow that advice is that you might not know he was a big fat jerk again until 20 years later when it's still going on!

What I will say is as a rule, once a cheater, always a cheater and emotional affairs usually lead to the other kind.

BUT. It might have just been the trauma of introducing a child. Situational, you know?

If it were me I wouldn't have gone back into the relationship. But maybe you are there because of the child? Maybe because you are scared to leave?

Ihopeyoudance · 18/11/2010 17:57

It's not you, it's him. Stop blaming yourself.

IfGraceAsks · 18/11/2010 18:38

Dear god woman, this isn't about you. It's him - or, rather, the relationship between you & him. He cheated on you while your baby was still new - and bad-mouthed you, and lied to you that it was over, and told you he couldn't make his mind up ... no wonder you feel insecure! If he were doing the one thing he MUST do after dishing out the crap - proving his care & commitment, over and over - then you would feel he adores you, and you wouldn't need to write at least I want to feel like he is genuinely devoted to me.

You poor love, you ought to be feeling that anyway - never mind beating yourself up for ... what? For minding that he dicked around with your feelings and your marriage? For not being grateful that he finished it? Or for finding out he hadn't finished it when he said so? You're not doing anything wrong. You're hurt and disillusioned, is all. He isn't caring enough about it.

You need to grow some self-esteem. Then explain to him, clearly, what you need to start building the happy family he almost threw away.

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