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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

burying my head in the sand

156 replies

ostracized · 21/11/2010 23:56

Hi, have namechanged for this - don't even know if I have spelt "ostracized" right. Basically, dh and I had an argument almost three weeks ago and he has hardly spoken to me since. He has done this kind of thing before - namely once for 5 weeks two years ago. Then I was desperate for the sulking to stop and eventually got him out of it by "approaching him" in bed. This time however we are a lot more distant and angry with each other and don't sleep in the same bed. I am too pissed off with his general behaviour with me during normal times to approach him physically. This behaviour is fairly companionable but distant during the week and very critical and complaining at the weekends. To the point that I withdraw and become a shadow of my "during the week" self.

During this most recent bout of sulking I have been thinking why on earth should I force someone to talk to me who obviously doesn't want to, though the whole situation does make me sad. Plus we went to see his family this weekend and the sulking didn't stop him saying several critical lecturing things and being generally rude a few times. I was also called "pathetic" on friday. So it seems he can stop talking to me but also "interact" if he needs to Angry.

What worries me this time is that I fear that unless I make some move towards him, he will never talk to me properly again. He has a tendency to do this - he hasn't talked to my sister properly since they had an argument a year and a half ago and doesn't talk to two of his own sisters at all.

I clearly need to say to him that we need to go to counselling. If it was just us I could move on but we have kids. BUT I am scared of suggesting anything for fear of being shouted down. I don't feel I have the strength to deal with how upset I become if he starts being horrible.

Not saying I haven't contributed to the "relationship" being in the sorry state it is, but he is the one who is uncompromising, bossy, critical and complaining.

I clearly have to do something about this but there NEVER seems to be a good time. Dh CONSTANTLY on laptop working and he doesn't seem to care that things are crap between us.
There are lots of things I don't like about him at the moment and he probably feels my dislike, but I am not the one who is so difficult. I am far more laid-back and far less critical. Plus I would love to be able to talk about our non relationship, but he dictates what we can and can't talk about.

OP posts:
gardenglory · 22/11/2010 11:33

ostracised-I know you say you find it hard to talk to him. Have you asked him that direct question. If you have, what was his response?

worthless · 22/11/2010 11:41

Your comments sound like it could be me talking OSTRACIZED!!! I have tried letters but they either get read and not mentioned again or they get ripped up because I am "manipulating" and "childish". I have just woken up to the fact that I have been living in an emotionally abusive relationship for nearly 30 years. It is such a shock when you realise that. Not saying that your husband is emtionally abusing you but does sound very similar to my husband. I have 3 children and it is them I have stayed for. However I really think that I need to get them out of this. They must be so confused with their dad being nice to them and a cruel s*t to me. I do not want them to think that this is acceptable. I do not want them to think that they can behave like that or indeed be treated like that. I am trying to be strong and make the move. Some things are just too broken to be fixed I feel.

gardenglory · 22/11/2010 11:46

worthless - I would expect letters to be treated with this contempt.

malinkey · 22/11/2010 11:47

I think that sulking and punishing someone by not speaking to them for weeks on end until the punishee capitulates to make everything ok again IS emotional abuse.

And I love SGB. Grin

gardenglory · 22/11/2010 11:51

How old are your kids, OP?

gardenglory · 22/11/2010 11:53

worthless - have you found yourself asking for just a bit of kindness?

AnyFucker · 22/11/2010 12:03

worthless

you are so not

change your name and make today the first day of the rest of your life....and start making steps to get away from this horrible man you are married to

ostracized · 22/11/2010 12:07

I too SEGB, get the impression he thinks he is superior. On the other hand he is often very hard on himself if he gets something wrong and is short tempered with himself as well as with other people.
yes i would hate it if all 4 people in the house were doing this to me - i agree, it is not a good environment and even though things function fairly normally, the kids must notice
assertiveness sounds like a good idea too - I know that when i have been out doing something else and talking to other people who seem to enjoy spending time with me i feel a lot stronger and more able to confront
i haven't asked him if he wants this "marriage" - too scary a question, plus not sure if I really want it either so....
i think sulkers do want the world to conform to their wishes but why would anyone be so desperate to be "in charge" rather than simply enjoying someone else's company, and if they no longer enjoy it, why not set them free so that someone else can???
sorry, might not have acknowledged everybody's points but I have read everything and thank you very much for your messages
gardenglory, my kids are 4, 6 and 9 - do you have children? you sound very sad about your situation but don't say if you are planning to stay or leave

OP posts:
ostracized · 22/11/2010 12:08

sorry about your situation too worthless, I hope you manage to sort it out in a way which makes you happy and appreciated - how old are your kids?

OP posts:
gardenglory · 22/11/2010 12:09

ostracized - have you noticed how YOU are the only one who WANTS or has the INTENTION to make your relationship work and wants to put effort into it?

What effort will he make.

gardenglory · 22/11/2010 12:11

ostracised-sometimes, they don't want to set the other person free. It suits them.

worthless · 22/11/2010 12:13

Mine are 7,11,14..........so tough to know what to do when your head/heart tell you different things.

Tough when you do not want to rip your family apart - I feel a complete bitch!!

tb · 22/11/2010 12:18

Ostracised, does he have any of the characteristics of a narcissist? If so, sorry, I'd run for the hills if I were you.

Glad you liked the idea of assertiveness, it will be doing something for you, that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life, whatever you do, and wherever you are.

gardenglory · 22/11/2010 12:23

ostracized-did the way he treated you affect the way you felt and behaved with his family?

ostracized · 22/11/2010 12:29

no i always behave the same with his family - the sister he doesn't talk to the most is the one I get on with the best and I went over to her house on sunday and talked to her for ages - i might have talked a little less to his mother this time but not so you would notice
sometimes I do think he may have narcissistic traits but maybe i do too and just don't realise? -
I hope someone comes along who can advise you better than me worthless, but you do sound very sad - do you have friends / family in real life that you can talk to?

OP posts:
gardenglory · 22/11/2010 12:45

It did impact once on my behaviour with his family. He then had proof to them that I was mad! (I didn't do anything mad, just was hurt because he ignored me in their company whilst they stayed in our home).

malinkey · 22/11/2010 12:50

I don't know if anyone has recommended the Bancroft book Why does he do that www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Does-He-That-Controlling/dp/0425191656 yet?

I would recommend it - it explains why some men are so desperate to be in charge and what they get out of it and their different ways of achieving this aim. It is a real eye opener. I suspect all the sulkers are in there to some degree.

But the reason why your partner is like this is less important than the effect it has on you and your children. Which is why counselling is good for you to work out why you are in this situation and what you can do to make your life better.

malinkey · 22/11/2010 12:51

Oops. Let me try again here: www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Does-He-That-Controlling/dp/0425191656

ostracized · 22/11/2010 13:43

thank you malinkey and everybody else - will have a look at the book - yes I too sometimes wonder why I am with someone with these characteristics - my eternal need for approval but at 41 (he is 12 years older) I am finally feeling like actually - I am okay :)

OP posts:
SparklingExplosionGoldBrass · 22/11/2010 13:55

He behaves like this because he wants to. It makes him feel good to see you suffer and cry and do your best to please him and get him to be kind to you again. Because there's some sort of great gap inside him, deep down he feels worthless and the only way to stop that feeling is to hurt someone else.
However, don't waste sympathy on him. He has chosen to be a horrible bully rather than to take steps to sort himself out.
When you leave him, make sure you tell him that you are leaving because he is a horrible bully and that you can do better than him.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 22/11/2010 13:56

Hi O,

Re your comment:-

"yes I too sometimes wonder why I am with someone with these characteristics - my eternal need for approval but at 41 (he is 12 years older) I am finally feeling like
actually - I am okay"

I think you are okay actually but do not know what to do for the best now.
So why are you, at 41, with someone like this 53 year old sulker who is in your words "uncompromising, bossy critical and complaining"?.

It is not down to you alone to fix this, you cannot fix a relationship alone and he is patently not bothered about anyone else except him.

This "eternal need for approval" can come from your looking for this from your own parents. Was your parents relationship similar; what did you learn from them about relationships when growing up?. BTW you don't have to answer that but if your Dad was emotionally unavailable like your husband is, then the seeds were sown a long time ago for you to accept the same.

Which brings me to the present, what are you both teaching your children about relationships now?. Two words suffice; damaging lessons. And they won't thank you as adutls either for staying with him if you choose to do this, they will wonder why and call you daft for doing so.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 22/11/2010 13:58

When I write I think you are okay, I mean as a person (you don't do the same as he does i.e sulking to get his own way).

The relationship you have with your H however is falling apart and has been doing so for a long time; your relationship is not okay at all.

gardenglory · 22/11/2010 14:23

This situation can end up with there being two angry people.

gardenglory · 22/11/2010 20:02

OP, when he stops his long periods of sulking, (I know you say this is the second time) how does he engage with you again?

expatinscotland · 22/11/2010 20:11

'During this most recent bout of sulking I have been thinking why on earth should I force someone to talk to me who obviously doesn't want to,'

Yeah, honestly, why? You deserve so much more than this.

I second what Attila wrote. 100%.