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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:
ostracized · 24/11/2010 09:25

Can be anybody really. Suppose I don't really know any men socially so he never has occasion to say anything about his own sex. I suppose on the phone and in the car I have heard him lose his rag with other men.

OP posts:
ostracized · 24/11/2010 09:26

Also, he is totally in love with our two daughters (we have one ds and 2 dds) and his mother. Just nobody else (oh and our son of course).

OP posts:
malinkey · 24/11/2010 09:26

He's got a lot of ishoos hasn't he?

ostracized · 24/11/2010 09:39

Yes, loads. Difficult Dad more than difficult I think. Already divorced once (dh that is). Also he is Indian and came to this country when he was 10 and had to deal with terrible racism and backwardness in the town they went to. That doesn't happen where we live - in London, in 2010, but it has left its mark definitely.
All his brothers and sisters deal with difficult stuff by blanking - it's a family trait. Don't see why I should be involved in it though.

OP posts:
malinkey · 24/11/2010 09:47

Thing is, it's not your job to "cure" him. If he doesn't want to address his own problems then no one else can do it for him.

Plenty of people with difficult backgrounds don't end up becoming emotionally abusive themselves. Having a difficult start in life is not a get out clause to behave like a spoilt brat whenever you feel like it.

Have you decided what you are going to do?

Oh, and you said he's totally in love with your DCs and his mother. What about you?

ostracized · 24/11/2010 09:56

Well there is so much baggage between us, not all of his doing, that any feeling that there might be between us has become totally buried under tonnes of rubble. No I would say he does not love me, and at the moment I certainly don't either. At his best, when in a good mood, he is lighthearted and we have a laugh about the kids (still very little emotional connection between us though). At his worst he is highly highly critical, and can also withdraw completely. The withdrawal means he criticises less which is kind of a relief, but is pretty rubbish too.
I think I have decided that since I have my course to work on and christmas coming up and I don't feel strong enough for emotional upheaval, that I am going to do what one or two posters suggested and try to breezily get on with my own life and see what happens. That way I haven't in any way "begged him" to start talking again. Will also try to get some counselling from relate just for myself possibly. Also, this silence and being less criticised at the weekends means that I am able to get on with some housekeeping tasks "in peace" as it were... so that might be good. It would be good to get to the point where I could say look, the house is fine, what exactly is your problem now??
It is all very lonely though. Took kids to dentist yesterday and he did not ask how we had got on and I did not tell him. Very sad.

OP posts:
ostracized · 24/11/2010 10:01

I was just thinking, it might actually get to the point where we haven't spoken for so long (we do speak about very very functional stuff) that he will absolutely forget everything he has ever been annoyed about and we can start again from scratch!!!!Hmm

OP posts:
ostracized · 24/11/2010 10:03

sorry, can't stop writing things - just also thinking that it's A LOT harder when the kids are around and I see how nice he is to them generally - then I really feel left out.

OP posts:
malinkey · 24/11/2010 13:36

That's probably how he wants you to feel.

gardenglory · 24/11/2010 14:53

Wants you to feel ostracised, left out, not worth talking to, look how nice I really am, etc.........

detachandtrustyourself · 24/11/2010 15:17

ostrasized, Nothing wrong with you keeping on writing things.IMO, you know you want to leave, or for him to leave. Only you know for sure though.

You have tried to make things better. It is not your fault he is abusive and causing so much misery. IMO it is not only pointless, but will leave you even more emotionally exhausted, to try any more methods to make things ok.

IMO you and the dcs will be so wonderfully relieved, if and when you leave. IMHO, The dcs will then see a normal and healthy model of family life. IMO, then you will begin to feel yourself again and happy again/at last.

But you also know that you need to gather the strength for the practicalities and emotional upheaval of leaving, or making him leave.

You have already started, by deciding to do what some posters have suggested, to breezily get on with your life.

You have already started, ages ago, IMO, (don't think I should try to tell you your own mind, can only go on what you have written), by emotionally detatching from him to protect yourself.

I think, while you are breezily getting on with your life in the relative peace of him not talking to you; during this painful, frustrating time of him being so visibly nice to the children: make plans for the practicalities. So you are ready to go if and when the time comes.
(sorry for long post and long sentences)

detachandtrustyourself · 24/11/2010 15:41

agree with malinky and gardenglory. Such good posts.

......look what a fantastic time the children have with me....look what a wonderful father I am....just get on with the housework woman ......I'll have the easier and fun bits with the children when it suits me. You do the getting up, getting ready, putting to bed etc....

oh and I'll do the cooking, when I feel like it, so we eat what I want in the way I want it cooking.........

gardenglory · 24/11/2010 16:03

alb2 - your last post is spookily familiar.

gardenglory · 24/11/2010 16:22

And purposely making an atmosphere which is intolerable to you, but they are at ease in.

detachandtrustyourself · 24/11/2010 17:09

exactly gardenglory, every word of your last post (purposely.......). and that is exactly what your DH, no, HH, is doing to you ostrasised.

detachandtrustyourself · 24/11/2010 18:35

gardenglory - your post "ostrasized, left out, not worth talking to, look how nice I am...." moved me to tears of remembering. Spookily familiar like you said too. I get it now. No one should be made to feel like that.

thatsnotmyfruitshoot · 25/11/2010 16:19

I had that too. It's horrible and soul destroying to go through it. I remember being as cheerful and sunny as I could, and XH totally and deliberately stonewalling me.

Once when I tried to tell him about something I'd achieved, he replied by saying "you know what, fruitshoot, I just don't care." Yet he would be chatty and friendly with others.

DP couldn't be more different. Don't live like this.

gardenglory · 25/11/2010 16:46

This has happened around dh's family. It really got to me, they didn't pick up on what he was doing and I ended up feeling humiliated because I just wanted to speak to him and he was purposely ignoring me around them. It gave him the evidence that I was neurotic etc. as he had said to them, probably.

gardenglory · 25/11/2010 16:51

When I say neurotic, I refer to my natural personality being affected around them, whilst he was ignoring me. I ended up going up to him when he was sitting with them, asking if he would come and have a word with me. I think he said he wouldn't and acted dismissive. I felt it made me look stupid and meanwhile he calmly sat there.BlushAngry

gardenglory · 25/11/2010 16:52

And always using the low, monotone voice.

gardenglory · 25/11/2010 16:53

I felt ostracised and left out - and I was in my own home.

gardenglory · 25/11/2010 16:55

It used to surprise me how quickly someone can change their whole persona. But I can watch it happening now in a different way - but the thing is, it still hurts.

BreakFree · 25/11/2010 19:55

Going through something very similar myself and have been for 5years. Ready to leave but terrified at the same time. Not because I think I won't have a better life because I leave but because weirdly I worry about how he will cope.
My partner has always been rude, aggressive, controlling, jealous and verbally and emotionally abusive. I thought counselling would help last year but it didn't.
I now realise that the grass is greener on the other side and am trying to end things but he refuses to leave the family home and we don't have anywhere else to go and no money. I have two small children. I long for the day when its all over and I can be happy and free again with no restrictions. I tread on eggshells daily and its not unusual at all for him to blow up on any one comment I make. He is worse when he has alcohol on him which makes him disgustingly verbally abusive when he goes into a temper.

detachandtrustyourself · 25/11/2010 22:52

gardenglory, I'm guessing you try to minimise the hurt by watching it happening, but it still leaves you hurt and exhausted with the effort.

gardenglory · 25/11/2010 22:55

Awareness is a great thing. But, yes, it is still exhausting.

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