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Relationships

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Been married for 14 years, and no sex for 6. Is this a relationship worth saving?

8 replies

islandgirl · 09/06/2011 10:35

I have been married for 14 years, have two children 9 and 10, and have had no sex for 6 years. We have been talking about it for over a year, and getting no-where, but DH says he just wants to carry on as we are, as the relationship is good in most other ways. I miss the sex but miss the intimacy and loving which goes with it even more.
DH and I get on well, are good parents and have a good relationship in many other ways. I don't want to live like best friends anymore, but the idea of separating and him not seeing his children every day, and him being on his own is making me doubt whether I should seek to separate.
Is it wrong to put yourself and possible happiness before that of destroying your family? I know if ew had no children we would have parted years ago.

OP posts:
Anniegetyourgun · 09/06/2011 11:33

OK, he wants to carry on as we are, but clearly, you don't. It sounds as if all the compromises are on one side at the moment. I notice you are worried about how he will manage, but you don't say anything about how you would manage without him, or how you would feel on your own when your children were staying with him. Are you responsible for everyone's happiness but your own?

I could be rationalising here, given that I left a marriage that was making me very unhappy, against the wishes of the rest as well as my own principles. My theory is that a family is not an entity that has to be preserved at all costs, or some utilitarian unit; it is the sum of the people within it, who are there for reasons of affection as well as biology. If one member of the family is deeply unhappy, surely it is an issue for all the other members, or ought to be. Yes, every member should put in their bit, have consideration for the others, and not whizz off to please themselves on a selfish whim. Not only families but the whole of civilisation would break down without the glue of responsibility. But you get to the point where one person is doing all the giving and the others happily sitting around accepting their sacrifice, and you have to ask yourself: why? All those things you sign up for when you get married, they're supposed to be mutual. If one partner has a problem, it is the other partner's problem too. If your OH for some reason can't have sex but is otherwise a loving, supportive partner, there's a strong argument for working round it somehow - but that means an acceptance of your needs and frustrations too. I don't mean necessarily that he should let you take a lover, though that does work for some people. If he is capable but not interested, and you're supposed to just suck that up, er, why should you? You won't die from not having sex, but you may well live two or three decades in a state of almost constant frustration (emotional as well as physical, as you say). But that's all right because he's happy. Or is it...

I think the bottom line here is, if this is an important issue to you, you have every right to demand it is taken seriously. Perhaps if your DH knew you are contemplating separation he will finally listen to your reasonable complaints - but really, he should be listening anyway.

SpringchickenGoldBrass · 09/06/2011 11:41

Ask him how he would feel about you having a FWB to meet your sexual needs. He doesn't get to decide unilaterally that you can't have sex again. He doesn't own you. This is a classic example of selfishness - him saying that he is not willing to have sex with you and expecting you just to accept that without questioning.

islandgirl · 09/06/2011 12:15

Thank you for that. I'm not worried about being on my own with the children, or when they are not with me, as I know I will cope. I think you are both correct in that I need to be strong and a bit selfesh and not accept this as a healthy part in our relationship. In my marriage vows we both said the word "cherish", and that has not been there for a long time. If we carry on as we are I know I will become more and more resentful, and frustrated (!), and this will enevitably lead to our friendship breaking down as well. It just a very scary prospect making such a huge change, and of course both our concern is for the children and how to manage that. But huge thanks for your comments.

OP posts:
Ryma · 09/06/2011 17:51

no

ReallyShouldBeStudying · 09/06/2011 18:26

I think you need to get to the bottom of why he doesn't want to have sex because it seems in every other way your relationship is working. My DH has totally gone off sex. I have been mortified thinking its because I'm so unattractive after 3 babies, maybe he has gone off me, maybe getting it elsewhere...??? Turns out he is on anti-depressants (didn't tell me) and these make your sex drive nose dive. Further discusses revealed he is petrified of not pleasing me in the sack. I'm trying really hard to handle it right. I have asked for a bit of affection first, doesn't necessarily mean I'm going for the full on. I'm hoping bit by bit he will come round.
6 years is a long time to go without sex (we haven't had a successful finish since DD3 was conceived, she's 2.5 now). It is so easy to get stuck in a rut, I can easily see us getting to 6 years but I am trying not to let that happen.
I think if you both love each other and everything else is working then stick with it. Try and remember what worked when you first got together. Try upping the affection (both of you), being affectionate and loving is infectious.

Unless you are looking for an out of your marriage? Would you be happier without him but having sex with other people?

quietlygoingbonkers · 09/06/2011 18:37

anti depressants and he didn't tell you? That should ring alarm bells. Prozac is a well known passion killer but there's clearly something much deeper going on here - a/ why he's on pills in the first place and b/ - why he didn't tell you!

If you really love him and want to take the pressure off him tere is a good argument for a FWB. If you aren't chasing him for it all the time he might relax and get back into for himself.

Omigawd · 09/06/2011 18:47

I sometimes wonder if affairs should be on the NHS....

misslinneaflower · 09/06/2011 19:56

There must be something wrong if a man does not want to have sex for six years! I'm not saying it's you or that he has an affair, it could be anything. Maybe some embarrassing medical condition he's ashamed of (like something from embarrassing body's on tv).

Have you noticed ANY sexual behaviour from him? Such as does he watch xxx sites online, does he have a stack of nuts magazines hidden away or has he become totally uninterested in anything sex related?!

In he meantime... buy a rabbit ;)

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