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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

The no contact/texting/email thread

849 replies

cathkidstonbag · 14/06/2011 14:19

I know it can't just be me who is struggling with not contacting someone they shouldn't so wondered if anyone else would like to join in here and we can support each other?
I have a thread somewhere titled don't want to sleep with DH and my circumstances are on there. But basically I need to stop contacting a man who is making my life miserable. I emailed him on Sat ending all contact with a brilliant email and was so proud of myself :) He then replied and instead of it being horrible it was nice sweet charming and I replied back :( So cross with myself. In it I told him about something awful that had happened so expected at least some sympathy for that. I got nothing :(
I need to never contact him again. To be strong enough not to beg him for contact.
Anyone else needing support???

OP posts:
TheOriginalFAB · 06/07/2011 07:48

I think the first few days to a week is hardest and once you get past that you are doing okay. I have done the texting to get the validation and have felt happy when he replied and then sad if he didn't and cross with myself. It will get easier.

TheOriginalFAB · 06/07/2011 07:48

I think the first few days to a week is hardest and once you get past that you are doing okay. I have done the texting to get the validation and have felt happy when he replied and then sad if he didn't and cross with myself. It will get easier.

krispykremeaddict · 06/07/2011 08:00

Feel crap today, but am resolute with my NC. I have been discarded (my OM exhibits narc tendencies). On the plus side, my jeans are way too baggy so I'm in the unusual position of trying to gain weight.

My goal today is just to Get Through It. I'm at work, I am meeting a friend at lunch, a friend straight after work for coffee and then another friend this evening for a drink. I have counselling tomorrow and a busy day on Friday. I am dreading Friday evening onwards though. DH is away again this weekend and I'm dreading being alone with my thoughts about OM and feeling so rubbish about it all.

cathkidstonbag · 06/07/2011 08:12

Right I will just get through it too! Still stuck at home with poorly DC today and think that's not helping because I have too much thinking time. If I get to the weekend without any message from him I don't think I'll ever hear from him again. Sad that I meant so little.

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cathkidstonbag · 06/07/2011 08:14

KKA- mine has major narc tendencies too. And with you on the baggy jeans thing although I am making a big effort to eat, I will probably end up going the other way and piling loads on!

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krispykremeaddict · 06/07/2011 08:21

omg I think the narc thing makes it more difficult to go NC as it's very hard to convince yourself you won't hear from them again. I tell myself I won't, and I believe I won't, but a mutual friend always gives me the raised eyebrows and that I'm being naive (not that she thinks anything will come of it, but she's very realistic that I am a source of 'supply'). With my previous exes, they've met someone else and moved on. With this guy, he buggers off, and then when it goes wrong or he feels they aren't giving him enough attention, it's like he thinks 'ah, kka always worshipped me, let's call her up', and at first I'm cross and convinced I won't go there again, a charm offensive ensues and then I get reeled in. I genuinely thought me being married would have removed me from his mindset (I wasn't married when it started), but all it seemed to do was throw down the gauntlet.

KiiKii · 06/07/2011 11:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cathkidstonbag · 06/07/2011 11:13

KiiKii - do you want to reply? Just think of how you felt earlier today. Do what your head tells you to.
I would love a text/email to ignore right now. I'm obviously coming down with the same flu bug my DCs have had and am starting to feel like hell and it would make me feel SO much better if I could ignore him and spoil his day!!!

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KiiKii · 06/07/2011 11:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cathkidstonbag · 06/07/2011 11:36

KiiKii oh leave him hanging a bit more, it's making me feel better :D Only you know what to do but if you reply it will just be back to what it was before, do you want that? I expect he won't get the message for a while tho, probably try a different way in a while!
Urgh I hate feeling ill, always makes me feel sorry for myself and I don't need to start feeling like that.

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Mrsrobertsmith · 06/07/2011 12:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cathkidstonbag · 06/07/2011 12:38

MrsRS - think it's probably worse for you. Must be hard actually seeing him. When OM and I were just friends (before Xmas) he always checked his FB just before he went to work so was briefly online, it was like that every morning for the 18 months we had been talking. And I used to smile if I saw it and know he was ok. Don't know if that even makes sense!!! But he hasn't done that for months so I don't know if he's ok anymore. I have to live with knowing I'll never know if he's alright. That something could happen to him and I'd never know. Told you I feel sorry for myself when im ill!!!

OP posts:
headheldhigh · 06/07/2011 12:58

text this morning to say he was going to visit his daughter and the new baby i was welcome to come along - WHAT ? is this man mad or perhaps if i have said yes he would have asked me to pick up a card pick up flowers drive round and pick him up and drive him home - how dare he what goes through his mind dump me from a great hight refuse to see me after two years in a relationship not speak to me leave me when i had the flu then send a sorry text ask for a favor and then be so stupid to see if i would like to go visiting with him as if he is doing me a favor GET LOST idiot the more of this he does the stronger i become

krispykremeaddict · 06/07/2011 13:35

Am on phone so excuse typos. Well I can't contact him now as deleted his number upon hearing from mutual friend that he has infact met someone. Feel so bad

Mrsrobertsmith · 06/07/2011 15:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

headheldhigh · 06/07/2011 18:45

well ladies i feel i have had my light bulb moment and i wish you a speedy light bulb moment too i have for many years needed a man felt horrid if i have been on my own but i can honestly say today that for the first time ever i am totally in a place where i am ok i have had a nice guy ask me out but you know what i don't want anyone else living in my head i can do what i want be who i want to be concentrate on work and my family and sorting out my home and finances without distractions i can watch what i want on my tele and have the heating on in the middle of summer not have to check my phone YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE xx common i am the last person in the world to be ok i am weak and major lonely issues i panic and have exhausted my friends but for the first time ever i feel ok !!! bit calm really xxx

Dessie12 · 06/07/2011 19:34

Hi girls,
Havn't been on here for a few days, had my councilling session the other day and it went well MrsR, got another one next week.
Havn't heard anything from OM since last Friday, it seems to be on his terms now, think he was getting the message that I needed space, it's ok i'm abit sad but know it's for the best in the long run, hope that everyone else is staying strong.

Notanexpert · 06/07/2011 19:46

Really feeling for KKA. Everyone says the best thing is to keep busy, and I know my friends are being great, but I still keep looking at my phone. I got 4 texts last night, and then one this morning telling me to stop thinking about him. I replied to say that every time I ignore him it's him that gets back in touch. Really impressed with how everyone is doing.

cathkidstonbag · 06/07/2011 20:42

Well done to all who have been strong. I've just been torturing myself by looking at his FB page and then I've deleted every comment or like I've ever put on there. Tres childish I know. They are all over a year ago because we stopped commenting-on each others then so he won't know but it made me feel better! If he isn't having me he isn't having my amusing comments either.
I'm going to bed now, turning off my phone. I'm sick of thinking about him today. Hoping tomorrow is a better day for all.

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krispykremeaddict · 07/07/2011 10:21

Good morning all, just popping on to say that I feel quite good today, it has come at the expense of contact, but I feel much, much better. Here's an update...

So, at work yesterday, find out from a friend that OM has met someone. Hasn't got the decency to do his own dirty work, oh no. I had a good idea that this had happened, he's quite transparent. She had a boyfriend and is finishing him for OM. It knocks the wind out of me.

Met friend last night for a bottle of wine and dinner, had really lovely evening, dissecting our relationships, laughing, talking to fellas. Just as am leaving, I receive a text from a number I don't have in my phone, and it says 'Don't be sad x'. Before I can really register it, my phone starts ringing, number I don't recognise. It is him 'You've just left name of bar'. 'Um yeah'. Turns out he had been drinking in there too. He'd seen me, but I'd not seen him. 'Why don't you come and play?'

Don't shoot me - I did. Not because I particularly wanted to see him, but because a bottle of wine and talking to my friend made for a bolshy KKA, and I decided that I had two choices a) face him bolshy or b) bump into him at work when am having a bad day. I did make sure I wasn't on my own with him at any point. He asked if I was okay with the fact that nothing is going to happen, I just said 'that's absolutely fine with me'. He asked why I'd been talking to boys and if I would drop him off in my taxi when I went home but said 'just to drop me off, you can't come in', I said 'oh so you can get a free taxi ride' (and I assume he wanted to be able to physically reject me too), he said 'doesn't matter'. He decided he was leaving and said 'come on, let's go'. Here's why I feel better...I said, no, I'm going to finish my drink. He said 'fine, I'm going. See you at work tomorrow' (am hoping not to though). I stayed with his friend (who knows everything) and finished my drink. This friend was so nice to me and basically pointed out that how normal I was and how bizarre his friend is. He says he can't hear anymore about women from him because he is claiming to be in love with this girl (this obviously hurts me, but I can identify that he is in the idealizing part of his narc cycle with her, whereas for me, it's time to be discarded). So I do actually feel a bit better. I think OM is under the impression that we can be actual friends (translation: he can still use me, borrow money etc, not be proper friends), whereas I don't want to be friends with him. I'm willing to be civil, and that's that. So, I know this is a bit game playing, but it's either pretend to be fine or turn into a wailing banshee.

Well done to all who got through yesterday. I'm sorry my NC is so on/off. I don't mean to be fickle.

cathkidstonbag · 07/07/2011 11:54

KKA no you're playing it just fine. Bit difficult to do NC when he's right there. And you handled it well. Does sound like he's a complete narc, how do you feel now about finding out. Do you still feel ok about it?
Still haven't given in and contacted. Feel v sad about it all today. Had coffee with a friend and told her I was doing NC and she told me she thinks he won't ever bother to contact me. Whilst it's good if he doesn't it would have been nice to felt I meant enough for him to try. Last time I spoke to him was Thursday morning and we were having a perfectly normal friendly email conversation and he disappeared without replying and hasn't talked to me since. WTF is that all about??? There was no big discussion, no cross words. Why is he ok just leaving things like that?

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krispykremeaddict · 07/07/2011 12:23

Well done omg. It is so hard I know, the longer you go, hopefully it will get easier. I hope the sadness passes. It is hard when you don't get 'closure' (what a cliche, but it is true). I don't know why they leave things open ended.

I on the other hand have been on the receiving end of the Big Talk where I'm told it's all off, but he's never stuck with it. The only time he maintains NC is when he has another interest, and I'm not flavour of the month.

I'm a bit worried on two counts. I'm worried that it will work out with this girl, and that horrifies me, I will have to come to terms with that, but I know that is probably the best case scenario for my mental health. I'm also worried that it won't work out with her and that he'll reappear, which on the one hand, I really want, but on the other, is not the best thing for me really.

I am missing him at the moment though. I've counselling in a bit and I'm so very tired, I could just go home and sleep.

fizzfiend · 08/07/2011 01:25

so many comments on this thread that hit me. Sounds like we are mostly independent women who normally feel strong. And these men have completely knocked us for six. OMG you sound like me 6 months ago....life in black and white, this man in charge of your emotions...unable to detatch, although you tell yourself occasionally you are over it all (I must have said that to myself 100 times!) I am not criticising, just empathising....it's a crazy out-of-control feeling.

I can't say I hated it....I bloody loved it....the all-encompassing passion, the magic of their very existance. A cute text to make your entire day. I miss it every day.

I now can distance myself, but I still have a good dose of obsessiveness...wondering what he is up to. But I still pine for that incredible emotion and passion we had for each other. I am now pretty much okay but not sure I will ever get over it. We still are in contact sporadically...and I can quite easily forget about it all (for a bit). Then I get melancholic and god I am sure I never felt this way in my life.

He's a relationship disaster by the way and a player. But what a feeling to have someone passionate about me....

Just to say I know how you all feel. Some of my friends don't get it, but you all do. And it's okay. And it's crappy. But better to have had those strong feelings than never had them....I guess..!

TheOriginalFAB · 08/07/2011 08:02

You are all doing really well. Last time we spoke he had to go mid chat and I haven't heard from him since and he has ignored my messages. I am tempted to see how long NC has been but don't want it to be a shorter time than I thought. I know I won't talk to him again and the only reason I would want to hear from him if pushed is so I can ignore him.

krispykremeaddict · 08/07/2011 09:07

Just wanted to come and share this hour's happy mood (I'm so up and down). Feel okay with the fact that it's all off, a bit meh really. Admittedly, don't feel great about having been discarded, but you can't keep a good woman down. Swapping Adele for Lily Allen on my ipod was a very, very good move.

Chins up girls. Their loss, our gain.