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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

Big fight with DP, still a little shaken

345 replies

SoggyGingerBiscuit · 16/01/2012 11:30

I'll try and shorten a long story but basically saturday night DP and I ended up arguining as I'd arranged to go out with friends and he was looking forward to spending the child-free evening with me. I didn't realise he was looking forward to it or I wouldn't have booked it but by then it was too late to cancel my plans so we argued over it before finally he stormed out and went to the gym.

He came back around 6pm and the children had gone by this time (to their dad) and he asked if I'd reconsidered the evening. I said I hadn't and was still going and it erupted into another argument where he said I was selfish and never think about him and he's always bottom of my list of priorities (untrue) so anyway he walked over to me and shouted in my face "Do you the fuck you want, you always do anyway". So I told him I wasn't discussing it further with him until he'd calmed down. He then grabbed me by the arm and dragged me from the kitchen into the living room saying "go on then, fuck off, go and get ready, less I see of you right now the better anyway" etc. and he was really hurting my arm and in panic I lashed out and hit him in the face.

We both stopped, I was mortified and gobsmacked and he just looked at me. I said I was sorry and hadn't mean to actually hit him and he stormed up to me forcing me to back into the wall (although he didn't actually touch me) and snarled at me "don't ever hit me again". I've never seen him so angry and close to losing control and was actually quite frightened, he's a big bloke (6ft 4) and it was intimidating. he said then "do you understand?" I nodded and he said "get out of my fucking sight" so I went upstairs. Had a good cry, came down about 20 minutes later to apologise again and explained that I hadn't meant to hit him, it was a reflect and he said "well lets hope I don't start getting mad reflexes then". I got a bit cross because the fact that he'd dragged me around by arm before this seemed to have been forgotten so I said "you're not 100% innocent in this either" and he absolutely lost it and started saying stuff like "so I take it it's ok for us to hit each other when we're pissed off then?" he then grabbed me, knocked me onto the sofa and pinned me down and raised his fist as if he was going to punch me in the face. I screamed and begged him to stop. He got off me and I ran upstairs. He came up a few minutes later and I screamed at him to leave me alone and he said he was so sorry and had gone too far and that he'd never hurt me.

Anyway long story short I was just so glad it had all stopped I let him hug me and we 'kissed and made up' but I cant let it go. I was so frightened when he did that and its made me wonder how far hed go. I admit I should never have hit him, I know that so I kind of feel that I can't play little miss innocent on it all either. Is it just a 50/50 thing that I should accept and move on from?

OP posts:
CrabbyBigbottom · 16/01/2012 18:01

Actually I just want to add a caveat onto something I said earlier...
'My point was that a one-off incident (if it is truly one off) does not make someone an abuser. A pattern of abusive behaviour makes someone an abuser'.

It depends on what that one-off incident is, actually - violence that causes lasting pain or injury, even if it's a one off, isn't tolerable at all, under any circumstances, in my opinion.

I still think that what happened to the OP is a really grey area - dragging the OP by the arm is indefensibly wrong, but a one-off incident of that wouldn't make someone an abuser in my book. The shouting in her face and threatening her was then a reaction to her hitting him in the face. Surely someone who is violent and abusive would have taken that as "justification" to hit her back and really hurt her?

MardyArsedMidlander · 16/01/2012 18:05

But we all get pissed off with people- people at work, people on the bus, friends... But do we drag them by the arm out of the room and then threaten them ? No- for a number of reasons. We would probably get lamped back, we would get a criminal record and it's just WRONG.
I don't know how you are supposed to relax and trust someone who has threatened you like that- for me, it just ending up corroding the relationship so even when he wasn't being threatening I hated him and felt anxious.
I look back now and it all seems bizarre- like fancying someone who mugged you in the street Confused

EllenandBump · 16/01/2012 18:19

It always starts with intimidation and threats, and ends up with hitting punchinmg kicking fractures bones and being stabbed, take it from someone who has been there and knows. Get out while you can. Do you really want to be in a relationship where you are scared of the other person? Thought not! Good luck.

CailinDana · 16/01/2012 18:29

I think the whole discussion has been clouded by differing opinions about what the word "abuser" means. A lot of posters seem to think that an abuser has to abuse someone multiple times in order to qualify and so they're objecting to others using that term to describe the OP's partner. So how about we forget the word abuser and just say "unpleasant man who can't control his temper"? It still doesn't make him any more attractive.

singingprincess · 16/01/2012 18:44

Because it IS abuse!

It took me a long time to use the "A" word too. But just because you don;t want it to be real, doesn't stop it being real!

And once again...it has nothing to do with temper, or anger, it is to do with CONTROL.

I just don't understand why such a simple concept won't go in! CONTROL is what these people need.

CONTROL!

singingprincess · 16/01/2012 18:47

He didn't behave like this because he lost his temper over a prolonged period of time...he did it because he wants to gain control over the OP.

It starts in small ways, and then, because it is an addiction, the need for control gets greater and greater. But this guy has raised his game, very quickly and really rather dramatically. Not good.

Really, there are people on these boards who really understand the dynamics here.

FabbyChic · 16/01/2012 19:02

You fucked him off you pushed and pushed then you hit him.

YOu started it. He didn't hit you, he theatened you, he would never hurt you, if he was going to he would have done it when you hit him, the reflex is to hit back he didn't.

I also fail to see that you would rather go out with your mates as opposed to staying home alone with your partner with no kids in the house.

No wonder he was pissed off, you basically said fuck you you arent worthy of my company.

MistletoeAndFlump · 16/01/2012 19:04

I probably shouldn't have come back to this thread but I wanted to see if OP had come back Sad

And I just had to say - It truly saddens and amazes me that there are still women out there who think men who are violent towards their partners 'aren't necessarily abusive' and deserve another chance.

Until a frightening number of people wake up and realise there needs to be a zero tolerance of abusive behaviour, abusers will be able to continue acting the way they do.

MistletoeAndFlump · 16/01/2012 19:05

Good old Fabby Sad

Thanks for proving my point.

singingprincess · 16/01/2012 19:08

Are you being ironic in a way that is incomprehensible Fabby?

MistletoeAndFlump · 16/01/2012 19:10

I don't think so singing

Craparinha · 16/01/2012 19:15

He has violent tendencies and cannot control hs temper. I will lay mney on this escalating n to full on hitting you if you stay with him.

topknob · 16/01/2012 19:16

Fabby doesn't half talk some rubbish on this issue and clearly has no idea what she is talking about.

Xales · 16/01/2012 19:18

He shouted in her face, grabbed her and dragged her from one room to another. He was hurting her before she hit him in a panic because he was hurting her!

This sounds completely calculated to me. He stormed off to the gym (presumably for at least an hour?) and when he came back then started shouting in her face and dragging her around before coming back again a further 20 minutes later to threaten her further.

He had every right to be pissed off with her actions.

He had no right to scream in her face, drag her around or threaten her. I would prefer to go out with friends than spend time alone with a man like that.

singingprincess · 16/01/2012 19:21

I expect he is perfectly capable of controlling his temper.

I don't suppose he drags his boss around the room, or the checkout person at the supermarket, or his bank manager...however much they may piss him off.

Once again...it is nothing to do with temper, it is to do with exerting control over the OP.

ButWhyIsTheGinGone · 16/01/2012 19:38

Some people on this thread should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Ok, the OP might have made her DP bottom of the list of priorities. That's not exactly conducive to a happy relationship. If the partner feels he's bottom of the list he should BREAK UP WITH HER, not physically assault her! She could have set fire to his car for all it matters - IT IS NEVER EVER EVER OK TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS. EVER. You lashed out in panic because you were already being physically assualted - does NOT give him licence to lose it in this fashion. And his words are chilling.

I am just amazed at the amount of blame people are laying at the OP's feet. Jesus, I have low self esteem, but even I would never give a second chance to anyone who laid a hand on me. Why do so many people find this "ok" and "forgivable?"

Madness.

ButWhyIsTheGinGone · 16/01/2012 19:40

Fabby - your post of 19:02 is one of the worst I've ever seen on Mumsnet.

BasilRathbone · 16/01/2012 19:55

OP, sorry to post and run, haven't got much time this evening, but ignore all the handmaidens and DV apologists (it's thanks to attitudes like their's, that so many women (1 in 4) live with abuse and so many men get away with it, so they're not worth listening to), get the hell out of that relationship.

He is very dangerous.

You will never feel safe again. And neither will your children. They learn what to expect from relationships, by what we show them, not what we say to them.

You can't live like that.

fuzzynavel · 16/01/2012 20:09

Get a grip on here for god sake! It was an argument that got out of control and to be fair the OP was a bit of a cow, he was looking forward to it and she didn't have the nicety to let him know she had no intention of being with him.

He did go over the top but!

Those telling her to leave him, he's a control freak need to get off here for a while.

SiamoNellaMerda · 16/01/2012 20:13

ButWhyIsTheGinGone Mon 16-Jan-12 19:40:31

Fabby - your post of 19:02 is one of the worst I've ever seen on Mumsnet

Maybe so but you can always rely on this poster to say the most inappropriate, rude, badly thought out things. She does it for the kick - there can be no other reason

HoudiniHissy · 16/01/2012 20:13

He stormed off to the gym to DELIBERATELY MANUFACTURE THE ANGER HE USED AGAINST YOU Soggy

DV usually starts around the 2year mark. 6m living together is usually all these kinds of 'people' can hack before true colours show.

Whoever moved in, needs to move out. It's over. Don't look back, it will not get better, only worse.

PLEASE, don't be a complete fucking dickhead like me and have to come back here in TEN FUCKING YEARS saying (like me) you've only just got out.

Save yourself the heartache, not to mention the therapy costs.

fuzzynavel · 16/01/2012 20:16

As for you all slating fabby, yes, she has her own take on things but two wrongs don't make a right do they.

ArtexMonkey · 16/01/2012 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fuzzynavel · 16/01/2012 20:20

not everyone that looses their temper now and again is an axe weilding control freak murder in the making

CrabbyBigbottom · 16/01/2012 20:21
Confused Hmm