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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

Husband asked for separation/divorce at Xmas.

59 replies

separated · 16/01/2012 22:58

We had split in May 2010 when his aggression/verbal abuse caused me to cold shoulder him for a few months. He blamed everything on me and said he wanted shot of me, essentially. This was after him moving to the spare room and giving me a detailed character assassination. Basically, I made a charge against him and he was arrested. The charge was over his assault on me in our kitchen which was physical but mostly just threatening. He said that if murder were legal he would have killed me by now. He also slapped my one cheek 3 times whilst pinching the other. It was extremely frightening. We had been arguing and I thought he was leaning over to kiss me.
Anyway, no evidence, no charges but they advised him to move out. He was gone for 2 months. After that time we talked and patched things up. Be never apologised though. Be refused to accept any blame. In fact he denied it happened. He gave us a year's trial. That ran out in Sept '11. I thought we had got through it. We were intimate again, on his terms as he still chose to sleep in the spare room.
I did everything I could to make it work. I addressed my faults. J spent much less time online, I stopped seeing my sister as he hates her etc. Apparently he realised in September that he no longer felt much for me. He cannot forgive that he was arrested and his dna is on file. I wondered what had changed. Sex dwindled. He gave me much less eye contact. He got cross if I answered a question when our daughter should have been answering. We went to a party at Xmas and I have never felt so alone. There was nothing there. He treated me as if I were a stranger. I asked him to talk to me that evening.
He cried and said how he had been feeling. He had planned to pack a few things, give me half an hour's notice, tell someone close to him what was happening, then leave.
The reason he planned to do it that way was so I didn't have time to make a false allegation to the police. Again (obviously it wasn't false but that's how he sees it).
So that almost brings it up to date. I have begged him to keep trying. I even phoned thr police to say that whilst my statement was true, I didn't know the potential effect sn arrest would have on his career.
So tonight I find myself having to sign the statement of arrangements for our children. He is the petitioner. We have 2 teenagers.
He has been moody, aggressive at times with myself and our son and is extremely manipulative. And still I am sad.
We were together for 20 years, since I was 18.
For financial reasons we will have to sell the house, pay off debts and start again. No money for deposits for houses etc.
I feel sad for the loss of my planned future, angry that this has happened again, angry that he accepts no responsibility over how abusive he was. But he had good points too. He can cook, clean, anything. The truth is that he can manage without me. I've never really been of any use.
A bit of me is hopeful that I can, in time, find someone who really loves me. He didn't. He accumulated bitterness over the 30 years and never forgave anything.

I cannot believe I have come to this point in my life where I am about to lose everything. I

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separated · 16/01/2012 23:01

Typo.20 years not 30.

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mike1May · 16/01/2012 23:04

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HoudiniHissy · 16/01/2012 23:07

You are about to lose a man that terrorised you.

You are about to lose what frightens you, but that you live with every day.

You have been taken apart by him and destroyed. You've never been any use eh? BULLSHIT! HE made you think that.

You have raised 2 teenage boys. That's hard work!

it doesn't matter about the past, the only thing you have is the future, and it will be a BILLION times better WITHOUT HIM.

Trust me. I've been there, it's so scary to think of it all going, but think of the life you will be able to find on the other side!

Think of the fact that your boys will grow up NOT learning how to treat their future wives as their abusive father did.

LET HIM GO. It will get easier, and a WHOLE lot faster than you think.

Call Women's Aid for support, they will understand what you mean about mourning the loss of what might have been, we have ALL been there!

Speak to your Dr, maybe you can get some counselling? it'll REALLY help you.

please read Lundy Bancroft's book Why Does He Do That. It'll really open your eyes. Oh and Power and Control - Why Charming Men Make Dangerous Lovers.

HoudiniHissy · 16/01/2012 23:08

Erm Mike? WTF?

Blaming him for everything? Hmm

Who ELSE is there to blame? Can I suggest YOU read Lundy's book too, it'll spell it out BIG and clear for you too.

solidgoldbrass · 16/01/2012 23:09

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willybreeder · 16/01/2012 23:09

Whoa! All I read is a manipulating nasty person so I think he is doing you a favour by leaving. He may be good at cooking and cleaning but how about giving you and your children love and respect!?
You are worth more than this life, although it might be scary at first it's v. Empowering forging a life for you and your children the way you want to live. Self help books or counselling may help you gather the confidence you need to start your new life. Good luck x

ToothbrushThief · 16/01/2012 23:10

A bit of me is hopeful that I can, in time, find someone who really loves me. He didn't. Love yourself first. Don't rely on someone else.

Sounds like you are going to have a better future tbh but it' s natural to grieve for a past. You're not seeing your past as it really was but seeing it as the life you were hoping it would be. iykwim

In time you will look back and wonder why you didn't part sooner. Life is not meant to be so hard and confrontational. Be alone and happy rather than together and bloody miserable

HoudiniHissy · 16/01/2012 23:11

separated, HE made the choice to do this.

nothing you said, did, thought in the past or in the future would change his decision to manipulate and abuse you.

You have spent your life smoothing things over, treading on eggshells/broken glass/whatever, and to what end? You've DONE everything he wanted you to do and he's STILL not happy.

WHY?

Because what he wanted you to do was ALL about control. of you.

he may think he loves you, but the truth is he doesn't even know what love is. he can't show it, he can only rule, conquer and destroy.

separated · 16/01/2012 23:21

Yes. Spot on. I have totally spent my time smoothing things over. I was good at that. It turns out that he found it creepy.
My son is 15. He is pleased. My daughter is 13. She thought it was inevitable. My kids are lovely. Son wants to spend most of his time with me when we move. My daughter feels too guilty to do that. She's another people pleaser. Yes, that's my fault. But she hasn't suffered his aggression like we have.

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HoudiniHissy · 16/01/2012 23:31

Read what you have written about your children.

See? THEY BOTH WANT YOU TO LEAVE!

That speaks VOLUMES of how bad it was!

NOW is the time for you to show your DD that she never needs to live as you did. What you would do, by staying with this man, is to create an environment where she would think it's NORMAL to live like you do, so would go on, most likely to live in WORSE! When you know better, you do better. Now is the time to prove this. Your DD's life depends on it. YOUR life depends on it.

Sure for a while you will feel like shit. You'll be angry, lost, ashamed, frightened, worried, all manner of crap. But it gets better, and soon you will be able to lift your head, do more than simply put one foot in front of the other, to laugh, to joke, to sing. All that is ahead of you!

Remind your children that they are old enough and responsible enough to say where they want to be and for their wishes to be respected.

If your son doesn't want to see his father, he doesn't have to.

What's more, the fact that he doesn't means that he disagrees with the way you are treated, another testimony to YOUR parenting, in that he didn't get sucked in by his father, YOU taught him enough to know right from wrong!

separated · 16/01/2012 23:32

Thank you. X

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Zhen · 16/01/2012 23:54

Separated, I remember when you posted originally. You were so strong, after the initial shock. I didn't judge when you decided to give it another go, and hoped the best would happen for you.

I hope you and your children can get through this with as little pain as possible. Post here for support when you need to. Good luck.

squeakytoy · 17/01/2012 00:02

You are only 38, that is young.. plenty young enough not to rush into another relationship.

You have been with this man, (who sounds like a controlling bully to me) for all of your adult life. Now it is your turn to be independant, and do things that you want to do, because you want to do them, not just to please someone else.

Your children are not totally dependent on you either any more and can be left to their own devices to a certain extent, so you will not be a single mother who is trapped in the house.

Look on this as a postive change in your life. A new chapter with YOU in control of your own future.

You are not losing anything here.. you are gaining YOUR freedom and YOUR life back. :)

mike1May · 17/01/2012 00:05

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separated · 17/01/2012 00:38

Thanks for remembering me Zhen. I am embarrassed that it didn't work out. But I know I tried extremely hard.
Mike1may; I am sorry that you were called a shitbag. I also appreciate that this is one side of the story. True. However, I came on here tonight as I was feeling extremely low and needed some support. Please take your argument elsewhere.

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AnyFucker · 17/01/2012 01:02

I remember you too, love

I am sorry it ended up this way

it seems your story is a cautionary tale against brushing any level of domestic violence under the carpet

what advice would you give to someone who had recently experienced their first worrying incident of intimidating and threatening behaviour ?

separated · 17/01/2012 01:11

What advice would I give?
I'm unsure that my advice is any good as part of me blames me. Years ago he used to say that I said sorry too often and I do think that if you constantly apologise simply for existing then others will treat you as if you should be sorry.
Um. My advice would be to stand up for yourself because if you can't love yourself then no one else will want to either. That okay? I'm prob not the best one to give advice just yet as I'm all over the place currently.

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AnyFucker · 17/01/2012 01:16

That was unfair of me, sorry, I shouldn't have put you on the spot

that's not support, stupid me

I guess what I was nudging you to say was that a women would be well-advised to leave after the first instance of controlling, aggressive or violent behaviour because it just doesn't seem to get any better in so many cases

I really am sorry you had to learn this in such a terrible way x

AnyFucker · 17/01/2012 01:18

and I remember posting on your thread, and thinking "nobody deserves this kind of treatment"

you shouldn't blame yourself for hoping he could be a good man

he clearly cannot

separated · 17/01/2012 01:25

Yes, I remember you well. You were extremely supportive and informative. Zhen was also another that I remember well, although I remember the name was slightly different.

I am using my mobile to post, so I find it harder to write everything about my whole backstory.

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HedleyLamarr · 17/01/2012 01:36

Hello Separated, I'm glad you're getting rid of this utter arse. You'll soon get used to being happy, to not having to justify yourself, to not worrying about what he says about you. Well done. AnyFucker is right: nobody deserves this kind of treatment. Except ShinyDave...

MildlyNarkyPuffin · 17/01/2012 01:41

Instead of focusing on what you are losing, why not focus on what you are gaining.

You won't have to walk on eggshells anymore or apologise for being yourself. You won't have to be afraid of physical violence. You won't have to put up with being told in 100 different ways how you aren't good enough. You won't have to avoid your sister to please him. You won't have to apologise to someone for reporting them to the police for being abusive when they were being abusive.

You have a new future. Your son won't have to grow up trying to attract your husband's annoyance to protect you. Your daughter will see that her mother is a strong, capable woman and that her feelings and opinions are not something she should supress to appease a man.

Please get some RL support and legal advice.

separated · 17/01/2012 01:56

All of what you write makes total sense MNP. Do you know me? Do you remember me from before (i had the whole thread deleted from AIBU or is it just obvious?
Part of me is excited about the future, I confess. But I hate that we will be sending the children from one home to another, probably on a weekly basis. I cannot imagine being alone without them. I am also scared. Really scared. I have a chronic illness which, at it's worst, could leave me disabled. As it is, I have lost most hearing in one ear and during an attack I get vertigo so badly that I cannot walk/drive etc. How will I manage when I have such an attack and I am alone? I just don't have an answer.

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MildlyNarkyPuffin · 17/01/2012 02:17

Nope. I just went through your post.

The unknown is scary, but you'll amaze yourself with how you'll cope. The first thing to do is to start letting other people back into your life. Talk to your sister. Whatever your illness, there will be support groups out there with other people who have faced the same issues as you. Find out about support services - there are systems that can be put in place so that you can have a personal alarm in the home for emergencies.

Get out there and meet some new people - not partners, just friends. If you start connecting with people again you'll find that there are plenty of people out there who enjoy and appreciate your company.

separated · 17/01/2012 02:28

Yes. I have let people back in. I am getting a lot of support from friends and my sister. I have also begun the process of getting some talk therapy. I also have some anti depressants, although I haven't been brave enough to start on them yet.

The one thought that buzzes around and around, and I cannot reconcile (a bit like trying to imagine infinity) is that this person who has known me for 20 years wants a life without me in it. That probably won't come across exactly as I'm feeling it.

I have to be up at 6 and I'm in bed sobbing. No idea how I will get any rest now.

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