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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

Can relationships really be mended?

21 replies

k2togm1 · 09/05/2012 11:03

Dh and i have been having a difficult time since ds was born and I got PTSD, I was horrible to live with for the past year and I fear I have really scarred him, lately I have felt ready to move on, but I fear the damage is done!
Do couples really resolve their problems and stay together? How?

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DrowninginDuplo · 09/05/2012 12:18

Yes. Just keep talking. Admit your (joint) problems, apologies for what you need to and accept the relevant apologies from him. Together decide what needs to be done and what help needs to be sought and go for it. It is hard (I think) to start responding to him differently, it is almost as if you respond snap on auto pilot, even though you now feel a lot better. I found taking a big breath and thinking before I opened my big fat mouth helped.

But mostly keep talking. Good luck.

Hopefully a more knowledgeable bod will arrive shortly.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 09/05/2012 12:28

Relationships can be mended provided everyone is honest, talking and willing to change. You can't undo history and some things will need more work than others but, with some effort, things can often be repaired. Ever fallen out with a friend and made up again...? Husbands are meant to be closer than friends. There are times when they can't be repaired without there being excessive amounts of compromise... that's not for everyone. But stay optimistic and see how it goes.

k2togm1 · 09/05/2012 19:53

So I assume you've done it, Drowninginduplo, very glad! it means that it is possible, then. I know exactly what you mean.

Cogitoergosometimes thanks for the analogy with friends, don't know why I didn't think of it like that. And we are still friends, is the rest of the relationship that is in tatters. Luckily there are no huge things to forgive, just rough times.

I know talking is good, but we do lots of that, and it's really our behaiviour which we need to work on. Yesterday I started a file in my phone to remind me of my resolutions when feelling things getting out of hand, here it goes:

I will not say hurtful and/or annoying things just to get them out of my chest.
I will not need to have the last word.
I will not need to blame.
I will act with kindness and love.
I will touch and hug.

Is that realistic? Am I barking at the wrong tree?

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k2togm1 · 10/05/2012 21:44

Just kind of bumping, would really appreciate more suggestions.

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amillionyears · 11/05/2012 20:04

That is right k2togm1, the post on wednesday evening that you posted.
I did think of posting a couple of days ago,but did think you had 2 good posts from posters.
What sort of behaviour would you like him to change?
And what sort of behaviour has he said he is willing to change.

k2togm1 · 11/05/2012 21:15

Thanks amillionyears, I'd like him to be able to say sorry and then shut up, without buts, if we both have to have the last word it never ends Blush.
Other things are a bit more practical, I'd like him to do more outdoor activities with ds, but he is an introverted recluse, his dad an agoraphobic (sort of, sorry to use the name of a condition when it actually isn't diagnosed, but he is borderline, ie he will go and do the shoping but won't take a train to come and see his only grandson). But there is some progress, today they went out for a walk, which sounds like nothing but they had actually never done before!

One thing I wonder is, when people say that talking is good, do they mean actually saying everything? I've been stung by this aproach quite recently, it was actually counterproductive (or was it?): I asked him to fold the pram for me and he wasn't able to, a male friend was here at the time and ended up doing it for him, when he was gone I asked if he didn't find that embarrasing and said that I did, he got very offended and we had a massive row. On the other hand, today he did calmly ask why he had trouble taking the break off when in certain possition and if that might make folding impossible...

Anyway, we've had a better couple of days. I am being civil, I am trying to be polite liek i would with anyone else rather than ofloading my whole horrible self on him.

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SirSugar · 11/05/2012 21:29

do you love him?

theendishere · 11/05/2012 21:45

IMO there is a chance they can be mended if BOTH of you want it and BOTH of you are committed to trying, talking, being honest,etc.

AgathaFusty · 11/05/2012 21:54

There seems to be an undercurrent of irritation between both of you. Was there prior to having your baby?

Do you spend any time together as a couply, doing coupley things?

AgathaFusty · 11/05/2012 21:55

couple, doing coupley things Grin

amillionyears · 11/05/2012 22:31

Glad you have both had a better couple of days.
1.Both having the last word.Dont really know about this but I am guessing it is to do with power? You may be able to google that and get some answers.
2.DH being an introverted recluse.Is this recent or has he always been like that.tbh, this may take some time for him to overcome.It may have to happen slowly.I dont think you can reasonably expect him to overcome this very quickly.
3.You are not a horrible self.
4.My DH and I find that saying "agree to differ" often works very well.Rarely do we revisit whatever it was that we were disagreeing about.
5.A book you may find useful is "Why women Talk and Men Walk.How to improve Your relationship without discussing It".Yes sometimes it is not always necessary to say everything.I know, difficult to know when to talk, and when not.

Shakey1500 · 11/05/2012 22:50

I agree that talking and being open and honest is the best way to heal wounds. If the love is deep enough then it can be fixed. And I know it's an old saying but time really is the best healer.

DH used to drink. A lot. He will now admit that if we hadn't moved away, he'd have drank himself to death. Five years after we moved, we went out for a meal. Non specific occasion. We'd obviously talked and talked about his drinking many times in the years previous. But on this night, the conversation turned deep and he stopped, and made THE most heartfelt apology I have ever heard. It made me cry and I realised that he utterly meant it and heard an entirely new angle as well, that I hadn't given that much consideration to before. The five years in between most definitely helped and brought us to a place where there was respect and greater understanding.

Good luck

amillionyears · 12/05/2012 07:26

A lovely post Shakey.I think i'll let k2 respond to it.

k2togm1 · 12/05/2012 18:11

sirsugar simple but big question.

theend I know we both want it.

agathafusty I think there have always been differences etc but nothing major. We now don't do anything together, as a couple or as a family and that is a big problem right now. Should have added that in my list before!

amillion. Thanks so much for the book recommendation, and good point about 'agreeing to differ'. My list of things I'd like him to change wasn't comprehensive, got carried away with the last point. His introvertness has never been a problem, except now that ds is extremely active and needs to be tired out.

shakey your post made very tearful. I guess you are right about time healing, but perhaps if you both hadn't been working at it all those years it might not have happened on its own.

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amillionyears · 12/05/2012 21:51

Is DH getting help for his reclusiveness if that is the right word.
If you are both in the house a lot, I think that is going to aggrevate things a lot.Do you spend time apart inside the house, if you see what i mean.
And have you got a garden you can go in.
Or have I got the wrong end of the stick, if his introvertness has not been a problem up to now

The other thing I have not properly understood from your post, is that you think you may have scarred him in some way.Has he actually said that, or are you just wondering about that?

k2togm1 · 12/05/2012 23:17

No we are not soing anything about his reclusiveness (not sure either if that is the right word), and you are right, that has not been a problem up till now, and to be fair is just agravated by a medical condition that makes him very tired so that is why he has not been taking ds out. Still, it is something that annoys me and he knows it, and I know he is trying.
You are absolutely right about the being in the house thing, during my ml I went bonkers, we were both here, he was in the house all the time except three nights a week of work, I could not stand it! things are better in that front now that I am working again though.

About the scarring thing, I can see in his way that he is always on the deffensive, ready to defend himself. I have been very difficult to live with, have ptsd which has just finished treatment, and completely understand that I have been horrible for sometime, but now even when I am fine and in a good mood he is always ready to defend himself, and has lost all initiative, for example, he won't hug me without being asked really.

I don't know, I am really struggling. We come from very different families and I wonder if this is really playing a big part right now, in my house touching, hugging and kissing were always very important and part of everyday life, but I never heard my parents argue (which they obviously did, as everyone) but my dad rather than argue would go for a walk and come back an hour later calmed down. In his family touching is unheard of, let alone kissing or hugging, and his parents argued shouting, throwing stuff, etc (they divorced in the end). So we aproach things completely different, even if it is just in our subconcious.

I am going to check out that book!

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MissFaversham · 13/05/2012 00:10

OP, can things be repaired?

I sincerely hope so!

I'm really struggling too and my sort of ex at the moment is like yours. I've been horrid and he as too. He's come forward, I've backed off, then I've come forward and he's backed off. We've stopped being civil, we've become more like enemies. The infliction of pain due to tit for tat has become unbearable.

BUT - If you really want to and both 100% it can be worked out.

A couple of good reads are from Andrew G Marshall, they are simple to read but get to the point.

MissFaversham · 13/05/2012 00:12

Oh forgot to say, I come from a disfunctional family and he doesnt but he's very reserved. Im angry and volitile, he's uncommunicative and walks away.

amillionyears · 13/05/2012 13:00

op,the book should really help a lot with your second paragraph and probably the third too.
Just had a quick look at the Andrew G marshall books.there seems to be about 8 of them.I agree that they may be useful to you.
Hope you can work things out too MissFaversham.

DrowninginDuplo · 13/05/2012 19:12

I think your list of resolutions are good k2. It is important to remember that you are a team working together not in competition as to who is the most martyred.

And to answer your question, yes, I have been there.

k2togm1 · 14/05/2012 19:22

missfav really hope you are right! Thanks for the book recommendation and good luck to you too.

Will get some books soon, hope they really help.

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