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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

Dh says he would leave me, if he could.

30 replies

MarriageWoes · 29/06/2012 13:50

Have namechanged.
Big fight 2 days ago. I lost my cool and was screaming at him.
But he says he can't leave, for financal reasons, because of the children, because neither of us could survive , be able to afford 2 houses and etc.
I said , lots of single parents do. And i asked him to only stay because he wanted to be with me. That I couldn't allow him to stay for any other reason.

Sad

I knew things weren't great. They haven't been good for many many years. But I had no idea he felt like THIS.
My mum says that it is a credit to both of us, that we have coped so well, with all the shit thrown at us over the last few years:

I am unwell. Dh isn't in the best of health.
I fight and fight, to get sons issues sorted and to be honest they are never going to get any better and put a terrible terrible strain on us.
I have zero sex drive, not that mine was ever that high, since 2nd birth. We hardly ever have sex. I thought that BJ's were enough, but clearly not. I have seen 3 GP's and they all say that it is common because of my heath condition. Well, thats all very well, but that doesn't help my marriage, does it?
I am so very tired. Always. Apparently this is not going to get much better.
I seem to have become miserable and angry, with all the fighting i have had to do over the last 5 years - fighting health for me, for ds, fighting agencies, and government people, fighting work.
Dh gets laid off every 18 months or so.

We live together for convenience. But thats not good enough is it?
He said, that we had this discussion 18 mths ago, and nothing has changed. It is true.

How did it get this bad? I never imagined 10 years ago, when I met him, that life would have sapped the life out of me. But realistically, this isn't fair on either of us.
I am scared that I am too tired/ill/ lazy/ dragged down by life, to have the energy to make this better.
But, I sure am very very sad about it. Sad

OP posts:
greygirl · 29/06/2012 14:04

I am so sorry for you. You sound like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.
The positives in this are:
you still speak to your husband
you seem to have a supportive mum
you have offspring both you and your DH love
you seem to want to change it
can you get some time alone with your husband for a 'date'so you can remind each other why you fell in love all those years ago?

I think this is going to be hard to turn around but you can do it. Start small. write down all the things (you and DH) would like to change about your life - not just 'dislike' but want to change (eg it's no good moaning about having to go to work but you can say you would like to change to a differnet job).
Pick a small thing of each list that might be changeable. I mean really small like - 'i wish i could have a clean car' or ' i wish i could check my email in the living room' and then see if you can make that happen. Try and rebuild your lives in the way you would like them to be, one bit at a time.

Good luck, have a big big hug from me - you are stronger than you think and you can get through this.

CailinDana · 29/06/2012 14:13

Do you think your circumstances have made things this bad? I mean, is there any feeling left between you, something you could build on? Or do you think the relationship is well and truly dead?

MissFaversam · 29/06/2012 14:13

I'd have a no nonsense chat with him OP to see whether he wants to try to repair things or you will just knock yourself out in one sided trying.

Why would you have to be two houses? Couldn't he get a flat?

MarriageWoes · 29/06/2012 14:25

This house, our house, he lived here, on his own, for many years, before I met hi a nd moved in with him.
He is probably better with the children than I am. So it would probably be me, who left, if anyone did.

OP posts:
shockers · 29/06/2012 14:55

You sound as though you are depressed rather than 'lazy' or not as good with the children as he is Sad.

I think greygirl's suggestion of small steps is a good one. I would also suggest a vitamin/mineral supplement (if compatible with your other health issues) to boost your energy levels.

Situations like yours become a downward spiral as the stress adds to all the other worries.

I hope you manage to find ways to help yourself feel better, as that seems the most important issue at the moment.

mathanxiety · 29/06/2012 15:44

Have you had a full medical including thyroid, blood tests for anemia, etc?
What contraception are you using and could that be interfering with your sex drive? (maybe a question to discuss with the doctor and not answer here)
Have you explored the question of depression and ADs with your doctor?

Why does your DH get laid ff every 18 months?
What plan does he have in place to improve this situation? (getting more education, better skills, getting into a different line of work somehow -- anything?)

mathanxiety · 29/06/2012 15:50

I really like Greygirl's suggestions.

amillionyears · 29/06/2012 15:55

I am a bit confused by his position.
Has something changed recently for him?
Has he lost his job again?
Does he have health worries of his own?
Or is it a culmination of the years that has led him to this point?

BalloonSlayer · 29/06/2012 16:11

Did I read/interpret correctly that you don't have much of a libido so you do not have sex very often, but you give him blowjobs instead, and he complains about this?

He sounds pretty selfish to me.

daffydowndilly · 29/06/2012 16:20

You sound depressed. You sound unsupported. You need to build your self-esteem and self-value!! He is not better with the kids, he does not deserve your home. You're a SAHM? You fight for your son and his issues. You have ill health and are trying to work on that.

He in the meantime gets blow jobs (what does he do to reciprocate, any nice gestures at least?), loses his job regularly (reasons for this?), and has the audacity to stand there and say he doesn't love you but won't let you go. That is imprisonment.

You need to ask him to go and work out once and for all what it is he wants. And so he doesn't get a house straightaway - diddums, he can rent a room in a house while you both sort things out financially.

It sounds like you are drained by this relationship.

Perhaps go to your GP and ask to be referred for counselling on the basis of chronic ill health and relationship issues. And let that be the start of you looking after yourself!

solidgoldbrass · 29/06/2012 16:34

Well, it's not the most helpful thing for him to have said, is it? Could he be trying to make you throw him out, so that you look like the villain and he can play the martyr and cry on another woman's shoulder and get HER to service him domestically and sexually?

ImperialBlether · 29/06/2012 16:34

I've never understood why women give men blow jobs and expect nothing in return. Why would you do that?

MarriageWoes · 29/06/2012 16:48

I just did a long post, answering all other posts, and then lost it. will try again.

OP posts:
dondon33 · 29/06/2012 20:22

Sorry your going through this OP, I really feel for you.
It's awful that he's said that, seriously how can you stay together with someone primarily for financial reasons....Surely if it was that bad for him he would want out??? I agree with others, you need an in depth, cards on the table, talk.

I've never understood why women give men blow jobs and expect nothing in return. Why would you do that?

IB- in the case of OP (which I can relate) it could be because she feels "guilty" that she can't give him sex, a kind of way to try and make up for it.
I'm not saying that IS why OP... so correct me if I'm wrong but previously I've done it for that reason due to me being ill/depressed with zero libido. I'll be honest and say that back then while doing it...it was with zero feelings, I didn't want or desire anything in return and felt rather like washing the dishes/peeling potatoes :@ I'm not saying that I felt forced into doing it though neither.

MissFaversam · 29/06/2012 20:55

OP you have to find a way out of this and you can.

MarriageWoes · 30/06/2012 07:33

Typed a 2nd huge post. Lost it, again, while Mn went offline. Will try again.
Since then, dondon's post hit the nail on the head re the BJ's, which answers Imperials question re BJ's.

Don't think I'm depressed. One GP said I was, and gave me AD's, which did nothing for me. But that was 3 years ago, when ds1's problems were at their worst, my love for ds was dwindling, because I couldn't understand how my parenting was so wrong. I guess his diagnosis helped a bit to answer my questions.
Since then, most GP's say I am not depressed. I have seen 3 GP's. On the end, they suggested CBT, saying they wer ento sure what else to recommedn. Greta. Lets give you CBT, becaue we don't know what else to do with you.
And my CBT counsellor, who I have just started with, a couple of weeks ago, didn't think I was either. She thinks, like my mum said, I have coped surprisingly well in difficullt circumstances.

I am a good mother. I don't have confidence issues. But actually dh is very domesticated. quite calm, and he probably parents the children a bit better than I do. He doesn't get so riled by ds1's behavior. And he doesn't shout as much as I do.
SO when I said he is better than me, at the parenting, I know thats unusual on mn, but really is the case here. SO, this is not actually a defeatist statement, by a SAHM will low self esteeem, it actually is a fact.
Dana, feelings left. I do love him, care for him. He was the man, who I was seraching for. I just feel a bit numb now. And I know thats not right.

Mathanxiety, all tests have come back negative. All Gp's blame my triedness and lack of sex drive, as a well known side-effect, of my health condtion, which I have had since birth. But dismissing it as low sex drive, is not good, for my marriage, is it? Even my counsellor, said she thought it was pretty normal. I was surprsied by her reaction, I thought she would really go to town, on why I felt like this, how i got there, emotionally, to try and fix this, a bit. But, she did not.

It isn't fair on dh is it? I would never have sex again, to be honest. I'd rather
have a cup of tea and sit down and watch football with dh, than have sex. I just want care and love and attention, but I have no actual SEXUAL desires. But that can't be normal, can it. Its just not right, surely?

DH gets laid off because he is a manager, gets hired by small'ish firms to fix their problems. which he does , very well. and then they tell him they don't need him anymore. WE know this is a problem, We jsut don't know how to fix it. He has tried to get in with bigger forms, so that once he fixes original problem, he could be utilised in others areas. but he hasn't been able to get in, so far. What what extaly, extra qualifications wise, do you suggest?
I think he is a good manager. we took employment advice from a employment/life coach guy. He suggested trying to get dh into consultancy. He has tried. And this too, has been unable to get into.
Most of the mums in the playground, their dh's are losing their jobs every 1.5-2 years aswell. Many of them are managers, directors, managing driectors, and quite few of them are consultants. they all say that the market is so bad. One who is regularly out of work for 3-4 months. And then gets a huge contract for alot of money. But is is very unstable. So when, dh , in passing, whilst dropping off the children, in the playground mentions this all, to them, they all say, 'Oh I know mate, same here'.
So what exactly, job wise, is it that you think he should be doing, that he's not?
Its a bit like our marriage. Realise theres a problem, but just not sure how to fix it.

balloonslayer, he says there is no passion in our relationship. he says we are like brother and sister. He says he wants to make love to me, and he wants me to want him to make love to me. To me, this sounds fair.

Daffy, I don't think I do have self esteem issues. And no I am not a SAHM, who depends on a dh, who tells her what she can spend etc. I have a part time job. We have a joint account. I buy what I want, when I want, and I do not need to ask. within reason. If i see a pair of shoes, I buy them. We never ever give eachother any grief about : how much money either of us spends - actually neither of us spends alot on clothes or anything, anyway. We never give eachother any grief about how much tv/ football the other watches. WE both encourage eachother to go for nights out with our friends/ the lads. We go to the ocassional party together, when we are invited. We have one next weekend. And this weekend we are having friends over for a bbq.
I go out with my PN gropup for a pizza and a drink, and I never worry about , asking if it so.k.. I just say, girls planing night out, 3 weeks , on friday, is that o.k? No problem he says. Always tells me I look nice when I get dressed up. I go out and spend as much as I want, and get a taxi home, a tiny bit tiddly, to his welcome and he asks what went on etc. How is this bad? How are any of you going to turn this srounfd into him being selfish?
And daffy, MY CBT has just started, but to be honest, I am not sure that i have such great hopes for it, but we will see.

You say, I need to get him to lay his cards on the table. But that was what we did the other day. When we had the big chat. And he told me that he would leave, if he could. I have asked him, what he wants, how we are goign to change this. But he says he doesn't know. And I don't know either. And that we had this same conversation 18 mths ago. And we both agreed that nothing has changed. If anything, its just got worse.

I'm not sure I need him to put he is cards on the table anymore. Hasn't he already? Is it that we are too lazy/downtrodden, to have done anything about it, 18 mths ago. So my fear is, if we were too lazy/downtrodden, then, how is it going to be any different now?
I, seriously don't know what to do. Thats sounds so dumb, doesn't it, but I really don't.

OP posts:
joblot · 30/06/2012 09:38

Maybe try couples counselling?

amillionyears · 30/06/2012 10:26

I think you need to go back to going out together,just the two of you,without anybody else,no children.
I think this needs to be prioritised,and done regularly,and now.
It doesnt nesessarily need to cost much.
car,coffee,walk whatever.But it does need to be kept going.
After a few weeks,I think you will be able to see things a lot more clearly

MarriageWoes · 30/06/2012 12:31

I will try and do more, just the two of us. I doubt I could get him to go to counselling. He is a very private man and doesn't really like the fact that i tell my mum, my best friend and MN all about 'our relationship' and 'him'. To which I told him it was unreasonable and that I was telling my mum and my friends about 'my life'. I doubt he woudl agree to counselling. Even the idea is humiliating to an intensely private man.

OP posts:
RationalBrain · 30/06/2012 12:37

Is it the lack of sex that your H can't deal with, or does he not love you anymore? You say you still have feelings for him, if he has them for you, then there is hope...

MarriageWoes · 30/06/2012 20:07

Not sure, Rational. Am I supposed to ask him outright?

OP posts:
RationalBrain · 30/06/2012 20:21

Yup, why wouldn't you? Sounds like its the time for full and frank conversation, if your marriage is in the line.

happyAvocado · 30/06/2012 20:32

Does he love you?

joblot · 30/06/2012 22:01

It's a shitty thing to say. Especially if he's not willing to seek solutions, being private and embaressed are excuses. I despise airinf

joblot · 30/06/2012 22:03

Oops on phone.

I despise airing my problems but sometimes you have to do it. Not many enjoy it