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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

messed it up

62 replies

confusedandsome · 06/08/2012 12:05

just need some perspective on this please. Been seeing man for a year.
Me: Live alone, crap area, bad parking etc. No family in the UK apart from a distant relationship with my mum. Dad dead. Few friends and the good ones I have live abroad. Busy job which involves travelling a lot. Lots of aquaintances. I have an 20 year old son who is living and working in Dubai for a year and we skype etc.
Him: Lives alone, big house, fab job, well off. Estranged from his parents and brother, few friends and they live miles away, has 2 children but its not an easy relationship as they dont help him, eldest one is sullen and can be quite nasty to him. Own business.
So we get together. He developed strong feelings for me very quickly. He quickly wanted to know whether we had a future. Wanted to be financially together. I have 2 houses. My mum and I did a house swap when my son was at Uni. He wanted me to sell the house my mum is in, move her back (even though she didnt want to go) and he and I would pool our finances and live together with me "wanting for nothing"
I did and do love him but I dont want to uproot my mum and financially I do ok. TBH I wasnt sure what I wanted to do. I am starting a course for 2 years in Sept and I was going to see how it panned out before I made such huge financial decisions.
He wants a "normal" life. He wants a "family unit" because he lost it all when he divorced his wife when she had affairs. I didn?t gel very well with his children as they ignored me and never said thanks for presents etc. He never addressed this but expected me to be there with his children nevertheless.
There were some other things that made me think about making this commitment
He would withdraw affection when he wasn?t feeling so good in his own mind
He had fallen out with his neighbours and many of his friends. Many people didn?t include him in things. For instance his friend got engaged yet he found out through another friend and they were very hesitant to talk to him about arrangements etc.
He would not want to speak to me for a week or so if he had a row with his children
Then his mood would change and he would be fantastic again
He told me he knew many nasty people
He said he had shut off his emotions after so many people had taken the piss
He hated me reading my book but wouldn?t say it at the time, only after
He has finished with me saying ?the relationship wont work and I am taking the piss?
I then get upset and he takes me back
He told me at the weekend that a couple of his friends said I was ?extremely rude?. These are friends I have never spoken to.
He said he finds it hard to sleep with me as I breathe loudly
Last night he told me its finally over as I don?t include him in my life, I am not committed and he needs to move on with his life. He said he doesn?t want me there cleaning and being there when he is at home. He said he needs to get rid of the bad stuff in his life and I am one of those things. He said I will never change and he has wasted a year being with me but he will chalk it up to experience. He said I have blown it and this is what I wanted. This was after a conversation where he was telling me I was anti-social and I said out of frustration that maybe he needs to find someone who is more social than me. But I didn?t mean it that way.
I am so upset. I loved him, never criticised him yet I feel this is all my fault as I don?t have much of a life to introduce him to being pretty insular myself. For the majority of the time we had a wonderful time together, he was generous, kind and loving.
How do I move on? I feel very hurt and is this normal to feel like this?

OP posts:
Wheresthedamndog · 07/08/2012 08:18

As others have said, you have had a lucky, lucky escape. Congratulations op on having the intelligence and self-awareness to recognise such a damaging situation, and for having the guts to do something about it. Plus for refusing to make major financial decisions that you would certainly regret. And for not uprooting your mum!, fgs.

You know, probably the way you feel now is a big part of this man messing with your head for a year or so. He sounds absolutely weird. This is definitely not normal, OP.

Others have given great advice - keep talking to friends, take comfort in work, etc. Hopefully when you look back on this a year from now you'll see if for what it is - a horrible experience at the hands of someone who is seriously emotionally screwed up.

DippyDoohdah · 07/08/2012 08:36

Great you have ordered that book.the self doubt you have is his voice inside your head,I think.in time that should get clearer x

silverdollarqueen · 07/08/2012 08:54

The way you feel was part of his game plan. He has twisted your perception.
This happened to me only it was less subtle, which allowed me to run after 5 months.
I was distraught when I ended it but when I calmed down I saw that it was because he controlled me so well (without me knowing), he made me feel I couldn't exist without him (he even controlled to way I cooked and ate).
It turned out he controlled all his exes even friends, yet somehow he was the victim. He also harassed his exes by stalking, including me.
He is on loads of Internet dating sites, which terrifies me!

glastocat · 07/08/2012 09:10

This man is doing his best to do a complete number on you. From what you have described here he actually sounds a bit unhinged. Please listen to your instinct and stay the hell away from him, he has been wrong footing you for a long time, no wonder you are confused!

MushroomSoup · 07/08/2012 09:38

Bloody hell, he's a nightmare! You didn't 'blow' anything. He's telling you that he has strict guidelines for how you should behave and when you didn't stick to them he made you feel inferior.
He doesn't want a relationship with a living, breathing, sexual, opinionated women. He wants control.

pictish · 07/08/2012 09:48

You have posted about him before, haven't you OP...2/3 months ago?

Everyone told you the same then, as I recall.
However, I understand how very very difficult it is to extricate yourself from such a relationship...one where you are led to doubt yourself at every turn.

"He seems so reasonable, so plausable, so he must be right. It must be me. I know everyone is saying it's not me....but they don't know how bad I can be, and how lovely he can be. Some of it must be down to me - otherwise why would he do this?"

It's not you. You are right. YOU are reasonable.
He is a damaged, manipulative and exploitative man. He will crush you to serve himself. He is abusive.

You need that book. Read it. Read it all. It's very well written and explains everything.

You do not want or need this man.

MNsFavouriteManHater · 07/08/2012 09:52

THis man sounds like an absolute headfuck

Can you post mug shots of him around the place, to warn other women away from him ?

The wreckage he leaves behind when he moves onto his next victim must be phenomenal

Lucyellensmum99 · 07/08/2012 10:02

Christ, you might not think it now but you have had A LUCKY ESCAPE, he sounds like a nutjob. Tell him not to let the door hit his arse on the way out and go and enjoy life. This man would have made you his prisoner.

MorrisZapp · 07/08/2012 10:11

This story has a very happy ending, because you didn't make any rash moves under this guy's influence.

You didn't move in, you didn't sell any houses, you don't have kids together.

Thank fuck! You are still as powerful as you were the day you met.

And I bet he has skeletons in his financial closet, big house or no big house. He will come back like a bad penny, make no mistake. Boot him far, far away.

geegee888 · 07/08/2012 10:12

Sounds like moving with him would have been moving into a madhouse.

The lack of long term, close friends is a real red flag.

As is the obsession with finances and in particular, your finances. Be very wary of anyone who wants you to sell your property so soon into a relationship. He is probably a conman.

Plus the inconsistency.

None of it sounds fun. The longer you stay away from him, the better you will feel.

solidgoldbrass · 07/08/2012 11:13

It's probably helpful for you to get it all out into the open, so ignore anyone who starts going 'Are you nuts, why didnt you bin him earlier?' We often don't realise while it's going on, especially as arseholes like this alternate the nastiness with amazing displays of charm.
But you Did spot it in time. You didn't let him steal your home/money. It didn't get as far as him hitting you or raping you (all these things would have happened, eventually. Men like this are on a mission to destroy women, they really, deeply hate women.)

Mobly · 07/08/2012 13:39

I am impressed you've managed to get yourself out of this situation so early on!

The Lundy Bancroft book is eye opening and empowering. After reading it you will truly see him for what he is- an abusive, controlling arsehole.

I pity the next woman he gets involved with and you should too. He will never have a happy, healthy relationship.

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