Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

What would you think about these incidents in a relationship?

29 replies

waterlego6064 · 14/09/2012 17:48

I realise it's very difficult to form an opinion of other people's relationships based on individual pieces of information but I would appreciate any thoughts on these incidents in a relationship between a 17 year-old woman and 20 year-old man:

The man sometimes gets upset by things his girlfriend says. On one occasion, he 'taps' her with his foot under the table when they are in company and she says something he doesn't like.

The couple are invited to the house of a friend of the man. 3 of his (male) friends are in the house. Hardcore porn is put on the TV and the men sit around watching it and discussing it. The young woman is unhappy about it and indicates her feelings to her boyfriend who does nothing about it.

The man has unusual sexual tastes and puts some pressure on the woman to try new things e.g. watersports.

The man expresses an interest in accompanying his girlfriend to the toilet and wants to change her tampon for her.

The man is unhappy that his girlfriend smokes. He sometimes hides her cigarettes or throws them away.

The couple argue at a friend's house while drunk. The woman stands up and her boyfriend pushes her back down into her chair.

While separated, the couple meet up and are in his car talking. He offers the woman money to give him oral sex.

Will stop there, otherwise this will become a much longer thread.

Any initial opinions or thoughts would be appreciated. Sorry if this is weird or TMI.

OP posts:
waterlego6064 · 14/09/2012 21:11

Wow. I am so touched by your responses, thank you all so much.

I have always thought I must have been at fault somehow. I know in my logical mind that I wasn't but I still feel it. That is a feeling I can't quite get rid of but perhaps counselling will help with that. Being told it's not my fault feels...I don't know, but thank you.

Golf self worth is a problem for me too. I felt lucky with him. He was older than me and good looking. He had a car (bearing in mind I was 16 when we met...it all seemed impressive)

gimme He is now married with children. I worry for that woman but I can only hope he has changed.

Whereyouleftit You are right. I'm not particularly argumentative generally and never have been. I did have to argue against some of his ideas, suggestions, opinions...because they were so often not what I wanted. As for alcohol- when I met him I was 16 and didn't have a problem with alcohol at that time. I had the occasional few ciders as many 16 year-olds do but certainly not much because my parents were quite strict and I wouldn't have been able to get away with getting drunk. He was a heavy drinker, as were the rest of his family. I spent a lot of time at his house and was offered/encouraged to have alcohol every evening. By the time we split up, I was a heavy drinker.

gimmecake Thank you. It was very close. We moved in together, we wanted to get married and he bought me a ring.

Sianilaa You are lovely (I'm assuming you're the Sianilaa I know and love from elsewhere? :))

I am really glad that none of you seem to think I am making a mountain out of a molehill or dwelling on the past too much. I will use this counselling as an opportunity to get this out in the open.

Thank you all, so much.

OP posts:
waterlego6064 · 14/09/2012 21:30

I also meant to say, I'm sorry for those of you who have experienced something similar. Thank you for sharing.

OP posts:
Sianilaa · 15/09/2012 16:35

I am indeed, waterlego :) x

GolfOscarLimaDelta · 15/09/2012 16:48

Waterlego - yep. The older guy with a car and a job and buying me chocolates. I was so lucky he picked me. Little Plain Jane me? He actually listened to me. He talked to me. He Loved me when no one else did.

And he knew exactly what to say to make me feel in his debt for those things.

It's hard. I remember when it occurred to me it was an abusive relationship and not just 'bad'. I felt very cross with myself for labeling myself a 'victim'. I never talked about it because I was ashamed.

But facing it, trying to understand why it happened and making sure I'm not going to be that vulnerable in the future has helped. It's all you can do now after all this time.

I felt guilty for a long time too because I hadn't stopped him going on to do it to another young girl. I honestly can't change him though.

Take care of yourself. Accept you can't change it but you can work on respecting yourself more so you won't settle for someone like this again x

New posts on this thread. Refresh page