I sincerely apologise in advance for the length of this post, feel free to skim bits if it makes it easier.
I have lurked here for sometime, have stumbled across the support thread for those in emotionally abusive relationships, have never thought of DH as abusive as he?s never hit me but I?ve been unhappy for a while and couldn't understand why, he?s not overtly abusive, doesn't call me names or put me down in any obvious way, but over the 15 years we?ve been together has done some pretty shitty things. (We?ve been together 15 years, married for 10 and have ds age 7 and dd age 5)
only months after we got together I discovered I was pregnant, I hoped to sit down & discuss it like adults with him; he burst into tears, wailed, sobbed, put his head in his hands and begged me to have an abortion. I would have done anyway but didn't feel like I had a choice. The very fact that I was considering keeping it seemed to offend him.
He once burned the book i was reading on our BBQ (when drunk) because it was called ?The Satanist? and as a Catholic it offended him, esp as his mum had cancer.
once during a heated argument he got so angry he punched the wall right next to my head so hard it left the imprint of his four knuckles in the plaster; he said that was ok, he was so angry he really wanted to punch me but punched the wall instead.
2-3 years ago he decided to get fit so was having sessions with a PT, he badgered me into going too, even though I wasn't keen; after 6 months when i?d lost 1 1/2 stone, and gone from a size 16 to a 12 (im 6ft) he told me one night as i was getting into bed that ?he didn?t fancy me anymore, my tits were all saggy and I?d ruined my body and he wanted me to have a boob job"
last year bought me some eye-wateringly expensive underwear, and despite me saying repeatedly that it didn't fit has proceeded to buy me another 4 sets of same size stuff. Gets upset when I tell him it doesn't fit (again) and says he is only doing it to spice things up and put the spark back.
once remotley wiped my iphone after an argument, and during same argument threatened to sell the car
demanded/coerced me into sex when I had recurring thrush (every month, over a period of four years), despite me telling him repeatedly how much it burned.
no help with kids - has never bathed kids, could count on fingers of one hand how many times he?s put them to bed, says he cant read bedtime stories because he?s dyslexic but manages to spend 2-3 hours on his ipad every night. I thought that was normal until an exchange student we had staying with us for the summer last year commented on how he did nothing with the kids and I did everything.
went on holiday last year, DS took the class ?holiday bear? & was soooo excited, DH said we couldn?t take bear on days out in case it got lost. I was too scared to say the bear could go in the back pack, DS was visibly crushed & in tears, i felt I had failed DS because i didn't stand up to DH.
a couple of years back he tried to persuade me to have my navel pierced, i said no, then during an argument said he just wanted a sign that I loved him, like - guess what - having my navel pierced. to my eternal shame i did it, hated it but thank god it rejected so i took it out.
says he wants me to wear sexy clothes so that when we go out he can show me off and other blokes will be jealous. i don?t really want to anyones trophy.
he wants me to be completely hairless between my legs, i?ve tried it a couple of times but frankly don't like it, thinks its degrading, don?t think im setting a good example to my dd (or ds for that matter, what will he think when sees a real bush?), (and god does it itch when it grows back in) he says I should do it for him to please him.
Says i should do things to please him even if i don't like doing it, as he would do the same for me. i have tried to explain to him that i don't understand how he can get pleasure from me doing something I clearly don't want to do, and that i wouldn't even ask him to do something that he was unhappy with, but he doesn't get it.
A few weeks ago DS was unhappy at school & with homework, after a discussion with the head teacher I was browsing the web looking at home schooling (something I considered before DS started school, not something I?d rush into but it?s always an option) he caught me looking at HE websites, didn't think to ask my opnion about it, just went straight into a tirade about how he disagreed and he was really upset that I was even thinking about it.
basically every argument turns into how he feels about it and how upset I have made him feel and how i need to change my behavior so that he doesn?t get upset and that he?s only happy when I?m happy.
I?ve stuck it this long because of what we?ve been through with his parents, his mum had cancer for years, with all the entailing chemo, radiotherapy etc, then 3 weeks after she died we found out his Dad had cancer, he died 6 months later (Feb 2009). For a long time I?ve made excuses for DH?s behavior because his parents were ill and then obv he was grieving.
Last year things seemed finally to be good, we had about 6 months where I thought we were finally coming out of the woods, but the last 6 months have been hell. We argue every week, he says its because I don't talk to him. I?ve tried to explain I feel afraid to talk to him because he raises his voice, interrupts me, and doesn't listen. He says its all down to me, only I can change it and I?m not normal.
I could go on but think even i'd lose the will to live reading it all.
In short (and thanks if you?ve stuck with me this far) is any of the above normal? would you have put up with this thus far? Am I over-reacting? And what are the chances of things ever being better? should I just cut my losses now and run?
I?ve just turned 40, have taken a long hard look at the last 15 years and don't want the next 15 to be the same.
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Subtle EA? Or is it just me? Confused, please help
WearingFuckMeSocks · 18/04/2013 12:04
What a cunt. Perhaps reading the thread will give him more of an insight into what a cunt he actually is 
At least he will be in no doubt about how you feel, and why.
Oh dear, now he's accusing me of getting ready to flee the country, just because I have taken the kids & my passports to my mums.
And this from a man who 2 days ago was asking me to take some time and think things through and maybe I'd give him another chance 
I dont know if he actually read the printout of the thread. He hasn't said anything directly about it but made some oblique comment about how it could get messy if things were said that didn't need to be said.
And in the space of 24 hours he has gone from "he'll never leave the house, he's invested so much effort in and he wants to buy it" to "maybe he would consider moving out" 
Yes, I think he is scared, now that his power is waning.
It sounds like a veiled threat....... but really he has nothing over you. No matter what either party says it tends to sound like white noise to judges and solicitors I think. yap yap yap he said yap yap yap she said..... that's all they hear (imo). So let him hang himself! let him say what he wants to say, let him get as nasty as he wants to be. Meanwhile you'll be busy lining up your ducks and taking good advice and generally putting your affairs in order.
Ps, send me a postcard from Barbados 
ho ho I shouldn't mock him.
Twat. Flee the country, indeed.
Interesting about things that "didn't need to be said". Does he mean things like him being an abusive arsehole? and instances of that abuse?
And now he might consider moving out? Is this an effort to appear reasonable?
Hi HansieMom, please don't panic, I'm ok!!
Sorry, didn't mean to cause alarm. I guess I stopped cos I didn't feel a need to post much and then I just lost track of how much time had elapsed since I posted last!
H still living in house, says he cant afford to move out. We're barely speaking and its really uncomfortable but I really don't see a need to talk to him at the mo.
Saw a solicitor last week, who basically confirmed that my idea of how to proceed is more or less what the courts would agree with. ie split assets 50/50, and contact with kids is one night a week and either 1 night at the weekend or 2 nights every other weekend.
Tried to sit down and discuss with H in the hope that we could agree something.
HA! I should have known better!
I outlined my childcare proposals.
He said that wasn't enough contact and he wanted more.
Ok, I said, what do you want to happen?
Well I want more contact, says he.
Yes, but how will that work in practise?
No answer
then he said he would give me 50% of the assets, but that when I die I need to leave £50k in trust for the kids; apparently this is so that if I hook up with some neer-do-well, the toe-rag wont be able to get his hands on the kids money .
and he asked me what I'm going to do with my wedding ring and that I should give it to dd when she's 18. WTF?
have decided to do everything via solicitors, unless by some major miracle H suddenly becomes a reasonable human b....Oh, hang about...
still need to find decent solicitor, the one I had dealings with last week i really don't want to use, just didn't get a good vibe and given how bloody expensive solicitors are I at least want someone who is professional and approachable. think I have found one in nearest large city, not too far away.
On the plus side am making new friends and mutual friends of ours are pleasantly and surprisingly supportive. also kids away with H this weekend so I'm off to scotland for the night with mum & step-dad. Woo yay!!
I think he's been thoroughly taken aback by you! Yes, you will certainly need to put it all down in writing and go through solicitors.
These 'conditions' he's setting "yes we can split tings 50/50 but only if you do x and y, (and don't you dare expect me to do the same by the way)", weel, you only have to smile and nod, don't you. He can't enforce any of it because he has no right to.
Good news about new friends and supportive old friends. 
everything's comingup roses, as they used to say!
Super tip, TheSilveryPussycat, many thanks.
Have just looked on the Resolution site. The firm I'm considering using has about 8 solicitors who are accredited with Resolution, 3 of whom have a min of 16 years experience, are partners and have specialisms in domestic abuse. Will be giving them a ring tomorrow
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