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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

feeling the strain

3 replies

anyname2011 · 19/06/2013 20:30

Just need to let this out.

I feel like we are in trouble. My partner is a bit depressed. I feel panicky a lot of the time, and tearful. I've just gone back to work a month ago. We have a little daughter who is 13 months. Money is a worry. My partner is out of work, he's been looking for work since oct or nov. He stopped the course he was doing in oct as we needed him to get a job and he wasn't getting anywhere with it, he was out of the house for 10 or 12 hours a day and never taking a day off, and still not getting it done. So he stopped to get work, but he hasn't been able to. Really I think he was just frozen then, i said some hurtful things, and we only really talked about that a few months ago. things started to feel a little better between us then, but our situation is still pretty dire.

I say i went back to work, but actually it's a placement as part of my course. i'll graduate in oct and then i can hopefully start work. My plan is to start applying for things in another few weeks, am keeping an eye on job ads and when I think it's not so far away that they wouldn't give me it i'll start applying. I should have something lined up by the time i finish.

I don't like the strain of feeling it's down to me to support us. it makes me angry that he doesn't have something. I am not being the loving supportive person to him that i should be or that i want to be.

I got us into this situation. I was so desperate to have a baby that i persuaded him we could start trying and it would be fine. I got pregnant right away, and I am still very very happy about that, and about our gorgeous little daughter (and I don't want to be hurtful to those having problems conceiving, I know how lucky we are to have her). However it wasn't fine practically - i couldn't finish my course (long story) and now he has had to drop out of his. he is miserable. I'll be miserable if he goes back to it. we never saw him, he had no time for us or anyone else, and he wasn't progressing with it so he was miserable anyway!

am i being really selfish for constantly making him fit my idea of what life should be, pushing him into trying for a baby sooner than he thought was wise, persuading him to stop his course, now angry with him because he isn't working/ trying as hard as i think he should to get work?
or am i stupid for putting up with him. i'm so cross. why can't he just do things like everyone else does. it's not so impossible to get a job, any job. then he could carry on doing what he likes around it. we've talked about that, just 10-20 hours a week. and when he was studying he wasted so much time.

of course i waste time when studying. i'm here on mumsnet for example, lurking for hours when i shoudl be doing other stuff. and i've been seriously depressed, i get what it feels like and how everything is so impossible and you feel flattened and shit and exhausted. but i am really scared about him feeling that way. he's my solid one, he's my support and i love him so, so much. i just hate that i am so angry with him now.

and we can't talk and that scares me.

our daughter is lovely and we both love her very much, and he is good with her. he's really stepped up since i went back to work (and he was good even before). but I feel like we are letting her down. and i'm worried i might be going downhill, and i get into a negative spiral where i don't feel like i'm being a good mum.

I don't know what the future can hold for us. I keep thinking of leaving him - not really, but it flashes into my head when i am cross or panicky. it's like i want to shock him into action.

help me. i can't talk to anyone in real life. it's embarrassing. i feel like we got into this situation and i have to cope with it.

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 20/06/2013 05:48

You do appear to be making a series of hasty, badly thought-out decisions & having unrealistic expectations. I can understand why you feel under pressure to change things for the better... no crime to be ambitious... but your partner doesn't seem to have any real say in what's going on, is constantly being strong-armed into your next big idea, and that is not a respectful way to treat someone. For all I know he could be some kind of amiable no-hoper with no real ideas of his own... but if you want to get out of this self-created hole and reduce the stress and resentment, you're going to have to start working as a team. That means talking to each other as equals, properly assessing your situation and making a realistic & workable plan for the future. If you need outside help ask for it... could be anything from relationship counselling to recruitment or financial advice... rather than letting pride get in the way.

anyname2011 · 20/06/2013 23:00

thank you for being so forthright. I was a bit taken aback at how you saw things, but I have been thinking about it and acting a little differently today, and it has made a small difference to how we got on this evening.

OP posts:
janesnowdon1 · 21/06/2013 09:34

Cogito gave excellent advice.You need to sit down and really talk your issues through - be honest. If your partner is depressed "blocked" he needs to see the GP and get a referral for some counselling and/or some meds. You may be able to get some free counselling if you go through your uni/college. You must keep the lines of communication open between you to try to move forward.

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