Life a mess

[JustDrive]

Hi all.
I don't even know where to begin with this and am completely ready for the biggest flaming ever.
I'm having an affair.
It started off as just physical as my husband has zero sex drive. Now it's all consuming.

I can't believe I was stupid enough to think that I could separate these 2 aspects of my life.

I got married because my narc mother wanted a huge wedding, like the one she never had. I try to tell her I'm unhappy but she switches off if I talk about me. I feel like a child.

Now I have a beautiful DS and I'm so scared of ruining his life but I already am due to my selfishness and depression.

Sorry for drip feeding, I don't even know why I'm posting just needed to write this down.

[Capitaltrixie]

Hi Op, hope you're doing ok, from one daughter of a narc mum to another, the 'feeling like a child' unfortunately is so characteristic. In my case, I only stopped feeling like that when I severely reduced contact. It's that 'narc supply' that does it; they need to feel you love/respect/pay them attention and they make such huge demands. My mum is nice & generous too sometimes; it's a headfuck.
Don't engage.

Drinking too much is an attempt to dull the pain and you are scared and allow her behaviour because it's painful to separate from her because of the fear/obligation/guilt you feel. But once it's done, that's when you feel in control of YOUR life.

That said, I still get insecure 'wobbles' and feel like a child..(and usually then post on here for general life advice from some surrogate mums lovely MNetters).

Don't beat yourself up about the affair.

[Offred]

You are very scared because she is very scary.

When you have grown up to be scared it is particularly hard.

I agree you need to stop contact with her if you can.

Have you been on the stately homes thread? Is that still going?

[FrancescaBell]

Does the OM also have children?

[MrsZimt]

Wow, OP.
In your case I would stop all contact with my mum. She sounds deranged. And a narc. She threatened to kill you and your son because you didn't pay her enough attention?

No wonder you are in the mess you are in.
Affairs often start due to low self esteem. It's a symptom but not the cause of your mess.
Therapy sounds a very good idea.
Good luck!

[JustDrive]

Thanks to all comments received I have assessment counselling session booked for Monday.
Feel I really need this as my head is such a mess.

My mother and I see a lot of eachother. When I see her I feel so down, H is never there for me, OM is only one who seems to care (fantasy I know)

Need to get over feeling like a child all the time. It's so hard. DM drove us up to some family friends on Wednesday, an argument ensued after I didn't show 100% interest in what she was saying, she threatened to drive into an oncoming lorry and 'kill us all' DS was in the car.
Now she can't understand why I'm off with her.

When she said the crashing comment I experienced an awful flashback of her screaming something similar to me when I was around 12 but it was a tree.
Why do I allow this behaviour? Why am I scared?
Other times she's so nice and so generous it twists my head.

Just trying to explain why I feel so unable to make any decisions about my life without having someone tell me what I should do.

[Offred]

You know that you can leave your dh without dm support and in fact I think you will have to.

Planning to rely on her will be a bad idea. She will not help you, only hinder.

[Offred]

You can't run away. You need to stand up to these things.

One thing at a time.

You'll all feel so much better and be happier if you can be brave enough to grab the bull by the horns and leave your dh and deal with your dm.

The OM is a fantasy only, really have to remember that if you intend to have at least some support from him during this.

I'd recommend trying to get some counselling though.

[DuelingFanjo]

If you don't love your husband you are better off leaving. It's hard but it's not fair on him to stay.

[JustDrive]

My mother knows how unhappy I am but wouldn't want me to leave due to how it would make her look. And I'm scared of her getting angry with me but I would need her in that situation.

[JustDrive]

I want to get away but I really only have 2 close friends. One is pregnant, the other just miscarried and I don't want to burden either of them with this rubbish.
I had 3 close female friends from my previous job but totally messed up the friendship by moaning and drinking too much. They were sick of hearing about my unhappiness, this was before the affair. When I lost them I felt so alone.

[JustDrive]

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reply. Have been reading through the posts most of the day.

Wellwobbly yes I totally feel like I have no sense of self. I don't feel like this is my home, I always felt like home was with my DM even though I'm miserable when I go over there. Since OM I just feel like I have no home, I want to create one for me and DS. Somewhere of my own.

I am a walking cliche and I'm well aware of it. OM is also married as you suspected. Deep down I know I can't rely on him to make me happy.
He has said he wants to leave for me but that pressure is overwhelming.
I just feel like running away with DS, not seeing my mother again either. It's so messed up how I feel I depend on her but all she does is bring misery and disapproval into my life.

[Meerka]

It seems to me that what you need most of all right now is a bit of time out.

Your husband has been an idiot - studies are not an excuse for shutting down a relationship or putting it on hold. The fact you were open for an affair shows that you were so desperately in need of love and attention (I hope the OM is a decent guy!). A long term furture with him isnt impossible but it may be not very likely too = the sheer stress of divorcing is pretty awful, and not all relationships survive it.

at the moment you are in a really really high stress situation and maybe you can't see the wood for the trees (maybe you can, I dunno; but it's clear you're absolutely stressed out).

Just a suggestion - is there anyone you and DS can go and stay with for a couple of weeks? he can't be in school yet, I'm guessing. Maybe use the excuse of 'giving your husband more uninterrupted time to study'. If you do have a friend you can stay with, maybe a bit of distance away, that might give you breathing space and time to decide exactly what you -do- want.

It also gets you away from your mother for a bit,

Then you can decide if you want to give head-in-the-sand husband a last chance. (can't help feeling that ostriches don't often change their habits, but now and then they do. ). You can also decide how much you -really- like OM, or if its just that he's giving you some of the attention and love you need ... and how interested he would be in a LTR, or how good he'd be.

After that, you can make some decisions. Without money or a place to go, the truth is that you might end up in a really difficult situation - and having to rely on your mum sounds a nightmare. Also you'll need to plan how and what to tell your DS to help him handle it best.

I hope I\m not too cautious here, but a bit of clear space to think in often helps people clear their minds. And if you do decide you don't want to give husband another chance, then you need to have planned, really planned, what you will do and how you will support yourself. Otherwise you could end up in a worse situation (worst case; which is better, being reliant on your husband's income or your mother's, or maybe having to move in with her?)

Deciding what you =really= want and then the practicalities of how to get it will help a lot.

[Wellwobbly]

Calm down, OP.

There are THREE things you have to deal with, so if I were you I would make every effort to step back, take a deep breath, pick up the phone and get a counsellor:

1. you have never been allowed to have a sense of 'self' by your mother. You were a puppet/extension of her.

1. you are ambivalent about your husband

1. you are (SEE 1.) living your life THROUGH OM. You are allowing an affair (always a mistake, always), an outside event, a fantasy, to shape and define how you feel. You are making a mistake and it WILL blow up in your face.

You don't have one crisis, you have three. And they all arise out of 1.

You have a lot, lot, lot of therapy ahead of you, but with commitment, dedication and hard work you will get there.

Please don't tell me OM is married? What is he saying/promising to you? Have you tested the waters about commitment etc, to whether he pulls back?

How do you feel about your husband? What does he represent to you?

How did you meet OM and what does he represent to you?

How often do you see your mother? How is your relationship?

[Blondeorbrunette]

That gives some respite.

If you cant work things out with your husband, thats one thing. You wont be making life any easier on yourself if your husband finds out.

Aren't mumsnet ladies just brilliant. You came looking for advice and thats what you got without the flaming

[Blondeorbrunette]

Offred gives excellent advice.

Trying to make a decision whike he is still in the picture is going to be incredibly hard. I know.

You have to try and put him to one side and think only of you and your child.

You are so vulnerable right now and want so much
to be happy that its easy to hold onto something t

[Offred]

I mean clearly you do know the affair is not the right thing to do but it is done now, what's the point in paralysing yourself with self-hate over it. Don't let it cloud your judgement over the relationship with dh either.

[Offred]

You're under a lot of pressure and you've made some less than brilliant choices, that's all as I can see it.

You do need to take steps to leave dh who is not making you happy and to take control of/cut contact with your ridiculous mother as a priority.

There is no point beating yourself up over things. Only a point in using the situation as a springboard to happiness.

[JustDrive]

Blonde - yes there is. A big part.
It's been a huge wake up call and I feel incredibly immature.
I can't justify any of my actions, thread title just sums up how I'm feeling.
I feel too young to be in this mess at 25.

[Blondeorbrunette]

Justdrive - is there a small part of you that wants to be with om?

[JustDrive]

Offred, so not the response I was expecting when starting this thread.

DS is my world and number 1 priority. My DM looks after him a day a week, she likes to think she has a hold over me with this help. If needs be he can do another day in nursery which he enjoys anyway. Need to get my practical head on over the next few weeks.

[Offred]

When you've left dh it would be stupid to jump straight into another relationship though.

[JustDrive]

peppa - exactly! I have been living on the promise of life being different after study is over. But a person can't just change over night once the books get packed away.
He checked out as soon as the course started, I don't think that's acceptable when I have been bringing up our son and looking after the house. The years of being ignored have taken their toll.

I am in no way ever justifying embarking on an affair. Just trying to reason with myself tbh.

[Offred]

Just keep your head with OM.

This might be controversial but i think he can be your support provided you are able to keep control of yourself and self aware enough to really know what you are doing. You probably have to take support where you can get it really though.

I'm sure no-one needs to tell you to focus on ds.

[JustDrive]

Thank you to everyone for your advice and kind words tonight. It is so appreciated.

whitesugar - yes I will be waiting until the course finishes. He's worked so hard and I don't want it to be a waste for him. And of course he's doing it for our sons future and right now that's all that matters.

I know I need to cool things with OM but it's incredibly hard when he really does feel like the only person I have at the moment.

I want to be a strong woman that my son can be proud of to have as his mother.

[Offred]

Restrain yourself from seeing the affair as some kind of rescue.

It has given you respite, probably allowed you enough space to actually confront the end of your marriage but it isn't the answer.

Please do remember that you deserve to be happy and it is very likely that if you have been so unhappy so has your dh and that confronting that will make you brave and hopefully make you all happier in the end.