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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

DH is such a horrible nasty drunk

694 replies

AhoyMcCoy · 09/02/2014 00:57

DH is wonderful when he's sober. And lovely charming and funny before about 10 pints. But he will go out and drink close to 30 pints (genuinely) and he's so awful - really aggressive and nasty.

Last few weeks it's been the same thing, goes out says he will be home by X o clock. That time comes and goes, I hear nothing. 20+ missed calls/texts and he eventually comes home smashed. The next day is always the same- so contrite, promising it won't happen again. It's happened three times now in a month. It's not the drinking I have a problem with as much as the lack of contact. He will literally ignore his phone all night and I worry. He's promised a billion times he'll stay in touch from now on.

I'm 5 months pregnant (DC1) and tonight was my first night out with the girls since I found out. Had a lovely night and left them all at midnight to get a cab home. As soon as the cab drove off, I realised I didn't have my keys. DH had been out since 7, and hadn't text me once (despite the hourly reminders he had set on his phone to make sure he did, after I'd explained how much it bothered me). Got hold of some friends who were with him, and he got a cab home. I was sitting on the doorstep shivering and he didn't even look at me. Just opened the door, turned round and got back in his cab.

Didn't ask if his pregnant wife was ok after half an hour in the freezing cold. Nothing. Looked at me like I was scum and left so he could go back drinking with his mates.

It doesn't bode well for him being a good/caring dad, does it? He really doesn't care about anyone but himself. I'm in absolute pieces.

OP posts:
TapirsCaperWithReindeers · 09/02/2014 19:46

I've been where you are now, OP, pregnant and married to an abusive drunk. I've even had the same hope that he would change 'for the better', as I had seen the good side of him so I knew he was capable of it, and had begged to be allowed to be 'a good dad'.

I was utterly horrified to realise that all that nice stuff that he was and did was all a pretence, a lie, to soften me up and keep me sweet so I would be willing to put up with the real him - the drunken abusive man.

It's a bait and switch technique, that is guaranteed to keep you in an abusive relationship until you see that he's deliberately tricking you.

I think you understand way deep down what type of man he really is, but doing something about it IS hard, and can take time, support and help.

Keep posting here, where you are getting that support, for as long as you need to.

letitburn · 09/02/2014 19:46

The jealousy and the possessiveness really worry me.

The coke thing - he didn't like you putting it in your body because he thinks he owns your body. He thinks he owns you - he wants to control your body and to control who you see.

Take the HUGE issue of his alcohol problem out of the equation and you are still left with a man who has no respect for you. He doesn't respect you when you are drunk and he doesn't respect you when you are sober.

letitburn · 09/02/2014 19:48

(sorry that should be when he is drunk or when he is sober)

Squeegle · 09/02/2014 19:48

Poor you. It's crap when they go off to the pub and turn off any devices so they can't be tracked. I used to get horrible butterflies in my stomach wondering when he'd be back, what he'd be like etc etc.

Don't waste your time thinking about him, looking to track him down. I know where you're at. Honestly it's not worth it. Concentrate on you.

BrunoBrookesDinedAlone · 09/02/2014 19:53

Oh god, the 'swearing on life' thing.

It's like a big sign saying I AM AN IMMATURE DRAMA QUEENY PRICK.

I have never known ANYONE who uses this 'technique' to indicate 'oh-I-really-mean-it-this-time, lookhowseriousIam' to not be an utter, utter wanker.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 09/02/2014 19:55

Just look at the double standards - you are expected to put up with him being out all hours doing who knows what and drinking 30 pints. You stay out late and try cocaine and it justifies a humiliating assault. Somehow you think his reaction was fair and that you were to blame.

One thing you have steadfastly ignored throughout the thread is his drink-driving. Is this because you can make it ok when his behaviour hurts and threatens you but you can't justify it when it puts others at risk, therefore you want to ignore it?

Sorry if you feel hectored. Your situation has worried a lot of people and we all want you and your unborn baby to be safe. Realistically, as long as you are with him and he is still drinking you cannot protect your baby. The only way for your child to be safe is if he seeks treatment for his alcohol problem and you stay away from him until this is well underway.

Wishing you lots of luck for the future.

Viviennemary · 09/02/2014 19:55

Apart from his health surely that costs a huge amount of money. To actually consume that amount of alcohol he must be out a lot longer than just an evening's drinking.

summermovedon · 09/02/2014 19:58

Sweetie. You are not the first person with a drunk, abusive husband and wanting desperately to make it all turn from a nightmare to a fairytale. For posters to say that you are making it sound worse than it is. That was me posting here a number of years ago, not wanting to hear what attila and others said. Nothing will change. You need to ignore his words and look at what he is actually doing. He is showing no remorse and no regret. I would recommend you read a book on codependency, to give you an idea:

Determining If You’re Codependent
If you’re wondering if you’re codependent, take a look at the following list of symptoms. You don’t have to have all of them to be codependent, and there are degrees of severity of codependence. If untreated, codependency gets worse over time, but with help you can recover and be much more effective in your work and relationships. Here are some common traits:

Low self-esteem

Not liking or accepting yourself

Feeling you're inadequate in some way

Thinking you’re not quite enough

Worrying you are or could be a failure

Concerned with what other people think about you

Perfectionism

Pleasing others and giving up yourself

Poor boundaries

Boundaries that are too weak and there’s not enough separateness between you and your partner

Boundaries that are too rigid and keep you from being close

Boundaries that flip back and forth between too close and too rigid

Reactivity

Dysfunctional Communication

Difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings

Difficulty setting boundaries — saying “No” or stopping abuse

Abusive language

Lack of assertiveness about your needs

Dependency

Afraid of being alone or out of a relationship

Feeling trapped in a bad relationship and unable to leave

Relying too much on others opinions

Intimacy problems

Avoidance of closeness

Losing yourself

Trying to control or manipulate others

Feeling trapped in a dysfunctional relationship

Denial

Denial of codependency

Denial about a painful reality in your relationship

Denial of your feelings

Denial of your needs

Caretaking

Control

Controlling your own feelings

Managing and controlling people in your life; telling them what to do

Manipulating others to feel or behave like you want (people pleasing is a manipulation)

Obsessions

Addiction to a substance or process

Painful emotions

Shame

Anxiety

Fear

Guilt

Hopelessness

Despair

Depression

I can tell you you obsessing about his whereabouts through find a friend. That is insanity. It will not get better. Those feelings will drive you nuts. This man has so little respect and love for you that you have absolutely no idea where is all night, frequently. He may well be cheating on you, he has no boundaries to his behaviour. And no reason to stop. The fairytale you want is not real.

Clutterbugsmum · 09/02/2014 19:59

Of course he is at the pub, he will be there with his family because they all have drinking issues.

You need to be honest with both your dad and sister about his behaviour when he is drunk. They can not protect you if they don't know the truth.

He may change but only of he loses every thing. There is no reason to change while you are covering for him. And when your baby is here and behaving like a baby. He will that as an excuse to drink more/ more often. His behaviour will become worse.

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 09/02/2014 20:01

You say you need something big to happen. That big thing could be you or your unborn baby ending up dead.

Fishandjam · 09/02/2014 20:01

Agreed Vivienne. He's dropping, what, £100+ a night on one of these benders? Not including cab fares and whatnot. (I know he may not be paying for every drink but if he's buying rounds, it'll work out the same.)

ImperialBlether · 09/02/2014 20:08

OP, picture yourself in hospital, having had the most lovely baby. You're on a real high. You have to stay in a few days (touch wood you won't!) He's there the first day and you feel so lucky with the beautiful baby and the lovely DH. Then on the second he leaves you early because he's meeting his friends at the pub to wet the baby's head. You next see him 36 hours later, stinking of booze, angry with you because he had the right to drink to the baby's health, didn't he?

Then a week later when he's been woken at night and is tired, he goes out when the baby's crying. He needs some peace. 30 pints later and he's back - how peaceful do you think your life will be?

He has to want to change. He doesn't want to change.

TippiShagpile · 09/02/2014 20:08

He'll come crawling tomorrow when he's got the morning after regrets.

If you take him back then he has won. It's all a game to him. "I'll go out and get pissed and show her that she's not in charge of me or what I do."

"I'll promise her the earth just to fob her off but she'll take me back regardless - she always does."

I wish you lots of support and strength OP. if you can find the strength the get out, otherwise you will spend the next 18 years protecting your child. Our children are a product of their childhood and their experiences.

Good luck OP.

JoinYourPlayfellows · 09/02/2014 20:09

I have never known ANYONE who uses this 'technique' to indicate 'oh-I-really-mean-it-this-time, lookhowseriousIam' to not be an utter, utter wanker.

Not to mention a liar.

mamalovesmojitos · 09/02/2014 20:10

I was there op. Stuck it out for three/four years. Wish now I'd walked away when pregnant. I didn't have the strength. I hope you find yours faster than I did. Things will be so much better.

mamalovesmojitos · 09/02/2014 20:11

I was there op. Stuck it out for three/four years. Wish now I'd walked away when pregnant. I didn't have the strength. I hope you find yours faster than I did. Things will be so much better.

AhoyMcCoy · 09/02/2014 20:18

Aaaaand the "sorry" texts have started arriving. He asked to come home tonight, said he hasn't got his work clothes. I said I would leave a key under the bin in the morning and his clothes for a few days in the hallway for him to get, and he was ok with that. He didn't insist on coming home (maybe because he's been drinking and he knows I'll know?).

Anyway, I'm over it tonight. I can't change his behaviour, I get that. I won't give him ultimatums or tell him what he can/can't do. I'll just tell him I can't be with a man who drinks like he does, and that's the end of it. If he tries to change (and I believe he will try) then we will see if it can work. But I'm stronger now than the "other" times, and whilst it might not seem like I have boundaries, I do have some, and any aggression or drunkeness and I'll go.

OP posts:
ohfourfoxache · 09/02/2014 20:21

Make sure you put as much as you possibly can together for him to collect - he will use the "I just have to get x/y/z" line during the week as an excuse.

Is there anyone else who could collect his stuff?

NewBeginings · 09/02/2014 20:22

You ARE strong op, and your baby is luck to have you. I believe that you will make the right decision(s) x

MonsterMunchMe · 09/02/2014 20:22

I've been where you are.

Left when DS was 18 months old.
Has taken so long to fix myself and my life, emotionally and financially especially.

My family are useless as well and minimized to th extreme. It's should destroying but I learnt to detach and hold on to the notion I was right and he was an abuser.

If you are not ready to leave him, please seek some therapy in the mean time. If you can afford it, go private, about £50 per session, I recommend human givens therapy, I had 6 sessions over 10 weeks. Best £300 I have ever spent and changed my life completly. If there are no human givens therapists in your area please check for a therapist who specialises in co dependancy.

Take care.

HopeClearwater · 09/02/2014 20:24

Christ, what's with the victim blaming? How is that helpful advice for the OP?

DollyTwat · 09/02/2014 20:25

Stay strong ahoy, good to see you making choices for yourself and the baby. You can't make his choices for him, only your own.

ladypanbanisha · 09/02/2014 20:25

Just see your ultimatum through to make him see he needs to choose between his wife and child or the drink. It is his choice.

TippiShagpile · 09/02/2014 20:27

The only people victim blaming are the op's h and her dad.

ohfourfoxache · 09/02/2014 20:27

No amount of therapy for the op is going to reduce his utterly selfish, abusive ways