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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

My boyfriend said I'm not very empathetic to his needs

191 replies

toomanybooksnotenoughspace · 01/12/2014 08:35

Me and my boyfriend went away for the weekend. On the journey back home yesterday (which was an approximately 2 and half hour drive which he did) he complained of being tired and bad back etc. We stopped off at a service station so that he could get 5 minutes kip because he felt he might fall asleep at the wheel if he didn't. I told him I would pop to the loo and did he want a coffee/sandwich etc. I went to the loo first, then went and got him a coffee. The lid was not put on properly and spilled hot coffee all over my hand so popped into the bathroom again to run cold water over it. Anyway when I got to the car he was really annoyed asking why I had taken so long so I explained that there had been a queue at Starbucks and also that I had spilled hot coffee all over my hand so wanted to run cold water over it. He then said that he didn't want it as it been into the ladies bathroom and therefore it was unhygienic. I told him that I had not been to the loo, only to wash my hand and it had only been near the sinks etc. He was going to throw it away but I told him no, I had just bought it for him so he should drink it- which he did. He didn't say thank you for the coffee and only asked if my hand was OK until later on.

Anyway we start our journey again and he complains of a bad back, to which I start rubbing his back and he asks for a massage when we get back. I say yes, I can give you a massage. He then has a go at me for not offering one first saying that he always offers to give me a massage and that he should not have to always ask for one. I tell him I was going to offer anyway but he got there first and he said he didn't believe me. He says this is further evidence of me not being very empathetic to his needs.

He had been in a grump earlier after we had had quite a long walk near where were staying. We had for most of the walk walked together, chatting etc but on the final leg to the car park we had to go up a narrow winding roadside which made it difficult to walk side by side. I ended up walking a bit in front of him and this upset him because it made it look like we might of had a falling out. He had a go at me because he had mentioned this before in previous walks and that I should remember this.

He had been unwell last week with a D & V virus. He said that I was uncaring towards him because I did not offer to come round to look after him, bring him food/medicines etc. I have a 3 yo DD who I look after full time on my own and it would be quite a slog for us to get to his from where we live. Also he described his illness to me and I thought I don't want to run the risk of either of us catching it so didn't offer. But I think I got the tone from him when I spoke to him when he was ill that it would be best for us not to come.

I know this is all quite petty but it is not out of character for my boyfriend of 8 months to be like this. It irks me because I don't like the accusation that I am unempathetic towards him as he often does things repeatedly that get on my nerves which I tell him all the time. He complains if I seemingly don't help him - but doesn't remember all the times I have done nice things for him like offering massages in the past if he's had a bad day, or helping him tidy the kitchen, cooking for him, looking after him after a recent operation etc.

He will often get annoyed if I haven't done something he needs help with. I told him that I am not a psychic and that sometimes he needs to ask, otherwise I won't know. Also usually when he does 'ask' if comes out all angry and hostile which makes me not really want to help. For example I didn't like the feeling of 'having' to give him a massage. I otherwise consider myself to be reasonably helpful in that I will help/offer to help if I can see something needs doing.

Sorry this is so long, its just its weighing on me and also would like some MN views on who is being unreasonable.

OP posts:
OnGoldenPond · 02/12/2014 14:37

Hopefully you are referring to his banana and not his grandmother, bumps! Smile

Bumpsadaisie · 02/12/2014 14:42

Ah. I get the joke ... (duh!) Grin

BeCool · 02/12/2014 15:15

Bumpsadaise the "problem" with that way of thinking, although it may well make sense, is when you combine it with the 'good times' this man is clearly delivering in some way of another (they all do) you end up where the OP is, and where I have been - which is in a relationship with a manipulative, abusive person who you keep defending and making excuses for because you are deluded he: is nice really/had a difficult childhood/is annoyed because of something at work/is anxious/is afraid of being abandoned/has a mild personality disorder/can't express himself emotionally etc etc etc.

It makes the horrible side of him impossible to reconcile with the good side yet drives you to see it's not really his fault/he doesn't really mean it, how could he? And it does your fucking head in. And before you know it years have passed by and he's the father to your DC so you are tied to him forever.

So instead of trying to figure out WHY he does things (waste of time if he isn't engaged himself), we are better placed to put our limited energies into figuring out why we are prepared to lie down and let him wipe his life's issues all over us. And then use our energies and efforts to get ourselves out of these destructive relationships.

What eventually sorted my head out, and helped me see what was really going on was the no nonsense advise here on MN and reading Lundy Bancroft's "Why Does He Do That?" (answer - because he wants to and he can, yes even if he is emotionally a 6 yo - boo hoo).

CogitOIOIO · 02/12/2014 15:29

Definitely don't waste a second psychoanalysing a twat. Get rid of the twat. Psychoanalyse him over a Wine with some girlfriends at a later date when you can take the piss out of what a twat he was.....

Riverland · 02/12/2014 22:45

bumpsadaisie that was very enlightening, thankyou for that breakdown of anxiety about separation and need to merge as an explanation of hyper critical behaviour. Is that what borderline personality disorder is all about? Need to merge and anxiety about not being merged?

Thumbnutstwitchingonanopenfire · 02/12/2014 23:07

Yes, I agree with BeCool - he may indeed have BPD, but if he does, then there is nothing you can do to fix it, OP - the only thing you can do is walk away before he fucks you over trying to "help" him. NOTHING can help him aside of a complete personality transplant.

Hissy · 03/12/2014 06:28

the behaviour described here is abusive. pure and simple.

the exact kinds o things my ex would do.

when I was recovering, trying to make sense of everything, it would have helped me to think that there was a reason for him to be so bloody awful.

but he's not BPD, he's not a narc, he is 'just' abusive (because he wants to be)

my ex pretends to be normal, begs my forgiveness when he needs ro, but then gradually the 'you madde me...' stuff creeps back in.

now I just remind him not to shout at me, because I am at least his equal, or i'll hang up. again. i cba to correct him and remind him that the reason he's over there, and we're not to gether is because of his violence/abuse.

he doesn't get to me anymore, I just think (know) he's pathetic and will never change. abusers abuse from weakness/insecurity not power/strength.

just dump him, don't try and work him out. waste of time. he's a write off, pure and simple.

Dreadedsunnyday · 03/12/2014 07:56

I had an ex like this...he would engineer these massive arguments in public based on things that I had apparently deliberately and maliciously done such as walking too fast when I knew he was tired or speaking too quietly so that he had to ask me to repeat what I said. When I say arguments I mean that he would berate me and I would cry and then he would tell me off for crying. It was always all my fault for 'wilfully' doing things that I knew he didn't like and I was destructive and selfish for making him suffer like that. As others have said, he made out that my behaviour towards him was abusive when it was clearly him that was the abuser. He would grudgingly allow him to give him an hour long massage to make up for the upset I had caused. I was really bewildered by the whole thing and fell for it every time....until I stopped. It took a while though.

Don't live like that OP. Just don't. You are worth so much more than that.

Fmlgirl · 03/12/2014 08:42

If this is really sock boy, then god ell you. Two threads and you are still defending this asshole. I have no idea why. You should try and find out why you accept treatment like this. You don't want to listen to all these good people on both threads that told you to move on. That is beyond me.

BeeOrchid · 03/12/2014 09:22

I'm pretty certain my STBXH is a narcissist or at least a long, long way along the continuum.

But, so what? Fact is he is an abuser. That's what really, really matters. It certainly wasn't my life's calling to "fix" him. It's impossible to fix him.

You should be protecting your daughter. Don't think you can protect her within the relationship, because you absolutely can't. She will be damaged.

Surely you're a better mother than that?

ZenNudist · 03/12/2014 09:25

Gave up reading. Too long.

Dump him.

AmonRa1 · 03/12/2014 09:49

God, he sounds creepily like my ex!

We were arguing like this from 4 months in. It didn't get better, even when he persuaded me to move in with him. It didn't get better at all, horrendously worse. He made me a nervous wreck and I suffered with anxiety towards the end. I used to take a deep breath before walking into the house because I knew he'd be in a grump about SOMETHING!!

Lasted 18 months and was the worst relationship ever. He wanted a mother/ housekeeper/ cleaner not a GF!!!

I'd think long and hard because I can't see this getting any better

CruCru · 03/12/2014 18:30

I used to go out with someone like this. He would get into a massive sulk over some tiny thing I'd done wrong and do that thing where he walked really slowly so I'd have to either walk really uncomfortably slowly or walk miles ahead of him.

After I left university, I got a job where I had professional exams twice a year. He hated this and dumped me (after 4.5 years) a week before my first exam. He then rang me to say he wanted to get back together the day before my last exam. He was shocked, shocked, that I wouldn't have him back and thought he'd been really selfish.

DUMP THE TWAT! seriously, your life will be so much better without having to tiptoe round this idiot.

CruCru · 03/12/2014 18:31

The thing is, the woman he went out with after me dumped him for all the reasons I should have (mainly sulking and being a twat).

LegoAdventCalendar · 03/12/2014 19:12

So after all this, she's still with the cunt. And will be.

JulesJules · 07/12/2014 17:49

What an absolute knob. End it now and have a lovely Christmas without him

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