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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

Where do I start?

999 replies

skyyequake · 15/09/2016 16:34

I have no idea what I'm expecting to get from posting here, so I guess that I'll just tell the story and you can just shake me/comment whatever you think

When I met DP he was wonderful, we clicked straight away, had lots of laughs and he seemed really down to earth and wonderful. We quickly started spending most of out time together (I worked PT but with lots of overtime, he was unemployed) All my friends had gone off on their second year of uni around this time and so I wasn't spending time with anyone other than him. I was 20, he was 22.

Anyway, I guess I kind of got lost in that world without many outside influences and before I knew it (far too soon and before I really had time for my thoughts to catch up with me) we were engaged and I was pregnant. (I was happy about being pregnant and I wasn't forced into it)

The first time we had a disagreement was about me texting my friend (who was male) he said I was texting and felt like I was more engrossed in my phone than on our time together. I disagreed but compromised and agreed to text less. This quickly dwindled into not texting at all due to DPs sulking every time I sent a single text.

The next time I heard from my friend was when he sent out a mass Christmas text, I replied and we got talking. I mention I was pregnant and he congratulated me. It was at this point that DP went mental because I was smiling at my phone (because I was excited about pregnancy) and I apparently gave him a "look" which meant I must be flirting/cheating or something. I told him I could talk to whoever I liked and this just seemed to confirm to him that I was doing something dodgy. We had a massive argument. He told me I had no self-respect (I had been completely honest about my sexual history). This was the first time he pushed me to break down in tears.

Over my pregnancy, we had a ton of arguments where he would blow up and tell me I was lazy, stupid, naive, etc telling me that he was just trying to make me a "better person". I can't count the amount of times he left me in the bedroom balling my eyes out, cradling my bump and apologising for bringing her into such crap.

During my first trimester I had really bad morning sickness which left me feeling nauseous all of the time, I could barely sleep, and I was still working PT on a shop floor so on my feet all shift. It left me feeling depressed and exhausted. He would complain to me that we weren't having sex, because it made him feel like I didn't care about/love him anymore. One time we were in the middle of doing some sexual stuff and I suddenly had to dart out of the room to literally go and throw up in the toilet. When I got back he was sulking because "it didn't make him feel very wanted"

After DD was born, DP had to go away for a couple of days to paint up and move us into our new flat (we were in a shared house before). It was supposed to be a couple of days and I was in hospital for 3, when he still wasn't done I went to stay with my DGM. It took him (and family members) 3 weeks to complete it. When I would get frustrated that he would give me a "done by" date and then on that day say that they were nowhere near finished, he would yell down the phone at me that he was stressed and exhausted (I was looking after a newborn essentially on my own, whilst DGM did what she could she was nearly 80 at the time).

DGM overheard some of this, and when I told him that he was just stressed etc, she told me to never let him get up with the baby at night, as it only takes one time of anger for him to do something. He's never laid a hand on DD (now 14 months) but I always keep that in the back of my head.

Since we subsequently moved into our flat, DP has left basically everything up to me. He never did night feeds, rarely did nappies, hardly ever did any cleaning/housework. I was left with PND and when we argued he would corner me (although he denies this) and yell in my face whilst I was holding DD. Sometimes he would force me to give her to him, I would resist at first but then give in for fear he would try and snatch her off me and hurt her. Then he would continue screaming at me whilst he held her. He would continue to call me a lazy, naive little girl and would tell me that he had to break me down from what I was in order to build me back up again, and that at least now I had some self-respect.

In between all this he would be lovely. He would apologise for things he had said, citing anger problems as the reason. He said that he didn't mean anything he said during anger, even when I pointed out that that surely is what he's really thinking and he'd just done away with his filter. He denies this.

We broke up earlier this year for three months. It was always temporary, until he proved that he could step up and do his share of housework and childcare. After that amount of time he really seemed to have changed and so I (stupidly) let him back.

Almost immediately he began to fall backwards and has become more and more difficult to try and talk to about it. Telling me I'm nagging/moaning/"the only one who hasn't changed is you". This culminated last night when he accused me of not cleaning to "the same standard he can" and that when I was on my own with DD my "standard of hygiene was unlivable" (I spoke to my NDN today, who was around a lot during that time, she said there was nothing wrong with the cleanliness of my home)

He has also told me on occasion that I'm not really Bi, because you can only be gay and straight, and that it doesn't matter anyway because I'm with him so sexuality is irrelevant. He's also suggested that I'm more likely to cheat on him because I'm Bi.

I have no friends left, I don't know if my dad will understand how bad it is (he usually has excuses for him), and my DGM died in June. I'm NC with my mum, and I have no one left except my NDN who is lovely and probably the only reason I haven't gone insane.

I don't know if I can get him to leave again. The only reason he left before was because I got him to think it was his idea, he won't make that mistake again.

I keep telling him that I want the person I met back, but I don't think that person exists anymore, if they ever did.

Sorry for any typos and that this is so long.

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QuiteLikely5 · 18/09/2016 14:31

It's always very nice in the beginning when you meet someone as they are constantly putting their best foot forward.

That happens in every relationship but with abusuve men they hide their true feelings until they feel comfortable enough to air them.

I can see at the moment your dp doesn't feel quite comfortable and that is because he can sense your withdrawal but as soon as you relax again he will have you put back in your place.

Your dd has already been exposed to his emotional abuse just by being in the same home.

Please get rid of him soon. Dint let him wear you down.

Something to do might be to pack his bags whilst he goes to work and then leave them somewhere for him to collect. Text him the details. You can ask your housing officer for a lock change or just call the cops if he returns and causes a fuss

skyyequake · 18/09/2016 17:02

I cant shake the feeling that he's going to "confront" me once DD goes to bed about being "off with him"

I don't want to rehash the same old shit only for him to think everything is fine and dandy again at the end... But the more I say nothing is wrong the more outraged he's going to be if when I leave him...

I wish my dad had told me how long he is going to be in sodding Vegas

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FeckTheMagicDragon · 18/09/2016 20:58

Tell him you think you're coming down with a virus. Then sneeze in his face.

Seriously - just say that you're not feeling very well. Bland, boring - don't rise to anything.

FeckTheMagicDragon · 18/09/2016 20:58

And don't give any headspace to how he will feel. That's his problem, not yours.

skyyequake · 18/09/2016 21:14

Surprisingly he hasn't said anything, just sulking on the laptop... I know what that means though, it means he's going to bring it up when we're in bed just as I'm trying to go to sleep... I think he does it deliberately so that I'm exhausted the next day. I'm going to have to pretend to have fallen asleep again [sigh]

And I don't care how he feels, I just know that the angrier he is the more difficult he is going to be.

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overthehillandroundthemountain · 18/09/2016 23:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

skyyequake · 19/09/2016 09:30

Hi! He didn't even mention it last night, just more sulking...

We only have one room between all three of us! And the sofa is too small, plus I wouldn't trust him to wake up if DD does...

I feel like I'm in limbo at the moment, waiting for the time when I don't have to face him completely alone

He might not even blow up if I broke up with him, he might act very sad and go without fuss but then I know I'm going to have texts saying how much he loves me, how much he misses DD, how he misses his home, etc...

Then I'm going to have questions about if I've seen anyone, if anyone's been over, if anyone has been around DD because its his "right" to know (he is very adamant about his "rights") and if I ignore him or say its none of his business that will just confirm it in his mind and he will go on a long tirade about how he doesn't want anyone (meaning any potential partners of mine) around DD meaning me

Its just all so exhausting

Thank you for thinking of me and your support, its the only thing stopping me from falling back into the old routine

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theansweris42 · 19/09/2016 09:58

if you broke up with him and then he was texting etc, could you have a strategy to manage that or are you thinking you owuld take him back?

skyyequake · 19/09/2016 10:03

I could handle the texting. It's the face to face when he's collecting DD that I'm worried about... He can be very forceful about talking about things... I'm telling myself to do a NoCapes and be very breezy, but he backs me into a corner (metaphorically) where my only options are to agree with him or seem like a complete bitch. I'm trying to embrace my inner bitch so I won't have a problem with that!

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skyyequake · 19/09/2016 10:04

Also the last time we broke up and I didn't reply to his texts, he cycled over and was ringing my doorbell at 10pm Confused

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NoCapes · 19/09/2016 10:09

Maybe someone else could do handovers for a while? Or do them at your Dads house for example if you don't feel you could handle him alone?

Are you scared of him sky?

theansweris42 · 19/09/2016 10:12

oh good grief to the doorbell.

My ex was an emotional abuser and controller.
One big piece of thinking was accepting that he will never agree or have any insight. So going against him, in any way, made me the bitch/mad/inadequate/ungrateful/stupid.
And I have to put up with that.
Except really,there's nothing to put up with apart from the challeange to my own need to please others and not be "wrong".

I'm still working on it, especially about his family (nice) not knowing the truth of things. And they might guess at some things.
In the end it is only his thoughts, he can't hurt you with those.

theansweris42 · 19/09/2016 10:14

I was worried about handover.
In the event, he was and is so furious about the loss of control that he neither speaks to me nor gives eye contact. The DC will come to know this is just weird!

skyyequake · 19/09/2016 10:45

I am scared of him, but I don't know why! I'm 95% sure he wouldn't ever hit me (there's only that 5% because I know he's capable of hurting others, though he hasn't done since before we met)

I think it's because of my anxiety, I got that from my mum and SF being emotionally abusive. I was terrified of them even though they never lay a hand on me.

I'm not so scared that I never ever stand up to him, I'm just very conscious that there's this big line and if I cross it I have no idea what will happen.

My dad lives in another town (about 40 minute drive) and has another DD who is nearly 9. He's separated from my DSis's mum due to her drug issues, and it's very up in the air as to when he needs to have my DSis so not practical for me to rely on him regularly. He also works long hours during the week as he has to commute to London most days (about a 2 hour drive each way). I can ask for him to be here for the initial break up, or if it's an emergency, but a regular thing just wouldn't be practical Sad

I can ask my NDN to be there sometimes, or in the beginning. I know he won't kick up a fuss in front of anyone else. It's all about appearing to be a wonderful partner and father to him, even if it's not true.

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skyyequake · 19/09/2016 11:42

He also said he would "make it up to me" over the weekend... The only thing I asked him to do was the washing up, which he promised he would get around to on Friday night... This was it before I went to bed last night. And the only reason it's this tidy is because I had to stack it all up so I could wash DDs bottles before she needed one for bed time (I even told him that she had no clean ones and he still didn't so it) All he did yesterday was 2 nappies and a load of washing.

I know it seems petty/irrelevant in the circumstances but it's these little things that show his disrespect/lack of caring and keep my anger levels up

Where do I start?
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FeckTheMagicDragon · 19/09/2016 12:02

I'm no expert, but it sounds like it's your anxiety that's holding you back more than anything. And that's rooted in your abusive upbringing. Have you contacted women's aid for advice yet? They won't make you do anything you don't want to - and if you can't face calling, you can email. In the meantime would it be worth talking to your GP and ask about counselling?

theansweris42 · 19/09/2016 12:32

You sound a bit like that as *feck" said it is the anxiety stopping you.
you don't know what he might do so you stay.
With me I stayed too long and it just all got bad enough to push me harder Sad
I wish I'd left sooner. He was angry, he said bad things, he tried to stop me leaving with threats about custody and all the rest of it.
It was hard but bearable because I knew I was leaving.
He withheld money then and he still does now as his last element on control.
But to be out, to be free, is worth it.

skyyequake · 19/09/2016 12:32

I don't know if I could afford counselling, and I don't think they do it on the nhs do they? at least not unless its very serious? idk i'm not an expert either!

I am rubbish at contacting people, especially organisations etc... I just feel like I wouldn't know what to say. It took me long enough just to figure out what to put on this post!!

I think it is my anxiety, and I think he uses it against me sometimes, whether consciously or subconsciously... The worst thing he ever said to me was that my upbringing "wasn't that bad" and I should "get over it"... he apologised for that one but I know that is what he really thinks

I think it's going to reach breaking point some time this week. He can sense something is wrong and he's stopped asking, he's just sulking, which is the calm before the storm usually. I've also got that nauseous feeling in my stomach when I know I have to face the music...

I just hope he doesn't explode.

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skyyequake · 19/09/2016 12:35

I almost hope he'll say something horrible to give me that push over the edge to chuck him out.

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theansweris42 · 19/09/2016 12:36

but if he does explode, it's just a way of controlling you.
It doesn't matter what he thinks of you. And even if it dod, you can't alter what he thinks about you by accepting the emotional abuse.
These are hard words to read, I remember Flowers

theansweris42 · 19/09/2016 12:36

sorry lots of typos today Blush

theansweris42 · 19/09/2016 12:37

hes already saying the things, it is foryou to staop accepting them

GabsAlot · 19/09/2016 13:56

i do agree with 42 hes already said enough youre just too used to it now

dont wait til he explodes

octoberfarm · 19/09/2016 14:40

I don't know if this is any help at all, but I used to work as a therapist with individuals dealing with domestic violence at home, both emotional and physical. One thing we used to recommend (and sorry if this had already been suggested!) was documenting every instance of emotional abuse (comments, controlling behavior, etc.) with the date it happened, so that if custody does become an issue, you have some pre-dated evidence that he was emotionally abusive. Whatever you do, make sure that record isn't somewhere that can be accessed by him - perhaps call a friend each time and have them write it down somewhere so it's not anywhere he can find. Thinking of you!

skyyequake · 19/09/2016 14:51

I should have done that last year... I don't want to have to stay long enough to create a diary now! Plus all of the very bad stuff happened a while ago. Would I still be able to use that? I don't have exact dates but I know all of the major incidents happened between Sept '15 and April '16

We've argued since then, but he's been less vicious... Probably because I don't give him as much of a reaction. Now he's much more dismissive of everything I say, like I'm a whiny toddler, or a nagging parent. Which is funny as he'd have never spoken to his mum like that - she died when he was 18.

I've also just remembered that when we he came and rang the doorbell at 10pm we ended up having a massive argument and when I told him to get out he just laughed at me and said no.

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