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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

So unsettled by DP's behaviour

70 replies

PagingDrKarl · 01/05/2017 04:22

Long one, sorry.

Feeling very unsettled by behaviour of dp over last two days.

We are on a Bank Holiday weekend away, and on the first night, after a lot of walking, I suddenly felt shattered. Dp was very much in the mood for sex and rather threw himself at me (throughout the day we had both given each other the impression it would happen); I was reciprocating a little but clearly very tired. He asked, would you rather wait until tomorrow? I said yes, if that would not totally mess up his body (If i had REALLY not wanted to, I would have omitted that second phrase). He said fine, seemed really relaxed about it, then asked if he could go down on me quickly to make me come. Now, I was tired and simply not in the mood. I said he could if he wanted to but reiterated how tired I was. He seemed fine for a minute then exclaimed, "What's wrong?", to which I replied "nothing. I'm just tired". Then, to himself in anguish, he said "this is so confusing." Lay down with back to me and earphones in, saying he was listening to a short story. I, now very awake due to this sudden turnaround and keen to regain a sense of intimacy, asked to listen with him. Ignored.

Eventually, he did talk and said it had been a hormones issue, hard to control and better to just sleep than try to talk in the circumstances. He said that was why he had ignored me/turned away. He also added in a preoccupied tone that the "inconsistency" was unsettling. This inconsistency was me giving impression I'd be in the mood later, then not being, and saying I was tired then waking up. I pulled him up on this and he seemed to accept it was unreasonable to in any way make me feel bad about these things, and to recognise I had woken up in reaction to his own change of mood.

On day two, we saw some teens rollerblading. The girls were in skinny jeans and tight crop tops although it was freezing. He made a comment along the lines of "oh dear, teen pregnancy". When I asked him to explain what he meant, he said the only reason to dress like that in such weather was if you were after sex. I felt livid about this but but my tongue for the sake of having a nice weekend; but later I couldn't, and said in a calm way, "by the way, what you said about those girls was not true and not acceptable". He said it was just a joke, and when I said it was not a funny one he sighed and said "oh, I can't make a joke about anything with you" and added how easy things were with his friends compared to with me. He said that the media was "divided" on the issue [of women's attire], and I was at one extreme. I said yes, the media can be chauvinistic, and that what I had said was not "extreme". He took umbrage, said how would I like if if he called me a prude. I felt rather shell-shocked, but did mention that surely the prudish thing is to say those clothes mean only one thing, rather than (as I had) we should be able to wear what we like.

Later, he said again I had "extreme" views when it came to women's rights, and I said that claiming the only reason a kid of around 13 (of course, actually it could be anyone of any age) wears revealing clothing is to get sex is the extreme view. He said that I never back down because I need to redress the balance of gender inequality by winning arguments, and also that I would be contrary and argue a point for the sake of it with three people: him, and my parents.

This last point unsettled me. I have been considering if it is true and was worried it may be. I don't know why it got to me so much but it did, and I felt he was right and I had in general been being contrary. He said "don't get upset, like you did last night." I have not been myself all evening, and he has told me that I "need help" and that I need to "stand up for myself" (this when I was being quiet, mainly so as not to be accused of ensuring I win the argument or fighting for the sake of it). I had had a few drinks (along with the same volume of water, and totally within my limits) and he has said he won't talk to me when I have alcohol in my system. He also said he needs someone strong and stable if his career is not to suffer. I feel a) self-obsessed bastard; b) well why not my career, if we're going there; c) I WAS feeling strong and stable until HE unsettled me.

As we were lying in bed, him snoring away and thrashing around, I was anxiously thinking about turning over for 40 minutes. I did so; he woke up, furiously said "what are you DOING" and took himself off to the spare bed in our hotel room.

Now, regarding this last point, he does literally lose his mind when half asleep, and also loses sense of time (so maybe he thought that I had been tossing and turning to get to sleep a few minutes before I moved again, when really it was a 40 min gap!)

This is the second such late night almost mad-seeming episode in a year, and I think I can handle them if it is a case of him being half asleep.

But overall, I'm feeling very worried. I feel that all this points to him being a not very nice person, and I myself feel gaslighted. This is all out of character for him (but is it? He has made one other misogynistic comment; tip of iceberg?), but do I give another chance or not? What is strange is we have been together for ten years, but all these things are new.

I'm shattered and may not be making sense myself, and am not sure why I have written here. I think I partly want to have a record to remind myself all this really happened, as it is out of the ordinary. And I am doubting myself, and want to know if my concerns are unfounded.

OP posts:
llhj · 01/05/2017 04:29

10 years is a long time to dismiss and just focus on the behaviour of 36 hours. What else is going on? Are you married, kids?
What's the bigger picture? When I first read op, I thought it sounded like you're not long together but 10 years!

Madmotherintheattic · 01/05/2017 04:32

Sorry, he sounds like a total twat to me.

Dozer · 01/05/2017 04:33

Urgh, he behaved sleazily, nastily and revealed some very unpleasant, sexist views about girls/women.

Definitely gaslighting, and it seems to be affecting you.

Nothing will happen to his body or hormones if he doesn't have sex - FFS. He punished you for not wanting sex and for objecting to his horrible opinions.

His comment about his career suggests he disrespects you - essentially saying he wants someone who puts up ans shuts up.

Red flags. Hope you don't have DC with this charmer.

kittybiscuits · 01/05/2017 04:35

You're right. Epic gaslighting.

Dozer · 01/05/2017 04:45

As for his comment about you arguing a point with him and your parents, he was again showing disrespect and that he wants a partner who shuts up. Trying to make you feel bad about yourself for holding (reasonable!) opinions and challenging him. Unsurprising that you pushed the point of him having made a sexist, disgusting comment. Also unsurprising to be most vociferous/open with the people you are closest to.

FritzDonovan · 01/05/2017 05:01

I'd be unsettled in your position too. It sounds as if he is trying to start arguments with you while still wanting to appear as the reasonable one. Does he do this often? Is he dissatisfied with something at the moment and this is how it is manifesting?

Quickieat2 · 01/05/2017 05:17

So to win his argument that 13 year olds in short tops want sex, he told you that you're stubborn and difficult in order to adjust sexual inequality. On that basis you could claim something stupidly negative about his sex and label his opposing opinion as stubbornness about equality. Utterly ridiculous.

Huge red flags. Awful man. That is not how a nice kind person thinks. It would make me question his deep rooted morals and values. How was he bought up? Are these his true colours?

Bringing his parents into the argument was inappropriate also. He's tried to add weight to his argument by saying other people share his opinion that you're stubborn due to challenging gender inequality. You don't know if his parents actually hold this opinion, either way it's irrelevant to the 13 year old girl argument!!

Quickieat2 · 01/05/2017 05:29

Basically when you talk he belittles your very valid opinions and then blames your stance on your flawed personality. When you DONT TALK he belittles you still and then blames your flawed personality. Utter tripe. Lovely man.

sarahmum27 · 01/05/2017 05:43

I think you're both getting on each others nerves. I think he was sexually frustrated and had high hopes for big sexual escapades on your weekend away, therefore was disappointed that it didn't happen and continue to sulk and make nagging comments.
Equally I think you snapped at his comment about the girls because he'd already annoyed you prior to this.

I wouldn't judge him too harshly for the comment, people make passing comments and they don't always come out the right way. Does he have quite a dry sense of humour?.

Maybe going away together wasn't the best of ideas at this present time.

MsStricty · 01/05/2017 05:49

Could it be that you've recently started to find your voice, OP, and so you're now meeting with his anger and resistance?

gillybeandramaqueen · 01/05/2017 05:53

Omg. I feel like I'm reading about my ex. A narcissistic dangerous psychopath. Get out now.

picklemepopcorn · 01/05/2017 05:53

How long have you been together? Children?

You weren't inconsistent, you said you were too tired. He tried anyway, you were still too tired.

The teens thing is a bit dick ish, but not a deal breaker on its own, but his reaction to everything is not good. Accusing you of being extreme, stubborn for the sake of it.

As for what he needs in a wife... How arrogant. I'd LTB just for that bit.

dudsville · 01/05/2017 06:05

I also feel like in reading about my ex op. If this isn't a recent change in behavior and you are just realising it I'd suggest you start making way for your exit. Hardest thing I ever did was run but a decade later I've never once looked back. Good luck op.

Quickieat2 · 01/05/2017 06:30

My DH wouldn't behave so nastily if I wasn't in the mood for sex. It's very controling.

MrsELM21 · 01/05/2017 06:49

He sounds horrible, has something changed to make this start happening? Is he your DP rather than your DH? Do you have DC? I'd be starting to make a plan to leave

Ecclesiastes · 01/05/2017 06:58

OP, where on earth have you learned that not ejaculating will 'totally mess up' a man's body? Let me guess...

notarehearsal · 01/05/2017 06:58

Gosh your conversations sounds so ernest. Where's the fun in your relationship?

Gallavich · 01/05/2017 07:04

Why do you think that going without sex will have a negative effect on his body?

Chloe84 · 01/05/2017 07:05

The minimising comments on here are so disturbing. The truth is:

He's a sexist and misogynist
He makes you feel like crap for not wanting sex
He gaslights

And it's terrible that you lay there afraid to move for 40 minutes in case he woke up, while he gets to thrash around as much as he wants. It's like he waits for an opportunity to shout at you.

What was the other misogynistic comment he made?

CassandraAusten · 01/05/2017 07:15

If you've been together 10 years and he's made ONE other misogynistic comment during that time then it seems harsh to write him off as a sexist twat.

sarahmum27 · 01/05/2017 07:19

Casandra oh but he's absolutely Terrible, I mean all the MN posters on here have the perfect gents for husbands, never once have they so much as wolf whistled or asked for a blow job 🙄

Joysmum · 01/05/2017 07:43

sarahmum27 I used to think much the same as you and take things on the face value of the OP until I realised there was a pattern.

98% of the time, the OP would be the tip of the iceberg, the straw that broke the camels back and this just gradually opened the OP's eyes to all the rest of the shitstorm they'd been in denial about.

Most women wouldn't bother posting if everything was usually acceptable it it was just one bad weekend. So it would be logical to expect that in so many cases there's more to it that's been left unsaid.

I've learnt to try to hold back and if I do offer an opposing view, I try to do so with the qualifier that it's my experience and she knows him best.

ElspethFlashman · 01/05/2017 07:53

I think you're both just really really pissing each other off, tbh.

I think you're both just falling out of love with each other a bit.

I think it could be the beginning of the end, sorry.

sarahmum27 · 01/05/2017 07:57

Joysmum the point I was making is, the way you all seem to judge men for their comments and label them sexist etc, we'd all be led to believe your husbands were perfect gents. The way when a women says her husband got a little annoyed when they were rejected in bed, and then you all start labelling them abusive and rapists etc, you'd all think that your husbands have never reacted to be rejected in the bedroom.

I'm not taking things on face value, but I don't think what she's stated in her op, is particularly red flagging for me. I think they're irritated with each other and it's coming to a head.

PaintingByNumbers · 01/05/2017 08:01

trust your instincts on this. yes, it does sound gaslighting. I would also have a good snoop round in case he is projecting stuff here to hide his guilt (affair?)
and joysmum is spot on

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