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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

Serial Leaver - Left Again. What Do I Do???

1000 replies

Quootiepie · 22/03/2007 19:18

My (D)H has left AGAIN. Woke up this morning to find no sign of him and bankcard infront of PC. Wasn't until I went downstairs later on I saw he had posted his key through the letterbox. He left on Monday (I think) until Wednesday night, when I went in the middle of the night to beg for him back at his mums. He had just dumped shopping inside the door, and zoomed off again, me running barefoot in dressing gown trying to chase his car . Previous to that, about 2 weeks ago he left, and just dumped milk for DS through the catflap as he had left him with nothing, although by the time someone had to come and bring me milk. He promises over and over again he wont do it anymore, last night we were totally fine and yet this morning he left. I am not independant at all, and this constant kicking me back down is just too much. What on earth can I do? I dont know even what I mean by that. THe crisis team are coming sometime this evening, and I have thought about getting DS put into care because I really cannot cope another night jumping at every noise, checking the hall for notes or supplies, and just general whatsthefuckingpoint-ness. I do still love him, when he is OK he really is totally fine, realises his mistakes, but... I cant cope with this. I really cant.

OP posts:
anorak · 23/03/2007 08:44

Quootie, being so in love with him and his being fine most of the time is not enough.

The only way to escape this is to force your head to overrule your heart no matter how difficult and keep repeating to yourself, 'This is abusive, and I and my child deserve better'.

His behaviour cannot be excused by depression. Many of us suffer from depression but we do not treat our loved ones as he is treating you.

Think about it: You wouldn't treat a dog the way he is treating you - so why do you allow him to treat you worse than a dog.

You don't believe you are worthy of being treated as well as a dog. Think about it. No one else will treat you better than a dog if you don't expect them to. Value yourself more highly.

You say you can't do this because of your mental health but your mental health will improve no end once you learn that you are deserving of good treatment, a valuable person.

CODalmighty · 23/03/2007 08:45

you leave him first! call his bluff!
seriously
eh is a nob
leave hiim

CODalmighty · 23/03/2007 08:45

hews a wanker w ho casues you mroe heartbreak than happiness

collision · 23/03/2007 10:07

Say what you think cod!!

You OK QP?

Leoness · 23/03/2007 10:18

I'm so sorry QP you're having a shit time. You do really need to invest in some self-preservation. It's glaringly obvious to us, with the luxury of perspective, that you are in a negative and destructive relationship with your husband. I'm sure many of us can remember having a similar relationship at sometime in our lives. It's extremely hard for you as you are married to him and you also feel dependent on him.

You know when you fly on a plane - in an emergency situation you have to fit your own oxygen mask before helping others? Well that's what you have to do - Help yourself, then DS - then have a rethink about DH (who thinks only about himself.)

You need to know you will be all right on your own; that your really never really on your own - for a start we are all here for you. Be strong take responsibility for yourself and DS and start creating a happier healthier home for the both of you. Leave DH to go and work out what he wants. Your best chance at a better marriage is if you both sort your own individual shit out separately for a while then review your relationship in a few weeks.

Your thing to work on is feeling strong and safe independently of DH. Everyone has to learn that in (and out) of a relationship so there is a sense of balance rather than one person carrying the other. Just by establishing things that make you feel ok to be on your own you will rapidly gain strength and independence.

Self love is really important, enjoy putting Ds down for the night, put on some music have a bath...if need be get mum or sister to be at home with you just until you feel safer.

Self worth is your problem and I remember having it the same problem for years too. You will feel better again this won't last forever. YOU are a wonderful human being with as much right to respect and happiness as everybody else. Take control and get yourself better, ask for help, you are in a rut right now. You can get out of it.... BE STRONG YOU"RE WORTH IT.

Here's a thought - if I haven't already gone on enough

Imagine you're the sky
You have some clouds right now
They may be dark, grey and thundery
They may be overcast
BUT if you flew a plane through the clouds you'd see
The sky is always blue and never stained by the clouds

all my love

WinkyWinkola · 23/03/2007 10:57

" I don't know why he keeps leaving me. Well, I do know his mum hates me and bad mouthes me, and subconciously forces him to choose. And he has."

Now, it your turn to choose. You may feel desperate and unhappy now but it's your time to start feeling better and not having to fret in case someone pulls the rug from under you every few weeks. How awful for you to have to live like that. You must be a bag of nerves. Poor soul.

QP, the thing is you ARE coping without him. Every hour that goes by without him sees you still there, looking after DS and yourself. You're far far stronger than you think, you know. Think of coping as managing hour by hour, or even minute by minute. And because you're coping, you're not going to let yourself or your son down like H does.

H's coming and going like this is eroding your foundations. You need your solid foundations. You must put yourself and your son first. Every time. And that means making sure H can't damage you anymore. Listening out for him, begging him to come back is all part of damaging you and your son. He's controlling you. Break away. Build your own life - with new locks! - and YOU bl**dy well tell the men in your life when they can come over and when they can leave. Take control. Please.

Quootiepie · 23/03/2007 11:15

THankyou for all the posts, they all make so much sense. Sorry i've eebn away, had mum here who always peers over my shoulder. I HATE to think it is damaging DS, but I guess it is. I managed to get to sleep last night about 11.30 which I was pretty proud of and can manage with DS, it just gets overwhelming sometimes and I just get drowned in self pity. I guess the very least I need to do is be "normal" and function for DS. A friend (a MNer) is coming today with her DD, so if the weather gets better we can take them out and that...

If I looked at it from the outside, i'd tell whoever it was to leave the person, but, it is so hard when you are in the position. I think at least he needs to come back without me begging. I did send him mum a big apologetic email, then came to my senses and unsent it... I always do the grovelling, and the begging. It's a big step for me to manage a whole day and a night without COMPLETELY cracking, so hopefully the worst part is over. Maybe it will force him to decide if he sees I can get on with life without him... maybe he won't choose me. I guess whatever in the long run it'll be best for DS.Just feel pretty worthless and unloved right now

Oh, and he doesn't beat me - I was referring to my ex there. xXx

OP posts:
Quootiepie · 23/03/2007 11:16

Sorry, son is 1 on Tuesday. So he is I guess starting to take things in.

OP posts:
WinkyWinkola · 23/03/2007 11:20

Sorry to bang on QP but you're still waiting for him to choose. Why don't you choose?

Actively choose some time out for yourself and DS from H. You don't have to reject H entirely during time out but just don't let him be around you for a while. Then perhaps you'll have more of a perspective of an 'outsider' and maybe even enjoy a sense of control over who comes into your life.

I know it's very easy for me to say.

Leoness · 23/03/2007 11:47

Don't feel unloved it's only your shithead H whose not showing you love

DS loves you and you love him that alone is a magic pot of endless love....feed from it.

xx

CODalmighty · 23/03/2007 11:50

i bet its hard in real life
its easy to give advice but we are here to push oyuto do what YOU knwo is right deep down
we do care.

Quootiepie · 23/03/2007 11:54

I say it without even realising! Yes, I guess I should choose for once. A friend is coming in a few hours, so we will do a plan of action then, I need an outsider to keep booting me up the backside

OP posts:
CODalmighty · 23/03/2007 11:54
Leoness · 23/03/2007 11:56

'atta girl x

Leoness · 23/03/2007 11:56

or should it be 'adda girl i dunno xx

Quootiepie · 23/03/2007 11:59

Change of plan, her DP is coming to pick me up to get me out. Aswell it gets me away from the temptation of ringing round after H, and if he comes knocking I won't be there to beg him to come in...

OP posts:
Leoness · 23/03/2007 12:11

And change his name on your phone to something like "immature shithead"
so you think twice about answering it x

CS1753 · 23/03/2007 12:15

Q - I live in Bracknell as well, have been a single parent since my EX H walked out when my son was 3 months ols. I know how diffucult it is but went through getting all the benefits together, going back to full time work, sorting out childcare and even bankruptcy (he ran up loads of debt in my name). Basically if you want to talk to someone who has been through something similiar and knows a little about what you can get and how just e-mail me, we can always meet up or natter over the phone. Chin up hon, take it from someone who knows it gets so much better.

Quootiepie · 23/03/2007 12:22

He doesn't have a phone, it got wet... even if he did, he would do what he did 2 years a go and throw it out the car window.

Blimey, that is alot to go through! I put my name to alot of his debt as he secured it on the house, but that's about it. I do have to sort out housing benefit or something to pay the intrest only part of mortgage - obviously I need him to sign the house over first, and before that make sure we are 100% splitting. Guess he will roll up in a few days, either to grab his things or sort things out. Probably the former, in which case I need to get the ball rolling with all this cr*p.

OP posts:
lulumama · 23/03/2007 12:28

QP...i have told you previously what i think about your DH ..so i won;t repeat it all.

I am genuinely sorry that this has happened, and that you are in a bad way. Really, i am.

I think you can cope, no, i know you can cope...beacsue you have come thorugh some awful sh*t and survived.

DH runs if things don;t go his way. And runs back to his mum. He is the loser , he is the one who cannot cope , he is a boy, not a man, my 7 year old DS has more guts and responsibility than him !

You feel you cannot cope because you are depressed and are dealing with PTSD.

Mark my words, when you are having your counselling and your meds, you will know in your heart you are better than this , better than him and can do so much better.

You are such a young woman, your whole life stretching ahead of you, you don;t need to accpet toxic people into your life and home, because you feel that is all you can hope for.

Take back the power, make the choice, tell him it is over, and that he can arrange contact with DS through a solicitor.

you do not need to live like this, i think sherlock and attilla have made some fabulous points here.

let DH go without a backward glance, you have your life ahead of you

lulumama · 23/03/2007 12:29

"make sure we are 100% splitting."

erm QP, why wouldn;t you split?

catsmother · 23/03/2007 12:33

Am so sorry to hear all of this Quootiepie. I can only imagine how sickened you must feel, not knowing what's happening, not knowing if you're on your own, not knowing how he feels about you, feeling betrayed, abandonned, and hated by his mother, who sounds like a bitch BTW .... what sort of grandmother must she be to continually encourage her son to leave his small son ?!

Thing is, like everyone else has said, YOU have got to take control of this situation. Yes, that's scary - as are most things unknown - but YOU and YOU alone will be responsible for your future .... as opposed to being dependent upon someone who has let you down again and again, who has let his son down again and again.

I know that when a relationship goes wrong, it's natural to want the other person back. But you must know deep down that the person you want back ISN'T the person he really is. The person you want back is the person you hoped he would be, or the person you obviously once thought he was .... a loving, responsible, loyal father and partner. And he ISN'T being loving, responsible or loyal - to either you, or his son.

If he comes back, even if you don't have to beg him to do so, what will happen next ? You have already described lying there listening out for him, wondering what his next move will be ? And do you honestly believe that his revolting, interfering mother would leave things alone ? Could you really live like that long-term, becoming more and more anxious, with all the health implications of being mentally tortured like this ....... which then of course, could have further implications upon how well you feel able to care for your little boy .... who is bound to pick up on your unhappiness and anxiety.

Becoming independent is possible. Millions do it - there is no reason why you can't too. With each new thing you learn, your confidence will be boosted, and this can only be good for your son. There are loads of people here who can help - either literally, or by offering advice and suggestions - if you don't know how to tackle x,y or z. All you have to do is ask, and no-one will feel you are "asking too much" or "putting yourself" on them.

Please, please put yourself and your little boy first and take steps towards making your lives the way you want them to be. You will feel so much better in yourself by taking control and refusing to allow this man to mess with your head any longer. I know that right now, you may well feel dreadfully sad and disappointed that your relationship hasn't turned out the way you hoped it would, but you're so young and you have years ahead of you in which to enjoy life as it should be. That includes the sort of partner you deserve at some stage.

Don't waste any more time trying to get inside his head, analysing why he's behaving like this. TBH, at the moment, it doesn't really matter WHY he's like this ..... the fact is, he is, and you need to counter that by doing what you can so his behaviour doesn't affect you.

YOU and DS are important here, no-one else. He's obviously got problems regarding commitment and responsibility, let alone having what seems like quite a sadistic streak TBH (to be able to do this to you) and those are HIS problems to sort out. Chances are he won't, chances are he doesn't even accept he's being so grossly selfish - especially if his mother is dripping poison in his ear and encouraging him. But who cares about that ?

Believe me, gaining your independence will feel great and you can do it. Don't let him mess you about any longer. Would your mum be able to lend or gift you the money to change the locks for example ?

Take care - and keep coming back here if you find yourself wavering.

lulumama · 23/03/2007 12:34

Quootie...

if you take him back, he has no reason to change his behaviour, and will get more and more abusive and controlling and nasty and will become harder and harder to take back the power.

bablefish · 23/03/2007 12:58

Quootiepie, For the love of god woman what are you doing running after this dipstick in your nighty?
If he wants to behave like a little boy then YOU need to behave like a adult, you do not need him and you are capable of staying in a house on your own and not needing to go to a mother and baby unit.

By Quootiepie on Thu 22-Mar-07 21:27:08
well, the relief of going to hospital was nice... so bit miffed i have sister instead. Might have to go in still if things dont improve.

Do you mind me asking how old you are?
I know filling in benefit forms can be a drag but YOU have to make a start, could it be he runs because he cant take the strain of having to be everything to you?
24 is very young and he seems very childish, the fact that he goes when you are asleep of puts things through the cat flap seems to me that he can not deal with you or confrontation.

Please stand on your own two feet and show him you don't need him and his shit.

Quootiepie · 23/03/2007 13:06

thanks for all these responces - it really does make me open my eyes. I am 20 by they way . I am always blaming my self, and others blame me aswell (well, everyone who knows on HIS side blame me) but I guess if I am honest, he is pretty nasty. I wouldn't do this to someone I actually HATED, never mind a husband and son. I am not making any permanent discisions, (sorry can't spell today) but I am definatly not going after him this time, and getting on with my life.

OP posts:
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