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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

He has a problem or is it me?

35 replies

Annaskies · 19/09/2017 17:34

Am I going mad here?
Will try to keep this not too long, had agreed with oh he would have baby overnight alone for the first time this weekend. We are together but I haven't slept in so long and needed a break so I was to stay somewhere else for the night to finally get some sleep. It didn't work and he dropped baby to me late that night. We had agreed he wouldn't drink that night while having the baby, he usually drinks quite a bit at home at the weekend. I was worried he wouldn't wake if she was stirring or he would have her in the bed and it not be safe, many reasons and I didn't think it was strange to say don't drink while having her alone overnight for first time.
Anyway I got home the next day and found 3 large beer bottles empty, spoke to him and he said he had only drank one, the other two he drank the night before (I'd stayed away that night with the baby) I believed him, was annoyed he'd drunk despite us agreeing he wouldn't but didn't want to argue at that point. I then found a receipt for different beers from the night before and therefore knew these beers were from the day with the baby. So confronted him again and he carried on the lie to my face until I said I know it isn't true, he admitted yes he went and got the beers with the baby but only drank one and drank the other 2 after dropping baby to me. I'm fairly sure this is true but is beside the point. He's now saying he lied as he wanted " a beer" and knew I wouldn't agree.
Now am I going mad or is this a real problem? I know he likes a drink but I feel when you're lying about it and are not able to face no alcohol for one night while being the sole carer for your baby then that's a problem that needs addressing? He reckons this about me being controlling and that's why he didn't want to admit he would have a beer.

OP posts:
Isetan · 20/09/2017 19:14

Rescuing someone who doesn't want to be rescued is futile, abusers of alcohol have to 'see' on their own. Alcohol is the OW in your marriage and he has no intention of giving her up.

He has prioritised drinking and driving under the influence over keeping a promise to you and the safety of his child. Who will you prioritise, 'fixing' an adult or protecting a baby because you can't do both.

Desmondo2016 · 20/09/2017 19:34

Trouble is he will just spin it to say you're issuing an ultimatum, which of course you are in a way but he will make THAT the negative issue, not the fact that your reason for the ultimatum (his alcohol use and lack of reliable support with baby) is obviously clearly justified.

Desmondo2016 · 20/09/2017 19:34

I think you may need to leave him and mean it. And then in the future is he them realised the change has to come from him, who knows.

Desmondo2016 · 20/09/2017 19:35

*if he then

Annaskies · 20/09/2017 20:08

Thanks all for the advice. It's such a sad situation as I feel now like so many issues in the past have been because he won't face the drinking problem and I've come to the end of the line with it now.

Desmondo that's just it he is spinning it saying my real problem is I want to control him and he's not doing what I want and that I'm trying to stop him seeing the baby (that part of it is weird as that's the last thing I want and exactly why I want him to sort it, so we can be a family) I think he's clutching at straws and trying to get a reaction from me as I'm not getting into it with him like I have before, I'm sticking with saying we can't be together unless he faces it. So he's trying to make other other arguments.

OP posts:
Desmondo2016 · 20/09/2017 22:11

It's so so familiar from my first marriage. Completely unable whatsoever to consider they may be in the wrong and end up tieing you up in knots until you do actually start to accommodate their nonsense and doubt yourself. Well down for seeing through it quicker than I did!

TheDodgyEnd · 20/09/2017 22:48

OP - words that saved me a lot of heartache 'You can not help someone who won't help themselves' and it is so so true. You can't do a single thing to help him if he won't accept it. Sad but true.

TheDodgyEnd · 20/09/2017 22:49

Desmondo - "Completely unable whatsoever to consider they may be in the wrong and end up tieing you up in knots until you do actually start to accommodate their nonsense and doubt yourself. "
Isn't this the definition of 'gaslighting'?

Offred · 20/09/2017 23:48

Maybe some insight into (how bad it is) what is causing the difficulty - he thinks it's ok to be drunk in charge of the baby, he sees you saying he needs to be sober (on the one single time he has had the baby) as you saying he (who is drunk) can't see the baby... he is not separating himself from the drink...

It's really bad if that is the case and if that is how he is thinking you aren't gonna get through to him, you are going to get him drinking while caring for the baby and being mad with you if you object.

sunnysomehwere · 20/09/2017 23:52

'Does anyone have experience with a situation like this working out well? As everything I'm hearing seems to be I either stay with him and it will be like this or worse forever or I leave him. What I really what is a way this can work out, I think the problem is it has to come from him? And that just doesn't seem it's going to happen right now.'

Unfortunately I think the answer is no. Everything I've ever read on any forum, everyone I've spoken to, and my own experience with DH tells me that it is extremely unlikely that things will work out well. The person may stop drinking, but more often than not they will have destroyed all their relationships before doing so.

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