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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

Does DH want to force me to end our marriage?

57 replies

sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 13:59

DH and I have been together since we were 18. We both had neglectful childhoods with controlling aggressive fathers. My DM had far too many children, his drank. We have been together 25 years and the first 15 were happy. DH has suffered depression and been medicated for the last 10 years. He is morose and self obsessed. He works hard (we have a small farm) but is always angry and resentful. DC will not help him with anything, he calls them names and has odd expectations. He has cut himself off from everyone except me and DC.

I booked a holiday at Xmas and told him he couldn't come unless he bucked his ideas up but I caved in and let him come as it would have upset DC. He didn't speak to me at all, refused to be an 'active' participant in the holiday. We have been home 3 weeks in which time he has stopped making eye contact with me. He refuses to speak to me and blanks me but denies this if I confront him.

He doesn't seem interested in a physical relationship at all, and avoids contact. I think he would want to have sex if he could just grope me in the dark and then have sex, but I cannot do that. He tried to establish this pattern years ago but I refused and said if he wanted to have sex, he had to talk to me and kiss/cuddle me etc. He has never taken me out, or away for the night, or cooked a special meal or run me a bath or anything. I used to do these things for him but stopped due to lack of any repricoity.

He spent all day yesterday furious, swearing, name calling and tell me that he 'never does anything' he 'want to'. I pointed out that in the last 2 weeks he had been to a music concert with DS, a comedy night with me and spent time playing on the games console/watching films with DC. I pointed out he had a premier ship football match to attend in the next month with DS, I cooked the meal he requested for lunch yesterday and got his favourite take away on Friday night. I asked what he wanted to do, and suggested he made some plans. This made him even more angry. He refused to explain why he was angry with me.

I try and keep myself looking nice, I am a size 10, look after my skin and hair and keep relatively fit. One issue is that I have been prescribed long term antibiotics which make my stomach sore and apparently I fart in a 'disgusting' way when I am asleep, but I can't help it and everyone farts in their sleep sometimes don't they?

I have a degenerative illness and am very aware that my body will soon start to restrict me, I feel a burning desire to enjoy life and not be trapped in his negative mindset. Everything I have tried over the years has failed, I know I cannot make him happy, but he is making me miserable.

He says he wants things to work, but I feel he is pushing me to end the marriage and make me the 'bad guy'. I have co dependency issues due to my child hood.

I want my marriage to work, I want him to love me. I think he loves me as much as he can love anyone but maybe he just isn't capable. When I look back at my life, how little he has contributed and how little happiness he has brought me I don't know what I am doing.

I feel very alone and would appreciate advice.

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 24/09/2018 14:20

We all want our marriages to work, but some of them just can't. You are married to a joyless man who is sucking the life out of you, and by staying you're allowing it. My only advice is to love yourself more than your fantasy of this marriage working. Get out and start living.

ArtemisWeatherwax · 24/09/2018 14:22

I don't know what I am doing I think you might be wasting some of the good times you have left. You say I cannot make him happy, but he is making me miserable

How is he caring for you? Do you think he'll ever pick up and look after you when you need him to? Perhaps he's pushing you now so that he doesn't have to; but he doesn't want to be the one ending a marriage with someone with a degenerative illness in case he looks bad.

A friend of mine left her husband who had a degenerative illness. She tried, god she tried but his boy child persona which had seemed attractive (somehow) when he was well just morphed into utter selfishness. And why not, he was dying and depressed etc etc but he'd point out that if she was ill he wouldn't be looking after her, and he'd make more work for her because he didn't care. He took it out on her until it was totally clear to everyone that she wasn't leaving because he was ill, she was leaving because he was a total arse. And he'd be an arse if he was ill or no.

You only have one life - do you want to spend the rest of it with him? Because he's not going to change.

hellsbellsmelons · 24/09/2018 14:26

He spent all day yesterday furious, swearing, name calling
Fuck that - I'd have been out of the door to visit someone and I'd have left him to his mood.
You cannot save this relationship on your own.
It would seem you are the only putting in any effort here?
Stop flogging this dead horse.
Look at what separation would look like and start to make your exit plan.
This is NO way to live.
Don't waste any more of your life on this moody, abusive prick.

sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 14:38

Thanks for your replies.

He does work very hard. He walked out of a lucrative career when he was in his early 20s and has worked in a poorly paid job since but work very hard at home on the farm, maintaining our property. He cleans, changes bed, does washing, builds fires, feeds animals (which he claims to hate but I look out the window and see him hugging them and talking to them Confused. He drives DC around, does all the school stuff because I work evenings.

He is joyless, like a joyless millstone around my neck telling me everything is shit and he is miserable.

OP posts:
sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 14:41

He ha never made any effort in our relationship. I once asked him why he didn't ever pour us each a glass of wine or suggest a film or a massage or anything. I didn't really understand his reply. I don't understand why he doesn't want to be happy.

He called DS a 'dick' yesterday for not passing him the kitchen roll quickly enough. DH was outside shouting and DS was inside helping me by peeling all the potatoes for sunday lunch. DC are so kind and lovely and I see DH making me anxious and we are all on edge :(

OP posts:
hellsbellsmelons · 24/09/2018 14:41

I think you need to tell him exactly what you have told us.
Tell him that you no longer want to be married to him.
He is a fun-sucker and you cannot take any more.
He will either give up without a fight or...
He'll wonder what the hell he did wrong.
THEN you can sit down and discuss it.
THEN you can get counselling together to see if there is anything worth saving.
But until you tell him... You will live like this forever more!

Thebluedog · 24/09/2018 14:42

OP life is way too short to put up with this shit. Who cares if you are made to be the bad guy, go and be happy. I have no doubt your dc will also thank you for it too

sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 14:53

We tried counselling about 7 years ago but it wasn't good. The woman at relate we saw was very harsh with me and DH refused to go back. She said I was being controlling and 'clearly' wanted him to work more and I was bitter at having to be the breadwinner. I was quite taken aback because I hadn't really said much to this point, it has been DH talking about his mental health issues and family problems. Then she asked why he didn't see his family and DH said that his brother had verbally abused me and I refused to see him, and she asked DH if he wanted to see his family, he said he didn't know and then she started saying how I was controlling him.

I have watched him give up a career, his family, all his friends and now he seems to want to give up me, and then I suppose DC.

I feel heartbroken. Shouting at me that he does nothing he wants when he has just had an amazing holiday that he again didn't lift a finger for has just crushed me.

OP posts:
areyoubeingserviced · 24/09/2018 14:55

I felt depressed reading this and I am not in this relationship with this joy sucker
If you want to be happy Op, you know what you need to do
He is preventing from living a full life and that’s unforgivable imho

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 24/09/2018 14:56

He's treating you and your children horribly.
It's emotional abuse.
The depression is a red herring.
Not everyone with depression is abusive.
He's had every chance to change.

sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 15:03

He is very depressed but I now see these really unpleasant behaviour patterns like not looking at me. It started years ago and I did go thru a phase of reacting badly, screaming and swearing - for attention I think. I feel very embarrassed. He has given me no support during difficult times in my life. I feel very alone.

No one who knew me would recognise this post, people think I am a very lucky woman to have such a kind, handsome husband.

OP posts:
sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 15:08

Why doesn't he leave and go and do what he wants?

I have always wanted to be married to him, for him to get well and for us to have a good life. He has never said what he wants or done anything positive. We have DC because I got pregnant by accident, we bought the house because I did it, I am the main earner, I pick all the holidays, every day out, he makes no contribution to our lives other than the 'work' - he never starts a conversation. Recently I have decided he hates me and since the idea lodged in my head I can't stop feeling anxious and frightened. I have no family support at all and my good friends live far away.

OP posts:
SuperLoudPoppingAction · 24/09/2018 15:24

Are you able to forge some kind of a social network for yourself? A book or knitting group or something?
You would have every right to treat this as a situation you should leave right away, with your children, but if you feel you need more confidence social ties really help.
You might be better off after being able to see yourself in a different context.

sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 18:37

I have a wide social network but can't talk about this.Due to his childhood everyone just tells me how amazing he is and basically I am supposed to put up with it.

OP posts:
BackInTheRoom · 24/09/2018 22:34

Why doesn't he leave and go and do what he wants?

Why don't you ask him?

welshmist · 24/09/2018 22:40

I think he does hate you for whatever reason. So I would say your marriage is long over and you need to think of your child and your joint future.

sportsdirectmug · 24/09/2018 23:00

I've asked him loads of times and he just looks sad and says he wants to be here with me. When he's angry he says "Maybe I will" and storms off. Its very childish, I know.

OP posts:
BackInTheRoom · 25/09/2018 00:25

Have you looked into 'Attachment Theory' and 'Chaos Kids'?

MayFayner · 25/09/2018 00:37

Look who cares what he thinks. Maybe he does hate you. Let him. What do YOU think? What do YOU want? Do you like him? Do you like this life? You’re what, 43ish? You still have half your life to live. Let yourself be free.

MayFayner · 25/09/2018 00:38

Sorry... I can’t do paragraphs and I’m also Angry on your behalf.

user764329056 · 25/09/2018 00:39

You want a fantasy of this man rather than the reality of what he really is, in your position I would be making plans to end this relationship which sounds desperately sad and unhealthy

AgentJohnson · 25/09/2018 05:16

Why doesn’t he leave? Because he knows he will be a lot worse off if he did. He clearly doesn’t want to be on his own but he doesn’t want to put the effort in of being nice because he doesn’t have to be, you aren’t going anywhere. You are asking the wrong question, it isn’t ‘Is he trying to get me to leave?’ but it should be ‘why have I wasted so many years waiting for this angry, horrible, unpleasant, joyless man, to be someone he simply isn’t’?

Sweepouttheashes · 25/09/2018 05:17

Op this was my mum. She sucked the life and fun out of my lovely dad until he left her. Being with her is like being with a dark heavy cloud. She hasn’t changed since dad left, has no self awareness of how she affects others. The depression and anxiety make her feel she is worthless so she cannot understand why this should affect those around her. My sil married someone very similar. Like my mam he had an abusive childhood, has anxiety and depression, but won’t get help. I can’t stand to be around him he reminds me of my mam so much. These people don’t change op, for your own sake work on getting out.

AsleepAllDay · 25/09/2018 05:52

OP, find your joy elsewhere. You deserve a partner to do little things for and with you, and happiness

Doingreat · 25/09/2018 06:12

Dear God. Please don't punish yourself and your dc by staying with this miserable joysucking abusive man. This is abuse. You say you want to enjoy life before you become too ill to get around. What memories would you like to leave for your dc? What memories would you like to smile over when you are no longer as able-bodied? Most importantly, What are your dc learning about relationships from your marriage?