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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

Why do I feel so awful

197 replies

Melandre · 14/01/2019 08:40

I’ll try and keep this short.

For Xmas I bought dp tickets to an exhibition and talk about his hobby. He also shares this hobby with his db and while I thought the exhibition etc sounded quite interesting, I offered the extra ticket to dp’s db as they haven’t spent the day together without partners in ages and I knew they’d both really enjoy it. This was on Saturday. Waved them off at noon knowing they’d go for a drink after it finished (around 5). Dp and I had plans to chat about our wedding planning that evening.

Dp is not home til 11pm, absolutely rolling drunk. Around 9pm I tentatively asked for his eta which had not been forthcoming. From then on it was nasty texts “why are you being difficult about me spending time with my brother”/“you’re controlling”/“you don’t let me spend time with my family and friends”. He also had a drunken rant at me on the phone. The next morning he was a little apologetic but I told him straight that’s I’d been disappointed he hadn’t kept in touch and a vague eta would have just been courteous (it wasn’t my ideal to end up spending my Saturday evening in front of Netflix) He then was angrily telling me that he and his brother had bee having gone very important conversation about the brothers “mental health issues” (which I didn’t know about). Ergo I am a bitch.

Cue nasty rant and sulking from dp all Sunday. Yet again I am controlling, I have issues with him going out. His displays of contempt ranged from: ignoring me and scrolling through his phone when I was standing right in front of him, shutting the door in my face when I was talking, refusing to have breakfast with me, refusing to come out on our planned walk (then relenting when I begged him not to ruin the day, and coming out but shouting at me in the street, sneering at my tears, threatening to go home.)

Context: dp has after work drinks at least once a week, he spent Xmas at his family’s house, he had 5 trips away last year without me, he works away for 4 day stints every other month, we meet up with his family at least monthly, he’s going to a family event next Friday/Saturday, he goes on a big night out (which writes off the whole next day with hangover) probably monthly. He actually has a very independent life and I am very used to being on my own. I do all our housework except washing up. I do all our admin. I have planned our wedding.

I feel terrible that he thinks I’m controlljng. I don’t know what to do differently. As in the case of this weekend with the present for him and his brother, I never would have expected to be accused of being controlling. I can’t get it out of my head and I feel so rubbish. Keep thinking about dps contemptuous face and the door slamming in my face. I feel like I could be the perfect cool girlfriend and it would never be enough for dp. He never tells me when he will be home, he always gets smashed when he drinks (and nasty when he’s drunk, or otherwise way ott affectionate- sometimes from one minute to the next).

He says he loves me but why does it feel so fucking awful right now.

OP posts:
Melandre · 15/01/2019 10:50

Just spoke to him on the phone. He said he was worried he “ruined everything”. But when I said that yes I did feel very hurt, confused and worried about what had happened last night, he irritably was like “I already apologised for that” and then said that because he had missed 2 days of his AD dose he had just been feeling bad, but not to worry about him (despite the suicidal claim!!!?) because it was “just a setback”.
It feels like his “concern” about how he’s affected me or the relationship isn’t real. He just wants to carry on as is.
He says he will do his best to reassure me.
I don’t want reassurance. I can’t get the panic out of my mind. I’m so angry that we had an ok Xmas together and I really thought things were going to be ok and they are still fucking awful.
Its so frustrating not being taken seriously about this that I want to scream! I can’t focus on anything. I’m so exhausted. If I tell him to go to his brothers it will turn into threats and nastiness from him. I’ll panic and change my mind. I feel so weak, like I just want to never go home. What a mindfuck.

OP posts:
Wordthe · 15/01/2019 10:51

I can't be less than I am.... actually he would rather that I was
This is it, he wants you to be the lesser person so that he can be the greater person
the only way that he can be better than you if it is if he breaks you down and destroys you
this is what he wants to do
you have to escape or be destroyed

Wordthe · 15/01/2019 10:52

You cannot negotiate with an abusive person
in order for there to be a negotiation both parties need to see the others point of view and need to be prepared to make concessions
He does not make concessions
his game is win at all costs
Your game is let's be nice and help each other
these two games are not compatible

Wordthe · 15/01/2019 10:53

His 'reassurance' is not designed to help you, it is designed to help him

Namechangedforthis79 · 15/01/2019 11:02

Please can you try and reach out to someone in real life and tell them what's going on so that they can help you to stay strong. You have nothing to be ashamed of you have not done anything wrong and it's not a sign of weakness to find yourself in an abusive relationship.

AtrociousCircumstance · 15/01/2019 11:17

You just have to figure out the easiest way to end this relationship. Can you move somewhere else/stay with family/friends? Collect your things when he’s not there?

Just make a plan that feels like the least scary course of action.

You don’t have to inform him of it first, you can do it and then write to him.

Melandre · 15/01/2019 11:23

The thing is I just want to believe that he’s treating his anxiety and mood issues, that we will be ok and be able to reach normalcy with mutual respect and the ability to air grievances and be fully myself. But that feels like a pipe dream. He is in no state to get married, become a parent, etc. Maybe I’m not either (but actually I feel like I’ve been the adult in this relationship for a long time. I feel so let down by how it’s tjrned out.)
We both rent together. I would have to leave and stay at a hotel which I can’t really afford. Unless I took annual leave which wouldn’t be logistically easy. I sense it would be tough to get him to go now. I should’ve let him go last night. I’m an idiot.
A part of me wants to keep supporting him, see this as a setback that we can move on from. But it feels like the MH issues are secondary to his control issues. Maybe we aren’t compatible. Maybe he’d be a great partner to someone else. It’s so crushing and feels so bad to have been so wrong about someone.
Right now I feel paralysed, I do know that I don’t want to go home tonight.

OP posts:
Melandre · 15/01/2019 11:24

But I don’t want him to see me not going home as some kind of dramatic statement. And I don’t trust myself not to get sucked back which would make it all for nothing. I just need. A. Break. To get my head together

OP posts:
CharlyAngelic · 15/01/2019 11:32

Keep posting here , @Melandre . It will help.
In a way , it is good you are renting , not on joint mortgage , or married , with children .
There are so many people on here trying to guide you. Many have been there or are still there. Please do not marry this guy. Is there any where you can stay ? You said earlier he could go to his brother's. Perhaps you could word it by saying you are worried about his brother and you think the brother would benefit from him staying with him for a week or two or forever( do not say forever though ).

Wordthe · 15/01/2019 11:36

The anxiety and the moody issues are the perfect way to control you
he will want to keep them so that he can use them

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 15/01/2019 11:37

I think you need to ask him to stay at his brother's so you can have some space.

Or do you have friends/family you could stay with while you sort your thoughts out?

AtrociousCircumstance · 15/01/2019 11:40

The pipe dream of all being well with a bit of work is just a fantasy, and if you allow it to control your decisions you will waste more of your life in misery OP.

Look into renting a room in a house short term? Hoping he leaves makes you entirely dependent on his whims.

Wordthe · 15/01/2019 11:42

Is a house share an option for you?

Mammabear88 · 15/01/2019 11:45

Umm I would be calling off the f#@$ing wedding. My partner and I'l have had some doosies but wow, this is just plain nasty. You paid for a night out, gave tix to partners brother and copped abuse from him when you asked when he might be home?! Run! Run for the hills. .

TougheningUp · 15/01/2019 11:48

The thing is I just want to believe that he’s treating his anxiety and mood issues, that we will be ok and be able to reach normalcy with mutual respect and the ability to air grievances and be fully myself.

Lots of people are depressed or anxious and manage to not abuse their partners. His abuse of you has nothing to do with his poor mental health. It's about control. He is choosing to do this and he will continue to behave like this because it works for him.

Your only options are to continue living with his abuse; or to leave him, and be free of the abuse. That's all. He isn't going to get better because this isn't an illness that's making him the way he is, it's how he chooses to behave.

Yabbers · 15/01/2019 11:49

Stay strong. "Because I can't afford rent" is not a good reason to keep a relationship going.

Only you will know, deep down, if you have a tendency to want to be controlling. It doesn't sound like it from what you've written.

And maybe there are reasons why your relationships have failed in the past and there are some things about you you want to change.

But - and it's an important but - it really doesn't sound like this is the guy who is willing to change with you. This guy isn't picking on things that need to change, this guy doesn't want you to debate. That's a huge red flag. You keep saying "if I hadn't snapped it would all be ok". Anyone in a relationship should expect the other to fuck to once in a while. To turn your fuck up into such a big deal is completely wrong.

Forget space. Forget "for a while". Just get out and be happy.

Blobby10 · 15/01/2019 11:50

I have a friend who is going through something similar - both parties saying very vicious things when drunk and/or angry and expecting the other to 'forget it' once everything has calmed down.

My personal opinion is that what is said when drunk or out of your mind angry is those persons true feelings and they have to come from somewhere however suppressed they normally are.

If you can live with this knowledge, stay together. But if not then leave now. You can love someone but not be able to live with them.

Melandre · 15/01/2019 11:55

Another great post. Thankyou.
I don’t want to be controlling. I know I don’t. I know that I have very little idea of what is to be expected in a normal relationship and whether my expectations are too high or whatever. I don’t trust my reactions to things. God knows I’m not perfect but I know I try as hard as I can to look after him and build our life together. He can be very careless and thoughtless and I can be very emotional. It’s a shit combination. He says I don’t communicate my needs to him but then if I do eg. On Sunday, he doesn’t like it. I have got nervous about disagreeing. But he says that’s how he feels around me. Who is right?!

OP posts:
Tiredmum100 · 15/01/2019 11:57

Ask yourself if you want a life time of this. I had an ex who sounded similar. He drained all my energy in the end and my love for him died. I am so much happier now.

AtrociousCircumstance · 15/01/2019 11:59

Doesn’t matter who's right - the relationship is wrong.

But from everything you say it just seems to be him being an arsehole and then him criticising you for how you respond to him being an arsehole.

ShatnersWig · 15/01/2019 11:59

I don’t want to be controlling

For the umpteenth time, you aren't!

jessstan2 · 15/01/2019 12:03

I seriously hope you will get out of this relationship, it sounds horrific.
You can do better, surely?

Wordthe · 15/01/2019 12:03

You seem to be going round and round in circles in your mind OP

Mix56 · 15/01/2019 12:18

Hang on, you are allowed to say anything you want, avoiding saying things is because he will kick off. You are adjusting your behaviour to pacify him. This is because he is manipulating you, gaslighting is a devious art.
Try doing & saying exactly what you want^^ this evening, don't run around after him, cook his dinner, see how long ut is until he accuses you of something, at which point you say" if you don't like me, leave"
Job done

cafesociety · 15/01/2019 12:28

You talk as if the relationship is still in the present. It should be now progressing rapidly to being a relationship which is over. Please stop blaming yourself for the behaviour of someone who only has their own interests at heart...not yours, never yours.

You are not controlling, you are not listening to the posts reassuring you of this. You can't fix him, things will not be any different no matter how much you prevaricate, dither and fantasise about the life you would like it to be. The reality is not going to go away.

Plan for a future without your abuser. Get counselling, find support. Move forward. I know it's tough, it's the hardest. But don't waste any more weeks/months on a situation when the outcome will just be more of the same. More manipulation, more disrespect and scorn which destroys your self respect. Refuse to accept this. Reread your first posts today when you were focussed.