Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Confronting DH about his sulking...part2

977 replies

jamaisjedors · 04/02/2019 12:12

New thread :
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/3448545-Confronting-DH-about-his-sulking?msgid=84022238

First one is running out of space due to all the amazing support I have had from all you mners!

To summarize, H is a serious sulker, gives me the silent treatment to get his own way or to "punish" me.

I was ready to leave, almost out the door over Christmas/New year.

Things have calmed down now as he has agreed to see a psychotherapist and suggested marriage counselling. I have my own psychotherapist.

Now trying to work through why on earth this has happened and make a calm, rational decision about my future and our family's future.

OP posts:
Happynow001 · 25/02/2019 21:02

Agree with the previous posters: ensure you have your plans fully and legally complete and in place (including private papers/financial, mortgage, pension info etc., passports, stored safely where he cannot access them. secure accounts - change banking passwords etc) - just in case things become aggressive.

LizzieSiddal · 26/02/2019 08:25

Another one saying please don’t tell him yet.
Get everyone practical in place so you can walk out of the door, if needs be, the minute after you’ve told him. If his past behaviour towards you is anything to go by, he will not want to make you leaving, easy.

saccade · 26/02/2019 09:38

The sexual coercion was stomach turning to read. I cannot imagine you find this individual attractive at the moment given the hell he puts you through, not to mention the barriers re your own initiation you’d asked him to respect. What kind of person would coerce this from someone they profess to love? And please ensure there is not a risk of pregnancy, as you cannot put a plan like this beyond him.

Fairenuff · 26/02/2019 09:39

Maybe talk to the marriage counsellor how he doesn't seem to respect your boundaries when you say no to sex or intimate touching. He needs to be told so stop that at once.

jamaisjedors · 26/02/2019 16:29

Good idea.

OP posts:
FrozenMargarita17 · 27/02/2019 12:44

Strength to you, OP. I've read both your threads and I think you've put in a lot of work and thought to this situation and it is very clear he will not change. I would absolutely make finding somewhere to live a priority and I would go to the couples counselling and request your focus be on co-parenting amicably. I bet you will feel 100% lighter once you do not have to constantly watch for the next thing.

MonaChopsis · 01/03/2019 19:16

How are you doing, OP? How did your counselling session go tonight?

jamaisjedors · 02/03/2019 07:43

Hi,
My counselling session on Monday went well, I talked a lot of things through.

She said that in my head I had already gone (I think this is true), whereas H doesn't seem to have understood that I am serious and is still behaving as if having a nice holiday together and a bit of "quality time" is enough to fix us.

I think she's right. I got a bit down this week because it's hard to find somewhere to live in the area I want to move to, but something has come up and I can visit it on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, H has come home from his work trip. We weren't speaking before he went away and he didn't contact me at all while he was gone.

Last night in bed he asked if I was still angry.

I calmly said that he was then one not speaking to me and I didn't know why.

He started to try and play his "game" of making me guess and telling me he was sure I knew really if I just thought about.

In the end it turned out that on the last morning of the holiday he was cross because our friend made a joke about him which I laughed a bit too heartily at.

He was asking if anyone at breakfast wanted sugar, and she jokingly said he was asking because he wanted someone else to go and get it for him. I laughed quite a lot because this is something he does, and even the kids have pointed it out.

Anyway, it turns out in his head I was the one who made a mockery of him in front of everyone and that this hurt his feelings a lot.

Hence not speaking to me for a week.

I see how far I have come now because I just felt really distant from all of this, and also I am kind of blown away by how I put up with this crap in this past, let myself "hear his pain" and let a week's silence go by in anguish.

He brought up something about his sister bossing people around (to prove to me how hard it was to go on holiday with her).

I then pointed out that the way she insists she is always right and won't let the other person make their own decision, is exactly what he does every day in our relationship.

He had nothing to say to that.

As usual, he rolled over and went to sleep, I didn't, and now I'm knackered despite having hoped for an early night.

I have a nice weekend lined up though, hairdresser's, lunch with a friend, and then cinema tomorrow with friends too so will be out of the house a lot.

OP posts:
user1494670108 · 02/03/2019 07:49

Op, you sound like you are thinking and seeing him really clearly now and the scales have definitely fallen from your eyes!
His behaviour has reverted so quickly - a week long sulk about a joke which hits the mark, how utterly ridiculous but you are no longer emotionally engaged with it.
I hope you find a lovely house v soon

LizzieSiddal · 02/03/2019 08:20

You have indeed come such a long way, and in a relatively short period of time.Flowers

I found the “game” where he makes you guess, why he hasn’t spoken to you for a week, shocking.
But you soon won’t have to deal with this bullshit. I hope you find your house very soon.

RandomMess · 02/03/2019 09:19

What an arse, bloody hell. Playing the game of why he was punishing you Shock I'd have told him that there is nothing that justifies an adult sulking!

Glad you've detached and are preparing to leave.

Fairenuff · 02/03/2019 09:27

I'm surprised you even entertain his silliness. I would have told him that it didn't matter, I wasn't that interested, if it was important he would tell me.

Let's hope the house is suitable for you.

Prepare for him to start the 'nice' cycle again. Sigh. It's all so tedious and predictable isn't it. Imagine your own home, your own décor, your own music and your own peace. It will be lovely OP. I'm excited for you.

TowelNumber42 · 02/03/2019 09:33

Have a lovely weekend and good luck on Monday. He hasn'r changed one bit has he?

Haffdonga · 02/03/2019 11:09

Well all those promises to make an effort didn't last long, did they? A week's sulking for you laughing?!

Can I ask respectfully why you allowed him to play the passive aggressive you should know why I'm upset guessing game? Isn't that rewarding his sulk with lots of poor DH attention (What's the matter? Why don't you tell me? Are you upset about this? No? Is it that?)

Could you just say If you want me to know why you are upset then tell me. If you don't tell me then I assume it's not important

Ball in court. Plonk. Forget.

TowelNumber42 · 02/03/2019 11:25

The scales really have fallen from your eyes haven't they?

Next time he tries to play his games what will you do?

jamaisjedors · 02/03/2019 15:49

Actually I didn't play the game much this time.

He started trying to make me guess, saying I MUST know what I had done because I had done it deliberately to hurt him...

I said firmly, "I don't know. If I've done something to upset you, you need to tell me what it is. This is not a game."

He then asked me, "what do you want me to do? When I'm angry I need to show it in front of everyone, is that what you want?"

I asked if he was really asking me a question or if this was rhetorical.

I was stupified that he still thinks it was a good idea to ignore me for a week to show me his anger, and that at no point it occured to him to let me know what was going on.

And this after all the endless discussions we have had.

I need to find a house and get out of here, I can't do this anymore, he has no idea that his behaviour is unreasonable, even when I specifically point it out.

Otherwise, had a very nice day and am only back home now.

I think H is lying down upstairs so I am staying downstairs with the DC.

I have nice things lined up for tomorrow too.

OP posts:
jamaisjedors · 02/03/2019 15:50

Can I ask respectfully why you allowed him to play the passive aggressive you should know why I'm upset guessing game? Isn't that rewarding his sulk with lots of poor DH attention (What's the matter? Why don't you tell me? Are you upset about this? No? Is it that?)

This is what I have done in the past, and what I emphatically refused to do this week. Last night it seemed like he wanted to tell me, and I was curious, so I let him tell me, but pointed out clearly that I was not going to play a guessing game.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 02/03/2019 15:55

What a nob he is Angry

FinallyHere · 02/03/2019 16:00

pointed out clearly that I was not going to play a guessing game.

Good on you jamais

pointythings · 02/03/2019 16:28

I can't wait for the update from you that says you have moved out with the DC and are petitioning for a divorce.

But seriously, you're seeing him with crystal clarity now. Well done.

BumbleBeee69 · 02/03/2019 16:46

Christ OP he is literally exhausting me just reading about him. Hmm

Haffdonga · 02/03/2019 16:48

Wow. well done Jamais. Sounds like he just has no comprehension of what he's set to lose.

Weenurse · 02/03/2019 22:24

He did revert to sulks very quickly.
Good on you for refusing to play the game

Gruzinkerbell1 · 02/03/2019 22:35

Oh Jamais. I followed your first thread and was so hopeful for you that things might change. He's returned to form very quickly and I'm very sorry that you've gone through that yet again.

But, crucially, things have changed. Perhaps not in the way you had hoped, but you lady have changed. You sound so much stronger and collected. You don't sound anxious or worried. You sound Level and determined. What a transformation! The fog has cleared and you are so ready now.

Bravo! Good on you. I'm cheering you on from the sidelines. Hope you like the house on Monday.

billybagpuss · 03/03/2019 11:16

Wow, I've just caught up on the thread having not seen it since probably New year. First of all well done, you are so strong and wishing you all the luck for the house search.

I can not believe that he still thinks sulking last week was a good idea. Especially over an incident that was over before it began and was so unimportant in everyone else's conscience yet in his he blows it all out of proportion, and has he not learnt that sulking as a punishment doesn't work?