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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

subtle blame shifting - being made to feel crazy?

11 replies

tatkin · 24/03/2019 15:36

Sorry, old time poster and lurker but created a new account.

I really resisted posting this as it somehow feels disloyal, but I don't want to moan to my mother and I'd value a dispassionate opinion on whether I am wrong/oversensitive or plain crazy.

Been with DH since university, we are now late 40s two children both work part time. Share looking after children, household tasks, jobs are on an equal par, etc. He is A Good Man. Not overtly angry, slow to rouse, patient etc. Great, you say. However I feel that if anything goes wrong, or I express myself in a way that he finds annoying I get blamed, or he deflects, or minimises or engages in whataboutism so I am left feerling like I am crazy, hormonal (because of course, he doesn't have any) or

I should say that when I met him I had a breakdown following a rape on my year abroad, I spent two weeks in a psych hospital and his parents wanted him to leave me, but he stuck by me. Of course, it means it's easy to brand me crazy, irrational and neurotic and hormonal. But if you were to ask people, and my mother, they'd tell you that I was very sorted and manage my emotions fairly well.

In our twenties we lived the party lifestyle, drank lots too. With children and perimenopause I don't drink, he does, a fair bit, and I feel I see things a lot more clearly.

I realise that he always deflects the blame onto me. He just cannot say sorry (I can see why that might be from his upbringning) and it is driving me crazy.

examples would be blaming our children's behaviour on me being gloomy

not caring about his parents (recent bereavement and mental health and money issues) but I have been told "it's none of my business" so I am hesitant to ask

MIL almost moved into road near us and he didn't tell me until I found leaflets, but that was my fault because I'd react badly and I'm a nightmare...

When venting about a difficult cat to cat integration we are doing at the moment that isn't going well, saying in front of kids that I don't care about his problems (actually last night I listened to him for a fair amount of time him venting) and when I asked "hey, what the ...?" I get told that I need to manage my stress for the good of the household.

In fact that's the default - anything he doesn't like - it's all me, all my neurotic stress that is casting a great shadow. If that doesn't work I get told to eat some of my Buddhist bullshit (I meditate) or to go and have a lie down.

It leaves me feeling chastised, or else mad, and when I've got over it (by the way, I don't get mad, I just go quiet a bit I guess - I enable it I think) I still feel like I've lost trust, like he really has a low opinion of him

I even think I got HRT partly because he got me thinking I was off the scale moody (I don't think I was)

I honestly think he preferred the younger, more overweight, hungover insecure person rather than the non-drinking runner (I'm not selling myself here :) I am now.

Sometimes I feel I can't relax in my own homwe. He gives a constant running commentary of all the chores he's done which make me feel like I am being lazy - once he vented about all the laundry and accused me of not doing enough post-dinner clearing while I had bleach and gloves in my hand. Yet if I interrupt his tidying I get huffed at.

It's like I can't win. He seems so low level angry with me - he probably doesn't even know it himself and bringing it up will result in being told I am mad.

OP posts:
tatkin · 24/03/2019 15:38

sorry, that meant to read "...like he really has a low opinion of ME"

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 24/03/2019 15:57

I honestly think he preferred the younger, more overweight, hungover insecure person rather than the non-drinking runner (I'm not selling myself here :) I am now.

Could he be insecure, and finds putting you down feeds his ego. Shudder.

Thehop · 24/03/2019 16:13

I honestly couldn’t live with someone like this I would leave/

QueenEhlana · 24/03/2019 16:24

It's like I can't win - well no, you can't. That's the whole point of his behaviour. He absolutely will never allow you to 'win'. Everything will always be your fault. Nothing will ever be his.

It's an exhausting way to live, and really, shows his lack of respect for you.

I suggest some serious counselling for you to work out why you have tolerated such behaviour for such a long time. You could try couple's counselling, but TBH I can't see it working, as he would just use it to make you look even crazier and 'more wrong', a clever trick of many abusers.

UserFran43 · 24/03/2019 17:13

Quite frankly he sounds awful, and very similar to an experience of my own. You are clearly very insightful and aware of what is going on. It is likely he feels insecure that your qualities far outweigh his own and uses belittlement to stroke his ego. I second pp's suggestion of individual counselling to explore the reasons that you tolerate this behaviour. What do you want to do?

MMmomDD · 24/03/2019 17:25

It’s hard to tell what’s what here.
But does sound like you both are tired of each other. And a lot of things - resentments - seem to have accumulated over the years.

If you imagine your life without him - does it seem like a happy thought? If yes - your life isn’t over yet and you can change it.
If no - maybe couples counselling?

junebirthdaygirl · 24/03/2019 17:56

When you say you stay quiet could you change tactics by putting your hands on your hips and letting RIP. Shock him as he has got into a nasty habit and needs to stop . If he doesn't wake up to what he is doing you may have to begin a new life by yourself.
How dare he harp on about something that happened years ago as is it you thinking he is thinking that...does he actually say it?

ifeeltheneedtheneedforspeed · 24/03/2019 19:29

I know exactly what your are going through, I'm living it daily too. It's relentless and exhausting. Absolutely everything is my fault! If I point this out to him that he uses me as an excuse and blames me ....he says it's because of 'how I am' so again it's my fault 🙈 it's at the stage where I want a divorce but too scared to act on it.

tatkin · 24/03/2019 20:06

Thank you for answering. Things to think sbout. I don’t want to leave - it’s frustrating and makes me sad but it isnt that that severe and jt crops up one a week, not every day.

Its frustrating because it’s such an ingrained way he has of dealing with uncomfortable emotions - his psychological makeup doesn’t have space for self questioning and accepting fault. Even driving - everyone’s a dick and a terrible driver ... they must all avoid me when i drive because i never see them! (But then i reminded that i don’t drive) sometimes it’s the equivalent of the mother at school greeting the working mother with a „hi, don’t see you here

I think i notice all this because since we both work part time but my hours are early so he does more school runs and weekends when i am on shift he needs to assert his dominance in the domestic sphere, hence the commentary about chores and and shopping and nitpicking over laundry...

Otherwise he is friendly and generous and funny but this behaviour pushes me away and i dont know what to do - i guess call him out and have boundaries?

OP posts:
tatkin · 24/03/2019 20:14

I should add i grew up with an abusive father (violent outbursts in the house, not directex at me so much) 6-month long silences, he comittted suicide when i had left home)

So i guess because dh is nice, i overlook this.

His dad died this year and his mum fell apart so i’ve cut him a lot of slack

My mum said something interesting (she likes him a lot) that he never shows emotions, and the penny dropped - it’s true. Weird

OP posts:
SconesandTea · 24/03/2019 21:27

I'm on the fence.

Not telling you about the MIL - not acceptable

Putting down in front of kids - not acceptable

Does he have a point about your mood affecting the children, any evidence for this?

Does he want to talk about feelings of recent bereavement but is overwhelmed?

He sounds like a bit of a crusader who likes to be beyond criticism. Can you think back to when your life was more spontaneous and joyful, what were you doing then, can you incorporate more of that?

Overall I'd sit down and have a chat with him and set out what you appreciate but let him know he's creating a sort of hell for you both, and can he be kinder to the both of you.

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