Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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

Unfulfilled promise

56 replies

ghi30lkr · 09/09/2019 09:03

Not sure what to do anymore. I need space/quiet time in my life to be fully happy and functional. This means totally alone me-time at home, where I have this total silence, or the music I like to listen to, or whatever other conditions I need. To be away from everyone and everything. I have a full time Mon-Fri work and very social hobby couple of hours per week. So I really need a couple of hours per week my alone time as well. My partner however has nothing going on in his life except his full-time job during similar hours than mine and thus is always at home after work and during weekends. When we moved in together, I tried to adjust and deal with it. But the more time passed, the more difficult it was for me. I tried going walks alone or staying longer to work, but that does not help. I suggested him things to do alone outside, but he has not picked anything up. To be honest, I have told him from the beginning that I need space in relationship, he says OK, but then nothing happens. I finally started saying directly that I really need some alone time at home to be fully functional. It seemed he finally really understood it. He found a group activity he could like. But has now delayed joining the activity for a few months. Every month he says that he will start the next month.

I get that it is totally unfair for him to tell him to get out of the house, but my need to be alone is something I cannot cope without. I have suggested we are not compatible due to this and perhaps we should not be together, because I really do not want to make him uncomfortable. But he said that no, he wanted to stay together and that he would find a way to give me my time. Moreover, he often says he needs to be active and healthy as well, so a group activity with training aspect in it would benefit him. I have waited for months now, and this anticipation has kept me going. But now I get the feeling that it will not happen anytime soon.

I'm afraid to ask him the question whether he starts his activity or not. Because I'm not sure what to do when he says "no".

I have tried to adjust with it for a year now and while I have gotten more used to not having my own time, I still feel constant irritation inside myself. It also exhibits itself in my behavior towards him, when the need to be alone escalates - I am withdrawn and somewhat pouting and I cannot help it.

He is mostly a good man and it feels silly to break up over such thing. But I also feel silly that I just accept that my most important need will not be fulfilled. I also feel silly of even needing what I need, especially as I have already coped for a year and perhaps it gets better over time. Perhaps I'm most upset because of him promising me for months something and than not fulfilling his promise.

I just do not know how to handle it, to be honest. I must ask him, because just ignoring it does not help. But how to handle the answer, I really do not know.

OP posts:
TheCatInAHat · 11/09/2019 07:46

I get the needing time alone- both me and DH need this. I think you are incompatible unfortunately.

Loopytiles · 11/09/2019 07:52

Does he have and see his friends and family? Have interests he actively spends time on, alone or with others?

If not, those are red flags.

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 11/09/2019 07:53

He sounds like an utter limpet. You sound totally incompatible to me. Some people like to live glued to their partner, some don't, but you must both be the same type to be happy.

CodenameVillanelle · 11/09/2019 08:06

If she needs alone time for good mental health then it is a need.

AMAM8916 · 11/09/2019 10:34

I don't think you are being very fair here. Some people have full time jobs and like to just relax at home, watch TV etc and really aren't interested in hobbies. Pushing him to find a hobby so you can be alone is unreasonable. He doesn't want a hobby by the sounds of it but you're pushing. I'm sure your house has more than one room so what's wrong with saying you're away to the bedroom for some chill out time? Unless he constantly wants to be beside you (which it doesn't seem like he does, he just enjoys being at home more than out) there's ways you can have time alone.

Do you not think that by needing this time alone, as in him having to physically leave his own house, the issue lies with you and not him?

Loopytiles · 11/09/2019 11:17

It’s possible to have time alone in a house or flat without your partner physically doing on.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread