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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

Insecure or controlling?

126 replies

TwitchyWitch · 04/11/2019 13:40

Or both?

Seeing a man for about 5 months, went extremely well until recently. He is super reliable and seemed kind, easygoing, supportive, open to commitment etc. After lots of non-starters, I was delighted to be an in apparently good relationship, was walking around smiling unintentionally etc.

We live 40 or so mins apart, see each other at the weekend and sometimes one evening; and as I don't drive, he was doing the vast majority of the to'ing and fro'ing without complaint as well.

Earlier this month he seemed out out that I'd decided to attend an event on my own. Long story but I just preferred to go alone. I arranged something for us to do on sun evening instead (event was on Sat evening which we usually spend together) but he made several comments that suggested he found it odd, his nose was a bit out of joint and that he wondered why he wasn't invited/taken along and why I hadn't been clear with the hostess that I'm now in a steady relationship etc. I responded to these comments and there was no animosity or conflict - I was left wondering if maybe I should have explained more why I went alone instead of just doing my thing (I'm very independent) and leaving him wondering.

Halloween - my city has a event/festival type thing, I asked if he was coming to it with his family, he said no (past that age), I was going to watch part of the event but had no intention of going "out" in the city - until I got a last minute invite to join friend and her visitor from Germany, which I happily accepted since the atmosphere is great during the festival. I did not tell him about it and (to me) had no real reason to as we were not seeing each other.

During the evening, he texted (as we often do), he realised I was out at a bar/club type thing and, to my surprise, got quite annoyed ... He said numerous things among them that I'd already been away to a party on my own, had been to the cinema another night this week, now this - he felt i was "moving away from the relationship". I hadn't mentioned anything about it to him etc.

He seemed to get more ranty as he went on, until I finally cracked, shouted at him (I can't even remember clearly what) and he calmed down/backed down considerably and we ended the call in more reasonable terms.

During the rant, the behaviour seemed so out if character for the man I've known that I actually wondered if he was drinking/drunk (though he's a very light drinker) and asked him, which caused him to get offended and contributed to the rant.

Since then it's not been easy to talk about the "conversation" on Halloween night, but from what he's said, apparentlye he has strong feelings for me, cares a lot about the relationship, feels a bit insecure in it and is also a bit freaked out since I told him that I once cheated on an ex and that's stuck in his head.

He has been such a great guy up til now that I don't want to finish and I understand hearing someone had cheated (maybe I should learn to keep my mouth shut and that honesty isn't always the best policy) might make their partner worry ... But I'm extremely independent, sociable if given the chance and would like to take any social opportunities I get (I would no matter what but esp with us living 40mins or more apart and I also suffered depression after my last relationship ended and I was alone too much so want to build up a social scene).

He seems a bit embarrassed about the outburst/rant but it has me uneasy and I wonder is it surmountable insecurity or is he potentially controlling.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 10:46

It's a bit shitty that you cancelled plans with him, that would annoy me.

I haven't cancelled plans with him, unless you consider a precedent of seeing each other every Saturday/Sun since we got involved to be plans.

It was the first time since we started seeing each other that something else cropped up.on a Saturday night, it just happened to be something I didn't think he'd enjoy (and was only going to to pass myself and acknowledge a long term acquaintance's birthday).

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 10:49

Halloween night, he said he wasn't coming into town for it and then when I got the last min invite to join a group of girls going to a club type thing, I didn't contact him and ask him (for various reasons I've mentioned already). We had no plans and I wouldn't normally see him in a thurs night anyway.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 10:50

If one of us is going out we'll say "oh I'm going out with such and such on whatever day" and the other will say "ok cool" or "oh we were supposed to be doing x".

Seems reasonable.

OP posts:
FetchezLaVache · 05/11/2019 11:05

I think they're two separate issues. Re the party, he might have thought you were embarrassed of him - I'd be hurt if DP chose to exclude me from a friend's party, tbh.

But the Hallowe'en thing - what did he expect you to do in that situation? a) decline your friends' offer and go home on your own? b) ring him and get you to come and join you and two female friends, thereby completely changing the dynamic, for a night out you knew he wouldn't enjoy? or c) text him to notify him of your new plans, almost in the manner of asking permission? Any one of those three is a huge red flag, IMO.

glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 11:54

I think socialising separately is normal and healthy, and socialising only together is normal and healthy, it is choice.

However Why would you need your partner to be agreeable to you (both) doing your own thing sometimes "need" is the wrong word - it is more that when you are adults choosing to be in a relationship together it is about caring about how the other person feels. So wanting them to be agreeable because you care about how they feel. But if that makes you feel stifled and controlled it probably means you are in the wrong relationship.

glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 12:13

@AmIThough the op said already been away to a party on my own, had been to the cinema another night this week, now this - he felt i was "moving away from the relationship" and I took that to mean that he thought she was moving away from the relationship, and it was a communication problem, they hadn't talked about what they wanted in terms of socialising. And if they have been seeing each other for 5 months and then suddenly OP goes out a few times on her own and they hadn't talked, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to wonder, would it?

OP I couldn't have a relationship with someone who didn't want me to socialise away from them - I love doing women only stuff (as well as socialising with partner) and I have male friends and I would find it stifling to have to justify it. But I wouldn't mind being with someone who wanted reassurance and who wanted to know what I was up to. And I know women who only socialise with their partner out of choice. It is just a choice thing for you, what you want from a relationship.

TeaForTara · 05/11/2019 12:46

It's a bit of a red flag it could just be a mismatch in your expectations due to it being still early days in the relationship. My now-DH and I had quite a few misunderstandings and upsets in the early days due mainly to one of us assuming something which wasn't the case. We talked them through and developed a better understanding.

If you want to keep seeing him, try to talk it through, what happened and your expectations for future similar situations. Tell him that going out without him doesn't mean you're on the pull, because he could have got that impression. See if you can find an understanding which suits both of you. Otherwise you may just be incompatible.

For me, if his main problem is that you didn't tell him, and he thought you were being deceitful, I'd try to reassure him. If his main problem is that he doesn't want you going anywhere without him, then dump him.

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 13:03

So wanting them to be agreeable because you care about how they feel

What I'm wondering is why they'd feel anything (negative) about you doing things separately.

A couple of posters have said they'd feel annoyed/pissed off if their bf was our without them or without telling them .. I genuinely struggle to think of any healthy, positive reason for that that.

Seriously if you feel you can't trust someone, why are you trying to have a relationship with them at all.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 13:03

*out

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 13:08

This is obviously presuming that your partner socialises with you plenty as well and doesn't neglect you.

I've seen this man every Saturday-sun since we started going out. And some weekday evenings too.

I've made it very clear I'm looking for a commiteed, solid relationship that moves towards (eventually) marriage and possibly children. I've shown an interest in his family and socialised with them, he's met my family. I've organised stuff for us to do, to add to the standard meals out, dvd, walks etc.

This (the party) is the first thing in 5 months that had clashed with a sat evening and I've organised something in substitution for us to do the next evening.

I've been out to things mid week in occasion with same sex groups before and this Halloween night out is the first time he's had a problem with. How was I supposed to psychically know it would be.

But I would t be not going anyway, therecs no decent reason why I wouldn't. I wasn't seeing him that night and he wouldn't have been into it.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 13:14

For me, if his main problem is that you didn't tell him, and he thought you were being deceitful, I'd try to reassure him

Why do I have to tell him, beforehand, about last minute social plans. I had a fast turnaround, I told him when we were in contact later that evening. If I was deceitful I wouldn't have mentioned I was out socially (!)

If he got a last minute invite out to pub/gig etc in his area, I wouldn't expect him to contact me to tell me before he went. I'd expect hd might naturally talk about it when we were next in contact.

OP posts:
Whatisthisfuckery · 05/11/2019 13:37

Nah OP I wouldn’t be having that. I have a semi LDR with DP who lives about an hour away. If one of us is going out we just say, ‘oh, I’m going out on x night,’ and the other one just goes ‘cool, where you going?’

If DP wants to do something on a night we usually spend together I wouldn’t have a problem. I certainly wouldn’t jump straight to the conclusion that they’re going to meet an ex or whatever, that’s nuts.

You need to watch this, otherwise you’ll start feeling guilty about going out, then you’ll start worrying about him kicking off when you do, then you’ll start declining invites. I have had this with an ex. It creeps up without you noticing, and by the time you notice you’ve become distant from your friends and the invites have stopped. Put an immediate stop to it now before you become that boiled frog.

BumbleBeee69 · 05/11/2019 13:50

Controlling as fuck Flowers

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 14:20

Re the party, he might have thought you were embarrassed of him - I'd be hurt if DP chose to exclude me from a friend's party, tbh.

I agree that perhaps I should've gave explained my reasons for not inviting him along more clearly.

I'd thought that telling him that I was not expecting to enjoying and was only going to pass myself; was enough to imply that I thought it wasn't worth him going to and I didn't think he'd enjoy it either.

But tbh I also think that some people (of whom I am obviously one) just like to do something alone occasionally, for a change, and do they don't have to be concerned about the other person's enjoyment ... Sometimes you need a time out or z bit of independent time. I thought he might get that, apparently not.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 14:22

*enjoy it

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 14:22

*him going too

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 14:32

But the Hallowe'en thing - what did he expect you to do in that situation? a) decline your friends' offer and go home on your own? b) ring him and get you to come and join you and two female friends, thereby completely changing the dynamic, for a night out you knew he wouldn't enjoy? or c) text him to notify him of your new plans, almost in the manner of asking permission?

Exactly.

I don't find it reasonable behaviour, I don't think I should've been there having to defend myself on Halloween night, it makes me v uneasy.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 14:43

(for the sake of accuracy my friend's invite was before I was out for the main festival type thing - it was in the afternoon at work.

But I had to rush to finish what I was working on because I'd been allowed the next day off by boss, get home, get dinner, cobble costume together, change, get out again for 8ish. (I usually work til 6). I did not think it was necessary to contact him during that time to tell him I was now going out for drink/dance with a friend and her visitor. For one thing we weren't meeting that night - had no plans with him & wouldn't usually meet him on that night anyway).

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 14:46

I've never been in a relationship in which I had to inform a bf in advance of social plans that didn't affect him, or Vice Versa.

OP posts:
glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 14:51

What I'm wondering is why they'd feel anything (negative) about you doing things separately* it isn't about doing things separately being an issue, it is about talking to him about what you are doing and both of your feeling happy and that you know what the other person is up to, together or separately, doesn't matter as long as you are both happy.

From your latest responses it looks like this is all after the event anyway and you have split up or decided to split up, I wouldn't worry about it, neither of you have done anything wrong, just sounds like things ran their natural course.

BeUpStanding · 05/11/2019 14:55

You did absolutely nothing wrong. As someone said earlier, he's had two strikes now... tell him one more and he's out. How he reacts will tell you everything you need to know.

"Sorry Twitchy - I was being insecure and my behaviour wasn't reasonable" = fair enough. If it happens again though I'll have to seriously consider whether we're compatible.

"You're wrong / harsh / mean / whatever. I was only upset because I care about you." = Third strike.

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 15:54

it is about talking to him about what you are doing and both of your feeling happy and that you know what the other person is up to, together or separately

That you know what the other person is up to.

I'm not trying to be rude but do you have any idea how controlling that sounds?

What does it matter in a relationship (esp with people who don't live together and have no kids together) if you know what the other person is "up to" during times when you're not seeing them. Why would you need to know - if it's a good relationship.

Why would I need to let him know what I'm doing, and why would I need to know what he's doing?

Unless you don't trust someone, in which case you need to finish the relationship, why would anyone need to know (beforehand or at all) that their bf is going to play a couple of games of pool and drink 2 pints at the bar with a mate ..or that their gf is going to chat with her mates and drink a couple of her favourite tipples with her mate?

If it comes up naturally in conversation, which it probably will sooner or later; but contacting them to discuss it (check in with parole officer) on purpose, beforehand?!

I must be really obtuse because I don't get how that's reasonable.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 15:56

Sorry, too many mates in that sentence!

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 16:04

I knew we'd probably be in touch later that evening when I talk about having joined my friend and her visitor for drinks, which is what I did. That's it coming up naturally in conversation.

Not me having to stop in the middle of work or getting ready or going out to contact someone who's 40 mins away, who would t be free to join you, whose scene it wouldn't be, and who would totally change the dynamic (as another poster mentioned) ... and tell them I plan to go for a drink and possibly a dance in my hometown with two other girls; so that I dont get chewed out later ... That to me is a sign you're in a controlling relationship.

OP posts:
Itsallpointless · 05/11/2019 16:14

OP, you KNOW he's controlling, and you don't need to justify your behaviour to anyone on this forum.

You've done nothing, that two grown adults couldn't discuss and resolve, without any conflict whatsoever. He is showing his true colours.

Life is too short for this shitHmm

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