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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

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 16:28

It's interesting that some posters are saying "controlling" and others are saying that they'd react the same way as him to a. Not being invited along to a party without extensive explanation, and b. Not being told in advance by their bf that he has last min plans to go out. Are the latter posters controlling too then?

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 16:30

Controlling women? ShockWink

OP posts:
glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 17:23

It isn't controlling if you both want that kind of relationship.

You didn't say you were getting chewed out! If you are getting chewed out, finish with him, why dwell on it?

Good luck with it all.

glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 17:32

It's interesting that some posters are saying "controlling" and others are saying that they'd react the same way as him to a. Not being invited along to a party without extensive explanation, and b. Not being told in advance by their bf that he has last min plans to go out. Are the latter posters controlling too then?

No. They want different things out of life from you.

glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 17:34

You've done nothing, that two grown adults couldn't discuss and resolve, without any conflict whatsoever I think this is true but the OP hasn't discussed and resolved it with him has she? She said she hadn't and didn't want to.

glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 17:38

Ohh ok - you mean the rant was chewing out? I suppose I see a one off rant as a one off rant and chewing out as a sort of ongoing pattern which is more of a problem.

Specialized101 · 05/11/2019 18:49

Had something similar last week,Girlfriend of 2 years visited her friend who Ive not met yet,presumed that they were having a girly night out which was great,was then a bit put out to hear that it was a dinner evening in with her friend and friends Husband,whilst I was also free and local that night,but just not invited....
Girlfriend does that kind of thing out of habit quite a bit after many years of being single and not having to consider anybody else`s feelings,it comes across as a bit cold sometimes though

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 19:09

Unsurprisingly there's been more 'discussion' about this ...

I felt I was partly at fault re the party and should be conciliatory about it so I explained that the reason I didn't suggest he go too is that I thought he wouldn't enjoy it and also that the hostess can be v self-conscious etc around strangers when drinking so she probably wouldn't have wanted both of us (him as a total stranger) to attend anyway. He asked me why she hadn't known I was in a steady relationship & invited us as a couple in the first place and I said; because I speak to her once a year or less and haven't spoken to her in quite a while. He asked why I didn't say so when she invited me to the party and I said because it was a short, rushed call from her just to invite me and I didnt want to get into that by phone. I said that I'd told her all about it the day after the party on our own at her house. I added that she's also not the sort of person I'd talk to about a new relationship because she can be harsh/tactless and has previously kindly told me my behaviour was "crazy" when I appeared over invested in a relationship that went tits up early on.

He seemed very reassured and settled by all that.
Unfortunately that didn't stop him from going on to raise other things, which have made me think wtf and get really really frustrated;

Apparently me staying over at the party made him v uncomfortable because "Everyone knows what house parties are like". I was ConfusedHmm and asked him what on earth he meant. He said "let's face it, they're all about drinking and copping off and going to rooms".

I responded that it was a family, friends and work colleagues civilised party, that pretty much everyone left by 12/1, and the only people who stayed at the house were the hostess, her fifty something female lodger and myself.

Then it was You said you were playing table tennis with a pile of guys" to which I responded that I said I was the only girl who stepped up to play and got hammered by two guys who seemed super competitive whereas I only wanted to mess around (I had been rather sexist and was saying that guys tend to be like that) .. that those guys were there with wives and gfs; what was this all about?

His attitude changed when I said the guys were there with partners and I thought I'd heard the last of it but no.

We got onto Halloween and he reiterated what he said and mentioned that I was out with single girls (not all were actually) and that I'd said I wore a short, tight dress etc.
I was totally nonplussed and said i didn't say anything about wearing a short dress at all .. that I'd actually said I had to discard the long dress I usually use because it was too tight (but that it was a good thing because it meant I'd put on a bit of weight, which I'd needed to). He then said "you were going on about some nurse's outfit" to which I replied "no, I said that I used to wear all sorts of outfits inc a cut off vintage nurse outfit I got from the hospital I used to work in, but that for the last few yrs I stuck by the thinking that a Halloween outfit should be Halloween-y and always used this long lack dress, which is too tight. That the nurse's outfit is in an attic somewhere, but seriously wtf was this about?

At the end of all this I was really frustrated, pissed off and feel even more uneasy than before. I felt like I was fending off accusations left, right and centre about ridiculous things, his tone started reminding me of how he was on Halloween night (though he was much rantier then), and he's definitely sober.

He's one of those guys, isn't he.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 19:17

It isn't controlling if you both want that kind of relationship.

That's like saying an relationship isn't abusive if both people are abusive.

OP posts:
TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 19:20

*a

OP posts:
Specialized101 · 05/11/2019 19:22

Maybe hes just getting all of his insecurities out of the way now,and hell be a lot better once hes re-assured and accepts that he can trust you. Im not going to lie,Ive been that guy a fair bit in my current relationship,but theres been quite a lot to get used to,as my gf can be very inconsiderate and alarmingly naïve sometimes.
Maybe he`s just used to more conventional relationships where you both dote on each-other constanly,I know I was !

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 20:29

To my understanding comments about your clothes, particularly that they're too sexy; are text book jealous, controlling man territory.

The irony here being that it wasn't even what I wore, but what he thought I said I wore.

Funny the things that he chose to zero in on while I was making general (rambly, I am a rambler as must be obvious from my posts) conversation about the party and Halloween.

OP posts:
ThinkWittyThoughts · 05/11/2019 20:33

This relationship clearly isn't working for you. That's fine - this is the point of dating.

End it. Move on.

PS - you seem to have great boundaries - it's great to read

glacialfacial · 05/11/2019 20:42

That's like saying an relationship isn't abusive if both people are abusive

No it really is not OP, that is a really offensive judgemental comment.
Out of all my family and friends in decent relationships, all will know vaguely where their other half is nearly all the time. When I referred to it being agreeable to the other I didn't mean do as they say, I meant talk about it and reach an understanding - ie I want to go away for a couple of days, other half questions it, we talk, I go. Your last post about the latest conversation did not sound good, I would not be happy to be questioned like that, and he clearly does not trust you. But you also have made some pretty intolerant and judgemental and offensive comments on this thread, and I think you probably need to look at how you are in relationships too. I suspect that you often struggle to validate other people's points of view when they are different to yours and it is something you should think about.

No not abusive to vaguely know what your other half is up to.... fgs...

HappyGoLuckyLuLu · 05/11/2019 20:48

Oh well maybe it's good that this has all come out. If this kind of behaviour/scrutiny/oversight isn't what you're after then I guess you've now been warned & can let this be known to him & call it quits

meg70 · 05/11/2019 21:16

He's one of those guys isn't he? it does appear so, yes. Sorry.

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 21:56

If this kind of behaviour/scrutiny/oversight isn't what you're after

Who would be after that? Confused
Grin

OP posts:
HappyGoLuckyLuLu · 05/11/2019 21:59

Haha not me! Liberate yourself

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 22:04

But you also have made some pretty intolerant and judgemental and offensive comments on this thread

I haven't actually, you have however.

It is not normal for people who have been going out for five months, do not live together, share no children, meet once a week (twice at most) etc. to know what the other person is doing and where they are almost all the time.

Nor to expect to be told/checked that it is ok for them to do something like go for a drink with a friend on a night that they have no plans to meet each other on (esp last minute plans). Someone who expects the other person's every outing to be run by them and would feel.justifued at being offended or annoyed if they don't is controlling.
And you're one to talk about someone not being able to see someone else's point of view etc. You're completely fixed in yours.

OP posts:
Itsallpointless · 05/11/2019 23:24

I was in a relationship for almost 7 years. We didn't live together (circumstances) and didn't see each other every night. It started off pretty ok, but then, he said something, which unnerved my gut, I didn't listen as I thought i was making a big deal of it. Basically, at that point he showed me who he was. That was 5 months into the relationship.

OP, if your gut is telling you something, please listen to it. I stayed and wasted SEVEN years of my life, please don't waste yours.

All this about you don't want commitment/the same things etc by other posters is utter bollocks. A relationship is built on mutual respect, not making demands on someone, and being accusatory.

This man is a bloody controller, make no mistake about that!!

ReadyPayerTwo · 05/11/2019 23:37

Yes he does sound insecure but very into you. I don't think you should just end it, but just kindly and firmly 'manage his expectations'.

IMO he'll more than likely kick up a fuss for a while and then just have to get used to it, realise there's nothing to worry about and accept it.

Or he'll get worse and worse, in which case you have your answer.

TwitchyWitch · 05/11/2019 23:46

@Itsallpointless

Thank you, you're right.

What did yours say that didn't sit right incidentally?

( If you can talk about it).

OP posts:
Coolwinter · 05/11/2019 23:55

Not necessarily controlling. However I’d probably test out a few things in the next month.

Turn up late to a date and see how he handles it.

Ask about previous relationships. Really listen.

Ask about his family. Really listen.

Ask about his future hopes and plans. See if you are matched in any way.

Test him by going out again in 2-3 weeks and see how he reacts.

Thinkingaboutthestats · 06/11/2019 03:15

From your update I would say run - who needs that? It’s only 5 months in - don’t give up your freedom!

BitOfFun · 06/11/2019 03:30

Ah, fuck that noise. Next!

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