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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

Some Friendly Words - Support Group

951 replies

ASmallBoxofChocolateBunnies · 02/02/2020 19:34

Hello, I thought I'd get us started in our new place.

Kind of imagining it full of comfy chairs and sofas, with hot cups of tea an hand along with a well-stocked bar.

Welcome all xx

OP posts:
SuperbMonkey · 13/02/2020 07:07

@caketimeisover, ah thank you Flowers. I find the thread really comforting and it has helped so much to know that I am not alone in this situation. At the start I thought I was completely alone. It was only when @ASmallBoxofChocolateBunnies started her second thread that I understood that other women were going through very similar experiences. I have learnt so much here.

More later. xx

SuperbMonkey · 13/02/2020 08:48

I should have added that I can’t wait for Valentine’s Day to be over! It seems that ever since the break anniversary, festival, event has piled on top of the one just before. I am exhausted and need a break to refocus. Please tell me that I’m not the only one to feel like this.

caketimeisover · 13/02/2020 10:44

Yes it sucks. Just pretending none of it's happening.

On the plus side I just discovered the dickhead song on that music thread, it's made my week!

Lyrics here:
www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/e/theedgeofseventeenlyrics/thedickheadsonglyrics.html

SuperbMonkey · 13/02/2020 10:55

@caketimeisover, thank you, thank you 🙂. The lyrics are perfect. And so true! xx

Emmerdaledramaqueen · 13/02/2020 12:57

Having a terrible morning with anxiety and ruminating about relationship.
After the disaster of a weekend with exh I have discovered that his Bulgarian friend has also left her H and am now just waiting on the announcement of the Bulgarian girlfriend.
How do I ever get past this?

SuperbMonkey · 13/02/2020 13:24

@Emmerdaledramaqueen, diving in as I have lunch to offer you a handhold. You will get past this (we all will), but it will be painful. We have to accept the anxiety and rumination when it happens. Fighting it doesn’t help. It’s part of the grieving process. You could try setting yourself a time limit for rumination and write down your thoughts in a journal as they arise.

Has he told you about his girlfriend or have you found out by other means? Try not to torture yourself by thinking about what might or might be going on, and stay away from his social media if you can.

Otherwise it’s going to come down to imagining yourself coping with the situation and chewing through it a bit at a time.

I’m so sorry that this is the latest development. I know exactly how you feel. It’s gut wrenching. Flowers

BunnyandBee · 13/02/2020 13:45

@superbmonkey totally with you on valentine's day.me and H didn't even celebrate it, but all these smug posts by people on FB and valentine's menus on display are giving me the rage. Looking forward to the end of the weekend!
Definitely recommend writing those thoughts down @Emmerdaledramaqueen it frees up the mind; I have pages of stuff, but it does help (sometimes I burn the pages too). The anticipation of discovery is sometimes worse than actually knowing (maybe?). But either way it's awful having that feeling of there being someone else Flowers

Debis · 13/02/2020 14:39

Hi everyone just reading thru the posts. Had some time on my own past couple of days trying to clear my head.. not a word from disappeared husband so left to only imagine what he is doing.. sometimes this is torture thinking is he with another woman or does he even think about what he has left behind. How do these men just up and go and not even look back.. surely they must have some remorse or am I just being naive

Emmerdaledramaqueen · 13/02/2020 15:28

Hasn’t confessed but I’m just really sure by snooping on social media. I did ask him outright but he denied it, just ruminates on my mind though.
I have bought a book to write thoughts and get them out of my head and spent the day clearing his last bits into a suitcase for him to collect. Hoping this will make me feel better.
@BunnyandBee @SuperbMonkey agree with the valentines stuff it’s so hard.
Thank you for your support and suggestions, gives me a bit of hope of getting through this.

Bigpooh13 · 13/02/2020 16:53

Sorry for the newbies. I'm a bug fan of the journal . Write down what you feeling , questions you wanna ask anything as I find it stops it spinning around my head.
Valentines day he wud make a fuss of it. This year it's her birthday so he will be able to really celebrate it.
Just another day to get over.
I'd had a nice relaxing time at my bros I got fed as well. Great.
I was dreading coming home to the memories. Straight away I'm not feeling safe but that is my problem to get over as i dont think hes coming around anymore. Hes stopped saying hes coming to take car away so that's a relief.
Keep going ladies .

Emmerdaledramaqueen · 13/02/2020 17:58

@Bigpooh13 glad you had some time being looked after and are feeling a bit safer. I am so glad I found this thread, the support is amazing and makes me feel I’m not alone.
Hopefully I’ll soon be a bit stronger and able to offer more support back.

thegrassisgreenernow · 13/02/2020 18:08

Sorry I haven't checked in for a while, too much stuff happening, head too full and didn't feel I could say anything to help anyone. So sorry there are even more of us here now, but welcome and I hope we can be of some help.

I've been writing a journal since initially discovering the affair, all through our "therapy and making our marriage work months", and have continued it since discovering the affair was ongoing throughout. Perhaps it will make a major screenplay sometime. There's certainly enough there for it I reckon!

Yes errrgghh V Day tomorrow, just what we need. We'll get through it though. GinWineGinWine

Tinydancer123 · 13/02/2020 20:04

Hi all apologies for not being here much nothing of use is coming of me right now. I hope you are all ok ! I hope V day is quick for you all. I agree it is a horrible day 😣

ThelmaAndLouise2020 · 13/02/2020 20:47

Evening wonderful women, I've been having a tricky time too. So much I'd like to tell you about but every detail seems so outing I daren't speak of it. All I can say is that ex has been royally taking the piss and manipulating me (keeping the hopium alive "I miss you" etc) in order to do precisely what he wants when ever he wants. What. An. Arse!!! I have to take my head out of the sand and get on with splitting the finances and beginning divorce process but want to wait until I've signed contract to start my new job first. I'm hoping to start early next month.

Thank you to everyone posting, sharing, supporting, it's so good to read women helping other women through such tough times. Sorry to all of the new women finding us. You are all amazing and those exes are losers!

Special love to @SuperbMonkey it's true you keep this thread alive, you are so supportive and lovely x

ThelmaAndLouise2020 · 13/02/2020 20:53

I like journaling my feelings too @Bigpooh13 I have been ranting and raving in mine a fair bit lately. I think it definitely helps to get it out of your head and onto the page. I bought a really nice notebook just for this purpose. I worry about H finding it when he is here ("parenting") but just try to hide it away and hope he doesn't go snooping!

Bigpooh13 · 13/02/2020 22:09

@thelmaandlouise.
I'm so sorry that like myself you were took in by the manipulatation.

Such barstools. That has made the pain more heartbreaking to think that he wud do that to me and Why.
Calling me huney etc. Its all to his game.
I'm afraid the only thing left is too fight for what's ours.
I'm so sick of hearing that he tells loads of people how hes being gud to me and giving me a gud settlement. Wtf . I'd rather of had my life back.

SuperbMonkey · 14/02/2020 00:01

Hi lovely warrior women. Today has been quite a day. I have turned a corner and the love has gone. I’ve cried my last tears. I’ve wasted enough of my previous time on someone who wasn’t worthy and is never going to be worthy. It’s time to take my power back. I’m fed up of being treated like a fool.

@BunnyandBee, I’m glad we agree about Valentine’s Day. Also interested to read about your journaling. I had no anticipation of discovering the affair because it had never crossed my mind that he was dishonest. Discovery was soul-destroying. With my now objective head on I can see that I am much better off on my own than with this weak, cowardly man. At least I have some time in which to rebuild my life and it is going to be happy. I hope that, very soon, I need never have to see him again. It’s weird that somewhere in his disordered head he still feels the need to compete with me, and show off to try to impress me. He’s failing miserably and not for the first time.

@Debis, I am so sorry for your pain. I’ve been there. They don’t feel guilt, they don’t feel remorse. All they feel is smug satisfaction in getting their own way and doing what they want. They are disordered personalities. Don’t torture yourself because he isn’t worth it. He really isn’t.

@Emmerdaledramaqueen, I don’t think you realise how well you are doing! You are much, much stronger than you think. I am in awe of the steps you have taken. They have to deny the affairs because otherwise they will ‘look bad’ and people might make judgements about them. It’s all image management for them. You are offering plenty of support here, just by posting you make others feel better.

@Bigpooh13, you sound better after your break. I wish I had a brother to reach out to. You are writing stuff down too. I think we all have a book in us somewhere to write and make our fortunes. I could make the last 12 months into a thriller. Big, you’ve come so far since the start and sound much more focused on looking after your needs.

@thegrassisgreenernow, so good to hear from you. Don’t dismiss the screenplay idea. It could work! Out of adversity comes triumph! You have had such a hard time, emotionally. Trying to work things out, and then discovering that he had continued living a lie. We are honest people so can’t understand the behaviour of those who are so dishonest. They deserve all the karma they get.

@Tinydancer123, welcome back. No obligation to post. It’s good to know that you are ok but I’m sad that times are hard for you. Stay as strong as you can. Be kind to yourself.

@ThelmaAndLouise2020, thank you for your very kind words. My STBXH and his ex from times gone by (prehistory) don’t think I’m lovely. In fact they can’t wait to get shot of me and I can’t wait to get shot of them. They make me feel unclean! I’m at a similar stage to you but without the hopium. It’s liberating to decide that, no matter the hardship ahead, I wouldn’t touch him with an extra long barge pole. My anger is with myself for having been fooled by him for so long. But the news about your job is brilliant and you are going to have so much more independence. What an exciting new world awaits you. On the journal, I’m not advocating leaving it out, but it might not do him any harm to read what you really think about him.

Finally, Big, you know he’s a cheat and a liar. You don’t want that life back. There’s something better than that out there for you, and all of us.

Sleep well everyone. xx

SuperbMonkey · 14/02/2020 07:49

Morning all, and Happy Valentine’s Day to us. ❤️

It is not going to be easy for any of us today. We will each have special memories or what we thought were special memories. I know I do. However today marks the end of reflecting on the past and the start of the walk into the future. Remaining in limbo is not an option.

Wishing each of you well and looking forward to catching up later on. Special wishes to the founder of the thread @ASmallBoxofChocolateBunnies (good luck with your discussions over the weekend). @simply4help, thinking of you.

Flowers
ASmallBoxofChocolateBunnies · 14/02/2020 07:54

I will write more over the weekend but I just wanted to wish all you Warriors a very Happy Valentine's Day - celebrate it being wonderful to the person who most deserves your love - YOU!!

I think we should all give ourselves a little treat today whether it's some flowers, a nice bath, an early night or something else. Just to remind ourselves we are fabulous.

And a special Valentine's wish to SuperbMonkey - you are truly the heart of this group xx

OP posts:
Bigpooh13 · 14/02/2020 08:36

@superbmonkey. Well done to you.
You are amazing and give me hope.
I right the time at my bros has really made me feel better.
I haven't cried for two days which is amazing.
Hes a skank. Just a liar. To get what he wants.

Wishing you all well. It's only another day. Another day without being lied to.

🤪🤷‍♀️💔🤐🤥

SuperbMonkey · 14/02/2020 08:58

@ASmallBoxofChocolateBunnies and @Bigpooh13, thank you so much. What a lovely start to the day! Whilst I love the compliments, all of us here are the heart of the group. I have learnt so, so much from everyone’s stories (doesn’t feel like the right word as the stories are real life). In September I was calling the Samaritans in the most desperate state. Now, thanks to my friends here, friends in real life, and my lovely doctor and therapist, I am in a better state of mind. Financially things are going to be difficult. I don’t know where I will end up living although I know I will have somewhere to go. There is going to be a fight over money as I can tell from his communications. It is hard when I remember that when our relationship started he had nothing, not even his own bed or a car. However I know that I loved him and did the best I could with what I had to create a happy life and home. I’m going to take that ability with me in my heart wherever I go. He will remain an empty, avoidant, selfish silhouette of a man to the end of his days. That’s good enough for me.

The treat is a lovely hair colour with my perfect hairdresser, who I love to bits.

💜

Emmerdaledramaqueen · 14/02/2020 10:04

Just want to say happy Valentine’s Day to all of us. In a shop yesterday i overheard a conversation about it being “a day of love” and a lady saying I love my mum that who my gifts are for, so am carrying that in my heart today.
I slept better last night and although woke with anxiety I am going to push myself and go for a good walk hopefully before the storm comes.
Have a good day ladies!

SuperbMonkey · 14/02/2020 10:16

@Emmerdaledramaqueen, hope the walk is a good one. Enjoy! x

Bigpooh13 · 14/02/2020 10:48

@superbmonkey. It's so strange how are relationship has gone on very similar lines. He had nothing when I met him. Broke by his ex wife who he is now in love with. I bought us a house spend a fortune on his kids. She wouldn't pack them any clothes for the weekend so had to buy more every time there were here which was often as she didnt want them only the money that came with them.

I'm glad for gonna fight for money as that's what I'm going to do. I've no money at all . Why should I suffer because he decided to leave.
I've no idea where I'm gonna live or do.
I did the smartians alot. But mainly by email. Which was great . Having to stop councellor as no money n still waiting for NHS.
Every day I woke thinking what is the point.

Before I got my nice journal to write everything in. I had wrote on sheets if paper . When he came around one day they were on the table . I'm sure he looked at them when I had to go to the loo . I've been scared that he told everyone i was a nut job since.

SuperbMonkey · 14/02/2020 11:50

@Bigpooh13, yes, that is strange. My guess is that we may have thought they were special, but they were really run-of-the-mill cheaters, and there’s lots of them about when you look at the threads here. We put them on a pedestal and did what they wanted to meet their never ending needs. They were unworthy. Imagine once you are settled what it will be like not to have to think about him anymore. You’ve already had a taste of that at your brother’s. I suspect that the women they have gone back to are the female versions of them. It’s all dressed up as ‘true love’ this and ‘soulmates’ that but it’s rubbish. I’m focusing on myself, my needs, and getting the best settlement out of this dishonest man as I can. That’s the only way forward.

I am entirely sane but he has told people all sorts of horrible things about me. As he refuses to admit the affair because he wants to look good to others, particularly his family, there’s not much that I can do at this moment to set the record straight. However, if I was him, I would start telling people soon, if he wants to save any part of his reputation.

It doesn’t matter if he saw what you wrote! As I said above, they dished our home truths to us. It’s good that they get a chance to read a few about themselves. They’re not all that as they have shown their true selves!

Carry on writing and enjoying your day!

xx

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