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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

DH emotional affair and refusal to communicate on the EA

12 replies

Peace1st · 28/07/2020 23:37

Hi everyone,
I had previously posted on how I found out my husbands emotional affair in jan 2019. After I found out I tried several times to ask him to open up to me and tell me honestly what had happened but he never did. All I get is defensiveness and a lot of blame as to how he had to put up with me for 13 years that I fought with him etc etc.
I tried to tell him that we need to talk about issues including the affair for me to have a closure but DH is adamantly that we should move forward and he will never do this again.
I never had an emotional connection with DH, something I always missed and also I was hoping that if we communicate openly we can slowly put this behind us. He does not understand why I need a closure and how he has betrayed me.
I feel like I can’t beg him to see my side and work on the relationship by not brushing what has happened under the carpet.
This situation is affecting me a lot, we have a son 11 years old. At home we both don’t talk to each other, mostly because he wants to only have superficial conversations and never like me addressing the affair and I feel like if I don’t address it now then I will forever be in pain.

My mum thinks I should forgive him, my brother feels like I should carry on as normal because I have a son and that I am 40 so my life is already over. They both love me but they don’t understand what I want in this relationship.
DH is a good man but always been emotionally distant and closed. He is happy when things are Going smooth. In all the married years he has never been able to handle when we have had issues. Normally he will say I am doing drama or that how I should change my behaviour. Some of the so called drama after years past he has accepted his mistake but by then I had to fight argue and do things my way simply because he could not see my point of view at that time.
Is there anyone out there who has gone through similar things. Is there anyway he will ever see how our future relationship is dependent on how we both work on it now. His idea is to move forward and never discuss anything.
I don’t have trust in that method, we both are so different that divorce is the only option. I am scared as I don’t have any family support(I work and have some savings) with the decision, I am sure DH will accept for divorce and go ahead with all the formalities because for him that is easier than talking.
For me I like the man but not his approach of not addressing and I have waited patiently thinking he will understand but don’t think it will happen.
I can’t leave my self respect and beg him to talk as several times when I have tried he is extremely defensive.
Can anyone understand my story, am i wrong to expect what I do. Do you think he will ever take the step to come and talk to me.
Please openly tell me if I am doing something wrong or how I should be handling this or if there is a better way to deal. I tried asking common friend And my brother to talk to DH but both could not convince him. All they said was that DH has a lot of complains on me which I also have but does not take away the fact that none of the past fights had trust related issues.

OP posts:
OoohTheStatsDontLie · 28/07/2020 23:43

You are not wrong in my opinion. How can you move on when you havent got any closure? How can you trust him not to do it again when you don't know why he did it? How can you forgive when he doesn't actually seem sorry? A lot of people need intensive couples counselling and a lot of hard work from both sides before they can get over an affair and he doesnt seem to want to do his part. He isnt even meeting you half way.

backseatcookers · 28/07/2020 23:48

DH is a good man but always been emotionally distant and closed.

Not compatible with recovering from an affair IMO.

He is happy when things are Going smooth.

Aren't we all?! That's the basic minimum someone should expect from a relationship, it's not something he should get extra credit for.

In all the married years he has never been able to handle when we have had issues.

This cannot work healthily. Not ever. It means the burden of difficult times is on you, you know he doesn't have your back, you can't ever be the one to break down, you have to be strong and stoic when the going gets tough and he then blames his bad behaviour (eg affair) on you being stoic.

Normally he will say I am doing drama or that how I should change my behaviour.

Why are you with this man? Seriously? He doesn't make you happy. Your partner should be your team mate. Your cheerleader.

Everyone has shit times but the part of the reason we choose to share our life with someone is that we are confident in tackling those times as an equal team.

Life's too short for this shit.

Peace1st · 03/08/2020 22:50

🙏

OP posts:
Dollyrocket · 03/08/2020 23:25

You need to leave him, he’s not going to give you closure, he’s not going to change and he’s never going to ‘get it’. In time you could be so much happier x

ChristmasFluff · 04/08/2020 14:39

You are right to divorce. He is not sorry, otherwise he would be putting you first. Instead, he just wants you to shut up about it and get over it already. For his convenience. Horrible man.
www.chumplady.com/2013/07/real-remorse-or-genuine-imitation-naugahyde-remorse/

hellsbellsmelons · 04/08/2020 15:18

Would he agree to read a book together?
Not Just Friends by Shirley Glass is one to read together.
He needs to understand what you are going through.
He is burying his head and hoping you will just go back to 'normal' and forget all this 'nonsense'!
You need something more - quite rightly so.
Even if he won't read the book with you, you read it yourself.
But really... what is the point of him?
He doesn't really bring anything positive to the relationship.
Really think about this, would you be happier, free of him?
Free to do as you want?
Free to be you again without the angst and worry of this man dragging you down?
I think you really would be far happier away from him.
I understand with an 11 YO it's not that easy.
But this is YOUR life too!!

Newwayofthinking · 04/08/2020 15:31

@OoohTheStatsDontLie

You are not wrong in my opinion. How can you move on when you havent got any closure? How can you trust him not to do it again when you don't know why he did it? How can you forgive when he doesn't actually seem sorry? A lot of people need intensive couples counselling and a lot of hard work from both sides before they can get over an affair and he doesnt seem to want to do his part. He isnt even meeting you half way.
This ^

I would split, you will never forgive him, because he won't give you reasons to.

40 is not "life already over" either. I have started again after 29yrs and I'm 49

Leave him, move on

Wildwood6 · 04/08/2020 15:49

Can anyone understand my story, am i wrong to expect what I do. Do you think he will ever take the step to come and talk to me.
Yes, I completely understand, and you are completely right to expect that you would process this together if you are ever to move past it. He is effectively asking you to brush what is probably one of the biggest traumas you've ever been through under the carpet. Not only is that never going to work it is incredibly disrespectful of your feelings and what you have been through. I think he has also made it very clear that he has no intention of giving you what you have asked. You have been extremely understanding given the circumstances, and he is treating you very poorly.

Also, from experience, no your life is certainly not over at 40!

BurtsBeesKnees · 04/08/2020 16:45

This was me a fair few years ago. We limped on for another 3 years. But the longer it went on, the more he 'couldn't remember' so I never got closure, never got to understand and I tied myself in knots trying to work out and guess what happened. It was excruciating. I left eventually and breathed a huge sigh of relief. I found that once I'd switched off and checked out of my marriage and didn't care about the affair any longer. It was relief

beautifulxdisasters · 04/08/2020 16:59

Please stop wasting your time on a man you don't have any emotional connection with, irrespective of everything else.

He's not going to change, and you deserve much better than this.

Biggles001 · 04/08/2020 18:18

This was me. With someone who sounds very very similar. We tried counselling, I tried changing, I hoped he would change, but he didn't, he just blamed me for absolutely everything and I changed completely as a person. Personally I think you would better off out of this. X

Vodkacranberryplease · 04/08/2020 18:29

So he is emotional then. Just not with you.

Because he had an emotional affair and you cant have one of those without having feelings. It sound like he just doesnt like you very much and only has you around as it's convenient.

Why would you settle for that? Why would he? Awful situation and of course you won't get closure because you don't have a connection. Just pull the stocking plaster off got both of your sakes.

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