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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

Husband FB use

158 replies

Badwill · 02/11/2020 22:26

Hi all,

(Sorry this ended up so incredibly long!)

I wrote a post under a different username a little while ago. Essentially it was about my DH using Facebook to look at women. He's quite proud of the fact he doesn't use SM much, but over the past four months (possibly longer but that's how far back I've seen) he has logged in at least once a week, often more, to trawl through the profiles and photo albums of women he knows and some women he doesn't. It seems when he tires of the ones he knows, he looks through his friends's friend-lists until he happens upon a profile picture of a woman he deems attractive and then searches through her photos and so on.

From his phone search history he practically never looks at male friend profiles or random pages, it seems he goes on FB for the sole purpose of looking at attractive women, often in revealing clothes/swimwear.

I wrote about this on AIBU and while one or two said they wouldn't like it, the general consensus was that he was only looking, not messaging, so it was no big deal. I tried to put it out of my mind and hoped I was overreacting but I felt really unsettled by it as I think it's hugely inappropriate and frankly really creepy. He's almost 40 years old and some of these women are in their twenties. It's also made me paranoid if I see he's logged into FB during the day when he's at work. I've never been a jealous person but it's made me feel horribly insecure.

Anyway, I recently went away for one night to my hometown and he stayed here with our young DCs. When I got back he laughingly told me he'd had three wanks in the time I'd been gone Confused which was 27 hours in total.

I had a sinking feeling and checked his phone the next day. Sure enough he had spend AGES on FB, more than ever, looking at photo after photo of women. I think it's fair to assume he's using these pictures as wank fodder, isn't it? I feel sick about the whole thing.

He finally figured out about iPhone search history and clicked that I was looking at his phone so has started to erase his history the last couple of weeks. He also took off his password (Ive always known his password so I'm not sure what difference that makes?) and leaves his phone lying around when previously it was glued to him. He doesn't know I've been looking for months though, I imagine he thinks I've only seen the most recent history.

I want to confront him tonight but I don't know what to say. Part of me is still wondering if I'm overreacting? He will 100% get defensive and deflect (never, ever admits wrongdoing) so I want to be prepared and hold my nerve. Does anyone have any advice? Am I still over reacting? WWYD?

OP posts:
Shetoshe · 10/11/2020 19:27

Yes Cheeseandwin5 you really must have missed some of the thread. I can't think of a single woman I know being happy about her significant other pulling his knob over his freinds and hers - on a weekly basis. He didn't admit it to the OP either - he simply couldn't deny it.

I agree you're making excuses circa 1950 for men and their "urges" Hmm

Badwill · 10/11/2020 19:47

Cheeseandwin5 Is that you dear husband?! Grin

Ah I get it cheese really. On first glance it does appear like a mountain out of a molehill situation, hence why I sat on it for months, trying to convince myself it was no big deal. Except it really was!

Of course I know he masturbates (as in my OP you can see he's quite vocal about it!) that hasn't ever bothered me in the slightest. His choice of material is another story. He's managed without this particular type of "visual stimulation" for as long as we've been married (he only returned to FB this year after being off it for years).

Would you like some random guy you know wanking over your FB pictures? Perhaps you would, but it completely creeps me out and I imagine the girls being objectified by my husband would mostly be repulsed by it if they knew (particularly the ones 15/20 years younger than him).

I really don't get the period analogy but my mind is somewhat clouded this week so I'm possibly slow on the uptake there.

OP posts:
Badwill · 10/11/2020 19:51

Also, it's mostly his actions since that have been the catalyst for me wanting to end the marriage. His inability to show remorse and his other actions this week speak volumes. I think things could definitely have been salvaged if he'd even pretended to be sorry!

OP posts:
MonetManet · 29/11/2020 14:49

How are things now @Badwill? I’ve been thinking of you.

Badwill · 11/12/2020 00:19

Hi @MonetManet thanks for your post Smile sorry I'm only seeing it now.

Things are not very different on the surface. The silent treatment has stopped though. We're still sitting in separate rooms in the evening and he's still sleeping on the couch but we're talking (albeit still a bit awkwardly) and he seems to be ever so slowly trying to ease things back to normal. I've spent the past few weeks agonizing about whether or not to separate. Crying many days about the impact/upheaval on the DC. Worrying how I'll cope financially/practically/emotionally. Wondering if so when to do it/what it would mean for the masters etc etc. basically driving myself crazy with indecision!

I finally made some moves this week and officially withdrew from the masters. If I'm leaving I want to do it sooner rather than later, as I know if I waited until after I finished the course (another 18months) then I'd never leave. He doesn't know I've left it and I won't be telling him until January. I thought I'd feel awful about dropping out as I have wanted to do this particular course for years but I just felt complete relief. My head simply hasn't been in it, what with the state of my marriage, and leaving has eased the pressure somewhat. Now I just want to focus on having a nice Xmas with my DC and plan on telling him we're through in the week or two after Christmas.

I could be wrong but I don't think he has any idea? He was talking about us changing my car after Christmas and other "normal" things. I said nothing in response.

I'm so sad it's come to this. I think I'm still in a state of disbelief but it's like I have a gut instinct urging me on through the wobbles. In my mind I'm so fearful I'm making the wrong choices though and afraid I'll live to regret it Sad

OP posts:
countrybumpkunt · 11/12/2020 00:37

How do you know what pictures he was viewing? Facebook, as far as I'm aware, does not have anything which let's you know what a person has been viewing? I'm admitably not clued up on all things SM

countrybumpkunt · 11/12/2020 00:42

Sorry just seen the updates. Why prolong it till after Xmas. If a husband was on here saying I'm just gunna pretend all is well till after Xmas and lied to his wife about quitting a masters degree he would be hung, drung and bloody quartered!

Badwill · 11/12/2020 09:27

Hi country, I'm prolonging it as we have family coming for Christmas and it's also my DDs birthday the weekend before. I don't want an atmosphere/awkwardness so it just makes sense to hold off a few weeks. Also, I only made the decision to withdraw from my course this week (I haven't lied he's not asked me anything about it) so I have to sort through the practicalities of leaving and need time to do so. As soon as I tell him I'm going I fear he'll become nasty and start making things difficult, so I want a head start so to speak.

I'm not pretending "all is well" as I said we're speaking and civil but he can clearly see I'm cold with him. There's been zero physical contact between us for about six weeks, so he can't really be under the impression that all is well. I'm guessing he's just hoping it follows the usual pattern of things being "off" for a while but with enough time and ignoring the issues things will go back to normal.

OP posts:
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