Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

I hate myself but it's undeniable

84 replies

Back2the90s · 22/01/2021 18:16

My relationship has dwindled to nothing. It has been dead for a couple of years. I've stayed for our two boys. I didn't realise until eight months ago how low I was feeling. I was having alot of panic attacks. I developed anxiety for the first time in my life. I couldn't see the joy in anything. I lie on bed every night alone. Whilst the man I'm with is kind to me. He parents equally. He makes me a cup of tea. He helps around the house. He would buy me anything I needed. That's it. The romance and conversations died a long time ago. We attempted to agree to changes but we were never at the same point and it continued to fail.

Into my life walks "Sean"
Instant attraction. We spent all of September bumping into eachother. Then we swapped numbers when we were no longer going to be seeing eachother anymore.

We've been talking non stop since. We haven't met yet as we were enjoying the contact and then lockdown happened.

He told me he knew he loved me after a few weeks of us talking back in the summer. I felt the same. It's like we are soulmates. We are opposites in our attitudes and things. But absolutely match with our opinions, ideas and dreams for the future. We both have not had sex etc for a very long time and his last relationship ended like mine. They are still friendly but never worked out. So there's alot of understanding.

I've sat down three times now with my children's dad. I've told him that I feel we won't be able to get back the sex and things. I said he's like a friend. A housemate. But not a lover. He agreed ever so slightly but mainly said we will get it back in a few years when the kids get older. I shook my head and said we can't survive years like this. It's so unhealthy. I told him I didn't want either of us to waste our lives. Along with many other things.
But he just won't accept it.

All I've wanted is to settle things here. Get down to a friendship level and once we are ok I would like to spend time with new guy and start enjoying being an adult again. I don't mean just sex. I mean conversation. Support. Naturally wanting to sit and spend time together.

I'm not married.
I feel so much frustration around my partner not wanting to absorb what we've said. He won't mention it at all. So therefore I feel I'm playing games by the phone calls and plans for the future with the new guy. I don't like it. I hate not being able to do what I want to do sometimes. Like just meet for a walk. Nothing else. It feels like a sneaky lie.

What would you do? I don't want to hurt anyone.

OP posts:
Techway · 24/01/2021 10:49

We are opposites in our attitudes and things. But absolutely match with our opinions, ideas and dreams for the future.

Attitudes are important for longterm success. I think you are heading into a disaster but I doubt anyone can talk you out of it.

Eleganz · 24/01/2021 10:59

[ Quote]You've told your partner how you feel, he needs time to catch up but I wouldn't feel too guilty about Sean - if your relationship is dead, emotionally & physically, you have every right to move on.[/ quote]

Well that is a load of apologetic crap. The only way you move on without needing to feel guilty is by ending one relationship before starting the next one.

OP is a classic cheater. Only thinking about herself and how to make it as easy as possible for her to get what she wants. I bet she hasn't even thought about what this will all mean for her kids.

Pathetic.

borntohula · 24/01/2021 11:07

Well if my partner hadn't slept with me for years I'd be looking elsewhere too.

Dontletitbeyou · 24/01/2021 11:16

You’re having an emotional affair . You say youve sat down and told DP you want to go your own seperate ways .
He’s not listening , it’s common , make him listen . Tell him you’re sorry you’ve met someone else and you want to be with him .
Yes he’ll be hurt , but no more than finding out his DP was investing her emotions somewhere else whilst she was living with him . Allow him the chance to go on and be happy with someone else Simple as that .

Diana2343 · 24/01/2021 11:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Bluntness100 · 24/01/2021 11:24

@borntohula

Well if my partner hadn't slept with me for years I'd be looking elsewhere too.
No one cares she’s met someone else. That’s fine.

The issue is she’s not ending her current relationship. She’s staying firmly put, making vague noises, having conversations that she can’t go on like this, but she’s not at any stage ended her relationship, she’s just complaining, staying put and playing fantasy with the other bloke.

If she really wanted to leave, then quite frankly she should and would. The fact she’s not, indicates she’s a bit unsure and scared.

marshmallowfluffy · 24/01/2021 13:48

You've told your partner how you feel, he needs time to catch up but I wouldn't feel too guilty about Sean - if your relationship is dead, emotionally & physically, you have every right to move on.

People are criticizing OP for her hypocrisy not because she wants to do be her relationship.

She says she doesn't want to hurt anyone but is having an emotional affair rather than being honest which will hurt but is kinder than her ex finding out later. She later denied her affair as it's not physical but it's definitely an emotional affair that's crossed the line.

She wants to end things so she should either get the house on the market or work out how to buy out her ex. Strange to assume that the dumped person would do the legwork.

I don't agree that the relationship is salvageable but being honest will help keep the coparenting relationship smoother sailing which is what op should prioritize. The longer this goes on, the more angry her ex will be for being duped.

moanieleminx · 24/01/2021 15:42

As pp said, you are having an emotional affair, you know you are, you just want to admit it.

Leave your DP.

LauEli · 24/01/2021 15:49

Not read everyone else's comments but I'm just gonna come out and say it.
You Want your cake and to eat it.
What your doing is an affair, cheating, however you'd like to put it. You've circled round your partner with a nice conversation when really you should tell him you've met someone else. Settle up the house. There is no way he will want to be your friend when he knows the truth.
Sorry if I come across harsh, but that's the reality of your situation.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page