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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

Is my husband very cruel

31 replies

sylviamath · 28/02/2021 22:21

I am going through a difficult parent bereavement at the moment. The bereavement has left me very alone, as my other parent died when I was a child and also my siblings have passed away. I have had a lot of untimely grief in my life and feel very broken by this recent one, which has been my final (original) family member.

My husband was supportive in the days immediately surrounding this most recent death but has since taken a hard line. If he sees me crying he pretends not to have seen, and will even start asking me about household matters and watch me answer through tears but never ask how I am. He has not put his arm around me and shown acknowledgement of it beyond those initial days. He has now switched to being annoyed if it is even mentioned. I am finding it hard to grieve in these circumstances. We have little kids and so I am very tired.

Moreover he has doubled down on something he has always done which is to totally deny my grief for my other family members. He says he 'doesn't want to hear about it' and 'why should he care'. I hardly ever mention it, to the extend that I don't think he even remembers the names of my close family who have died, and we've never had a conversation about how I feel, but he is angered if he even sees me upset. He fights against me, telling me to shut up and it shouldn't affect him, and has no place in our family now, rather than ever showing any empathy.

I am so depleted and ashamed, on top of being grieving and so exhausted and lonely I haven't managed to talk to my friends about it, which is I suppose why I'm asking you. We've been married 10 years, and he's always been quite insensitive. I'm really lost and sad, and could use some advice.

OP posts:
Geppili · 28/02/2021 22:24

So sorry for your losses. Has your husband ever loss anyone close to him? Do you have dc? Is he generally unkind?

Flittingaboutagain · 28/02/2021 22:28

I'm so sorry for your past and present losses OP. Please get yourself on the list for Cruse for someone to talk to who will give you the space and freedom to really process what an awful tragedy you have gone through.

As to your husband, he is cruel. Some people have neither the ability and/or the inclination to learn how to grow out of their comfort zones in order to meet their partner's very normal basic emotional needs of support, empathy and attunement.

I personally couldn't be with someone like your husband. I need to be cuddled, comforted and reassured that I am loved when in the depths of grief, not ignored and callously shut down. He seems to be more than lacking in emotionally intelligence, he is a cruel nasty person getting angry and forcing you to suppress normal feelings and after all these years he isn't going to change. He'll never be there for you as a spouse should. I'd make plans to leave him when you are stronger.

sylviamath · 28/02/2021 22:28

He has lost one person close to him (an elderly parent) but he was not emotionally upset by it directly and indeed had not spoken to the person for a long time.

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 28/02/2021 22:29

he is angered if he even sees me upset. He fights against me, telling me to shut up and it shouldn't affect him

This is not a good man and he will be terrible for your long-term mental health.

I'm so sorry you lost your family. Pity he can't say the same thing to you.

AnyFucker · 28/02/2021 22:30

I think you would be happier living apart from this man

Mundayblues · 01/03/2021 03:10

I think you should focus on yourself right now and find someone who can give you the support you need - a friend or a counsellor? I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I would understand if your husband was unsure on how to support you as it can be very difficult to know how to help someone in these situations, but the way he is treating you is not okay and he’s only adding to your distress.

Mundayblues · 01/03/2021 03:14

When I lost a parent my partner didn’t know what to do and he isn’t good with crying but basically he’d feed me, give me space when I needed to be alone and walk the dog for me or with me - it may sound silly to other but that’s him and I genuinely appreciated what he did. I then lent on my girlfriends for more emotional support.

Justa47 · 01/03/2021 03:21

@sylviamath

He does wound very kind I a as m sorry to say and sorry for your losses.

BlueThistles · 01/03/2021 03:25

He doesn't care enough to ask how you are.... your grieving is simply an annoying inconvenience for him 🌺

picknmix1984 · 01/03/2021 03:41

Sorry for your loss💐

When did your parent die? I think this is quite key information. He sounds like he has little emotional connection to you if recent but if this has been 2 years for example since the bereavement then perhaps he has got to the end of his capacity to help.

WineInTheWillows · 01/03/2021 03:57

He's being cruel, I would say. And borderline emotionally abusive, making you feel ashamed of normal grief.

I'd ask him to move out for a few days while you think about things. Hopefully he would then realise how much of an arse he's being. If not, I'd start thinking seriously about whether the relationship has a future, and I don't say that likely when marriage and kids are involved.

SandyY2K · 01/03/2021 04:35

He's very cruel. I'm going through a bereavement and (can't sleep hence I'm up now) and my DH would never behave like that.

If he did I would rather not be with him.

Eekay · 01/03/2021 04:35

Christ almighty, that's so hurtful. I'm really sorry for your loss @sylviamath
Your husband's an unfeeling, cruel man. You deserve gentleness and warmth in this situation.

saltychocolateballs · 01/03/2021 05:39

My partner was the same . Lovely at 1st but after a few days shouting at me to get over it . They do they people do only show sympathy for a while before it gets on their nerves . 😢.

DianaT1969 · 01/03/2021 05:53

I think that you have to accept that if you stay with him, you will have to be your own emotional support. Healing yourself in grief counseling or groups. He'll just be the man you share a house with. Once you accept that, it will be easier.
When did it happen? As a previous poster said, if it was a while ago, he may have run out of sympathy. Not condoning that. It's rubbish.

Dontjudgeme101 · 01/03/2021 06:18

That’s not kind. Sorry for your loss. 💐

DeepFakeQueen · 01/03/2021 06:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jessbow · 01/03/2021 06:53

How long ago did the latest bereavement happen ?.

comfyslippets · 01/03/2021 06:53

Oh, bless you. What a horrible, uncaring man he sounds. Please don't be ashamed for feeling how you do, losing a parent is such a terribly hard thing to go through and everybody goes through grief in their own way.
If I were you I'd get through this the best way that you can - possibly try to meet up with a friend to talk to somebody who cares, or maybe even see your GP who can possibly refer you to a bereavement group or even suggest short term medication (don't know a lot about that, but may help you in the short term)
I think you should try as much as you can to ignore him and then when you're feeling a bit better really think if this is the kind of person you want to spend the rest of your life with.
Good luck OP, things do get better but it just takes time. Really hope you're ok.

Worldwide2 · 01/03/2021 06:55

Any normal spouse would be supportive in your time of need. Offering you comfort at the very least.
This is who he is, if you can accept it then great if not I would be making plans to leave. Living with someone like that will erode you and your mental health will suffer.
Please speak to someone close in your life about this too and about your grief. You need to off load its not healthy to have to suffer alone.

YouAreYourBestThing · 01/03/2021 06:56

Good lord OP...he sounds more than cruel! In fact, does your husband show any other psychopathic tendencies? 😱

Choccorocco · 01/03/2021 06:59

Big hugs to you, OP. I’m so sorry for all of your losses. You definitely need and deserve more love, care and patience than he is giving you at the moment.

Jobsharenightmare · 01/03/2021 10:14

It doesn't matter when these losses happened. The point is you are now grieving having no one left from your birth family at all. He's a horrible man OP. There are no time lines on grief to those asking about dates. It's irrelevant. There's no excuse for making you shut up, telling you he doesn't care, it isn't his problem and getting angry at all for normal emotions. If he was a lovely man who had lost patience he could deal with it without being so repeatedly nasty. This isn't normal OP.

OhCaptain · 01/03/2021 10:17

How long has it been since the bereavement?

I’m sorry for your loss. Flowers

Even if he’s one of those move on immediately types, telling you to shut up is horrible!

Are the kids being upset/affected by it?

fondestmemories · 01/03/2021 10:28

I think there are 2 main types of people who can’t comfort people in grief, people who have a high level of narcissistic personality traits who resent the fact that another person has needs (because to them their needs are the ones that matter to them and they resent others not meeting them) and people who feel very, very uncomfortable around other people’s strong emotions because they have grown up in very emotionally avoidant environments where they never learned how to process emotions.

Reading what you have written here I think your husband really sounds like he is in the first category. Some of what you are describing is very cruel.