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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

Partner keeps telling me off like I'm a child.

114 replies

Whatsthatspookynoise · 03/04/2021 12:45

He's always done this thing where he'll just snap and start being rude to me out of nowhere. Recently it's gotten much worse. He talks to me as if I'm a naughty child and need to be put in my place if that makes sense? I've become extremely anxious because I never know when he will just be rude out of nowhere, so I'm doing that thing where I'm constantly looking for reassurance that he isn't angry or in a bad mood with me. It's his tone of voice, not necessarily WHAT he says that's the problem.

Last night I was in bed with a cold and couldn't sleep, so I'd wander into the living room every now and then. He ordered food really late and asked me if I wanted anything. I said no thanks.
When it came 2 hours later, he offered me some as he bought two large meals and I said I would have a tiny bit. He kept making comments about "you should have fucking said you wanted food when I asked". I said I didn't actually want a whole meal and I was fine not to have anything, I just thought since he had so much and offered I would have a bit. He insists I eat with him.

So we are chatting and eating and I took a tiny piece of pitta bread from the box. Then all hell broke lose. "you just took it without fucking asking, you knew I'd fucking say no." "Look at how you've ruined the meal, it doesn't look right and the proportions are off". "I fucking asked you and you said you didn't want anything and now you've fucked up my meal".

I cannot stress enough how tiny the piece was. I apologized of course. But the way he was going on about this pitta bread was insane. I thought he was actually joking. I felt myself shrinking. I felt so embarrassed and ashamed. I could feel that I was about to cry so I walked away and cried in my room listening to him laughing at the TV. He really laid into me and he keeps doing it. I'm usually the kind of person to stand up for myself, but I feel so small when he shouts at me that I just cry and say nothing and continue talking to him like nothing happened.

I really don't think this is right. If I ever bring up I don't like the way he's speaking to me, it's because I'm "sensitive". Which despite me saying it makes me cry, he never actually sees me doing so.

We usually get on really well, so when he suddenly changes, it's horrible because I can't see it coming. Absolutely everyone thinks he is the nicest guy on the planet and would never ever do such a thing. I'm tired of feeling scared I'm going to get told off and walking on eggshells all of the time. How do you hash it out with someone who absolutely believes they are always 100% in the right?

OP posts:
Steptoeshorse1965 · 03/04/2021 13:33

How do you hash it out? You don't. Selfish, psycho twat is not worth your time or tears. Find the better life you deserve.

RabbiTouch · 03/04/2021 13:36

How do you hash it out with someone who absolutely believes they are always 100% in the right?

You don't. You can't. He is abusing you. You are behaving in a way to try and avoid winding him up but he still finds a reason to shout and swear at you.

This isn't going to get any better. It may have got worse because he has his eye on someone else, it might just be that he's more relaxed being his true self because he keeps getting away with it.

The nice times are there to keep you hooked. They're not real.

Do not tell him you know he is abusing you. You need to be very careful now, if he senses a change in your behaviour he could get even worse.

Has he ever been physically abusive to you? Do you feel safe enough at the moment? I suggest you contact Women's Aid sooner rather than later. And please keep posting, you are not alone Flowers

foolonthehill · 03/04/2021 13:38

you cannot change him,
he is showing you who he really is....and it's not Mr Nice. If you stay with him it will get worse. If you talk to him about it he will excuse himself and deny that he's wrong and you will be left wondering how it all became your fault.
In the end he will break you.
You need to leave

SparrowNest · 03/04/2021 13:40

Yeah, I agree with everyone else. This doesn’t sound like a resolvable situation, the issue is that he’s abusive and he’s not going to change.

You should start making plans to leave him.

Wanderlusto · 03/04/2021 13:42

That rant he did was straight up psychopath right there btw.

He isnt just an abuser, he is a particularly nasty strain of it. A malignant narcissist who is engaging in really sadistic psychological warfare with you.

Would you try to reason with a serial killer? Because that is the type of personality he has.

Reassuranceneeded14 · 03/04/2021 13:44

I was with a man just like this. But it was constant and he was paranoid. If I happened to put my phone screen side down, all hell broke loose. He did a similar thing over a meal actually, and life was constant egg shells. He wouldn’t explode right away, but I could sense the change and I’d be on a knife edge waiting..I’d even ask if I’d done something wrong and he’d sit with his hand on his mouth, thinking...then explode. Back then it was an emotional rollercoaster of Jekyl and Hyde....get out. I escaped back then as I was only 19...get angry. I wish I’d packed his bags and told him to do one. Nobody should speak to you like that. It’s emotional abuse. The difference between him and my fiancé is night and day- if he ever spoke to me like that, he’d be wearing the dinner. Get out please x

foolonthehill · 03/04/2021 13:45

My quote of the day:

Every person deserves to have a relationship where they are treated with respect, love and equality.

There is never an excuse for verbal, physical or financial abuse.

If you partner treats you like shit, it is their fault. It is not because of something you have done.

You can't change an abusive man by being 'better' or sticking by him where others haven't, or by changing yourself.

Most people have happy relationships, where disagreements happen and are resolved without resorting to shouting, name calling or violence.

It doesn't matter how much he says sorry and makes it up to you, if he continues to abuse you those apologies are worthless.

with thanks to all the women who went before and helped me get out.

MoonGeek · 03/04/2021 13:47

He is abusive. Please leave. It will only get worse as he realises he can get away with it.

PragmaticWench · 03/04/2021 13:51

He is conditioning you to accept his abusive behaviour.

You say you are already walking on eggshells, seeking reassurance from him etc. His outbursts are already effective, he's conditioned you to feel small in response to his behaviour.

This won't improve, he can't change his fundamental abusive character, it's who he is.

expectopelargonium · 03/04/2021 13:59

He's a nasty piece of work.

And he's never going to change either, so I'd cut your losses now and dump him. Sorry.

MadeForThis · 03/04/2021 14:04

Leave

Notaroadrunner · 03/04/2021 14:05

You don't hash anything out. You end the relationship, spend some time looking after yourself and building your self esteem and you go on to have a much happier life, free from this abuse.

averylongtimeago · 03/04/2021 14:06

You know this behaviour isn't right.
How can you change it? You can't.

"When someone tells you what they are like, believe them"

You know what he's like, he's told you. You don't have to live like this - make plans in secret and leave.
You have the whole of your life in front of you, don't waste it on an abuser.

EarthSight · 03/04/2021 14:11

So we are chatting and eating and I took a tiny piece of pitta bread from the box. Then all hell broke lose. "you just took it without fucking asking, you knew I'd fucking say no." "Look at how you've ruined the meal, it doesn't look right and the proportions are off". "I fucking asked you and you said you didn't want anything and now you've fucked up my meal"

I don't think he speaks to you like a child OP. Would you speak to a child like this?? Would you expect or be ok with him to speak to any child like this? I should hope not. It's also not about him thinking he's right. It's far worse than that.

He has an anger problem that he manages to control when he's around everyone else but unleashes it when he's around you because he knows he can. It's not only that his emotions escalate so quickly, seemingly out of nowhere. His way of thinking about situations is also way off too. Either that, or he's trying his absolute hardest to find the tinyest excuse to launch that behaviour at you.

I don't think you're too sensitive, not judging by his actions. In fact, you've probably developed a thick skin. If you truly understood what was going here, I don't think you would be as anxious - you most likely would be really angry. You're anxious I think because on some level you have accepted this as the new normal, and you're anxious because you think you are stuck with that, you feel like you have no choice but to live with it.

I can't imagine this getting any better. It wouldn't surprise me if it will escelate over time and finds more excuses to launch his anger at you. Just look at you now - walking on egg shells, feeling belittled, anxious and probably dominated. I don't think anyone should be in a relationship where they constantly feel like they have to stand up for themselves, constantly have to call out the other person on their disrespectful angry behaviour . It's turning having to assert boundaries all time. Your house and relationship should mostly be a place of peace, comfort, vulernability and harmony, ot another battle ground which you have dig a trench to protect yourself and watch out for mines, barbed wires and traps.

Wanderlusto · 03/04/2021 14:15

Thoroughly agree with pp. Apart from one thing: he is not angry. It is actially just an intimidation tactic. Basically he is not acting abusive because he is angry - he is acting angry because he is abusive.

Bananalanacake · 03/04/2021 14:16

What are his good points.
Who owns the property you live in.

MsChatterbox · 03/04/2021 14:21

Definitely leave. Do you really want to live your life being spoken to like that?

EarthSight · 03/04/2021 14:26

@Wanderlusto

Thoroughly agree with pp. Apart from one thing: he is not angry. It is actially just an intimidation tactic. Basically he is not acting abusive because he is angry - he is acting angry because he is abusive.
@Wanderlusto Yes, that could be true too actually. Good point.
crazymicrowave123 · 03/04/2021 14:31

LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE

icdtap · 03/04/2021 14:32

He is horrific.
Leave.

PanamaPattie · 03/04/2021 14:35

The door is >>>>

Tempusfudgeit · 03/04/2021 14:36

Are you aware you're in an abusive relationship?

Swoonforpeterbishop · 03/04/2021 14:39

He doesn’t speak to you like a child - I wouldn’t speak to a child like that! He speaks to you in an abusive, controlling manner that is unacceptable. If you stay this will only escalate OP.
You need to get out now.

He’s not making you happy, you’re getting nothing out of this. The fact that it’s causing you anxiety is really upsetting you shouldn’t feel like that in a healthy relationship

AcrossthePond55 · 03/04/2021 14:43

He's using you to make himself feel like a 'big man'. He's also conditioning you to accept his verbal abuse, and possibly worse abuse down the line.

You don't want to live this way! You deserve respect from someone who really loves you. He doesn't. He loves himself and he loves being able to use you to feed his own ego.

Please leave if it's his place or kick him out if it's yours. There's no point it 'talking about it' because he is NOT going to change and he is damaging your soul.

StephenBelafonte · 03/04/2021 14:48

Look at how you've ruined the meal, it doesn't look right and the proportions are off"

THAT is a really really weird thing to say about food.

Abusive men are very often controlling and weird about food.

Also agree with the posters who said he's not angry. He's pretending to be angry to intimindate you. Does he ever get angry with others.

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