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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

Why do I feel like this?

17 replies

Myusernameisunique · 12/05/2021 00:08

Without going into too much background my EXH and I separated a year past March. In September of 2019 he really unexpectedly told me he didn't love me anymore. By unexpected I mean I never ever in a million years thought he'd ever say that to me! We'd had an argument and our relationship hadn't been brilliant for a year or so but I took it to be one of those things. We were together 14 years, married for 10 and had 2 DC who were 9 and 4 at the time. I just figured life would start to get a bit easier when the DC were a little older and I could work more which would alleviate money worries a bit and give us a more settled life. It was such a huge shock. I fought tooth and nail to keep our marriage together, changed a lot about myself and tried to get us to marriage counselling. We did it for a month or so in the November until EXH said he was happy, did still love me and didn't think we needed the counselling anymore. I was overjoyed. It all lasted about a month when it all turned again and he said again he didn't know if he loved me anymore. Life was miserable and in March 2020 he left just before lockdown texting me to say he thought he'd be happier on his own. I was in bits and ended up alone during most of the first lockdown with two children and trying to just emotionally keep myself together. He would see the DC's off and on but no regular contact at that time. He called me in June absolutely beside himself and basically had a bit of a breakdown. Said he'd "f'd up" and "couldn't believe" what he'd "thrown away". He said he wanted his family back. I was there and helped him with whatever he needed. I thought we would maybe even get back together as I'd suspected he was mentally unwell all along. Then it didn't happen. All my efforts were thrown back in my face and he started seeing someone. He's now living with her, has our DCs routinely and seems fine. I on the other hand am not. I'm not in love with him anymore, that's not it. I'm physically not attracted to him at all and I can't stand him. I couldn't ever see us being together now after everything that's happened. I'm absolutely fine most of the time but barely a month goes by where I don't wish for my old life back, I want to rewind to 2019 where I was blissfully unaware all of this would happen. And never, ever thought it would. We always had a great relationship and were a good team. We were best friends and got on so well. We had our ups and downs and life was a bit hard sometimes but it's to be expected in 14 years isn't it? Plus I was 19 when I met him and he was 21. We grew up together and learned as we went along. We also had two small children and because of his job I couldn't work much as we had limited childcare so money was tight. I find myself getting so upset and feeling like a total and absolute failure that I couldn't make my marriage work. I wonder how a man that absolutely adored me could all of a sudden not anymore. I wonder how on earth this could happen to me and what was/is wrong with me. I wonder how after he said he didn't want to be in a relationship at all he could find someone else almost straight away, move in with her and say he's in love with her. Is it just me? Or is this normal to feel the way I do. I find myself crying every now and then. It's almost like I'm mourning and the pain is really unbearable. I don't want to feel like this at all. I just want to move on, move forward and be truly, properly happy again. I feel like he's stolen that from me. Had anyone else been in this kind of situation? I just need reassurance I think that it'll pass as I feel the pain and anger will never leave me and it will ruin my life. Thank you to anyone that's managed to read this.

OP posts:
FortunesFave · 12/05/2021 00:34

Nothing is wrong with you. He was seeing that woman or another one the time he first ended it with you. He will have hidden it....and then, the time he came back to you saying he'd made a mistake, well she'd ended it with him and he panicked.

He's an arsehole.

You're free of him but you're traumatized by the emotional upset it caused.

The pain and anger WILL leave you. People think that people should recover after a few months when in reality, it takes a few years.

You are in mourning...which is terrible.

Do you have any dreams or ambitions? Hobbies? They can be saviours.

Startoftheyear2021 · 12/05/2021 00:39

Please don't feel like this. You are wonderful and he's lost something special.
You might need help to get on track and see you future. But be sure it's there. Reach out to friends and family family and post here as much as you want.
And whatever you do, search Chumplady up on the internet. She's amazing and says all the right things to women like us who've been on this horrible rollercoaster.
Good luck!!

MadMadMadamMim · 12/05/2021 00:49

To paraphrase from Sarah Millican People say divorce is like a bereavement, but it's not. Cos if he'd died I'd have had my mortgage paid off. And I could have danced on his grave.

You are grieving the life you thought you'd have, and he's deprived you of it. You won't ever be that naive and innocent again, because it does stay with you, having your heart broken by someone you trusted, who once loved you. But it does get better. You will heal, and you'll be stronger, less tolerant of bullshit and much more appreciative of how brilliant you are. You will need to give yourself time. Keep going.

He did fuck up, and you sound great.

Justa47 · 12/05/2021 04:49

@Myusernameisunique
@FortunesFave

Op I am sorry for you. It will pass. You do sound lovely and don’t let his actions define you.

I fear fortunes faves comments are spot on.

One day at a time and it will get better.

Please seek legal advice ..

category12 · 12/05/2021 07:12

He probably had his head turned by this other woman way earlier than he's saying. I doubt very much this is anything to do with you, but just that old story where the guy has an affair, tos and fros in his marriage and claims mental health or unhappiness, puts the wife through the wringer - and it's just another woman the whole time.

KinseyWinsey · 12/05/2021 07:12

You've been very badly hurt.

Deceived.

Had the rug pulled from under you three times.

Not at all surprised you are feeling the way you do.

Time. You need time to recover from this hideous experience.

He definitely was having an affair from the beginning of it all.

isittimetogotobed · 12/05/2021 07:18

You sound like an amazing person. Really introspective and like you did what you could to try to support him while he treated you terribly.
You have every right to be feeling the trauma of all that he has put you though. But you will come out of this a stronger person.

Mermaidwaves · 12/05/2021 08:21

I get you OP, I separated from my abusive exH in 2019 and then did some horrible OLD throughout 2020 where I got further hurt and treated like dirt but I rushed into trying to find love and didn't grieve for my marriage properly. I just wanted to move on quickly and find happiness.

I've now quit OLD and my exH is now remarried with a baby. I'm now fully grieving my marriage as its finally sunk in and I'm processing my pain. I'm missing family life and my role as a wife, I tell myself I'm better off single than with a man who didn't love me, and I know that's right. But I miss the wife dynamic and like you we were together from teens so I hate being alone like this at 40.

We will heal OP, I think it will take a couple of years and we will also learn from it. I'm very cynical now but it's a self protection thing and I'm much more aware of red flags now. Let's hope we have better things waiting for us in the future Flowers

Myusernameisunique · 12/05/2021 14:54

Thank you so much to everyone that has commented. The affair thing has been denied over and over by him but I think the same as you all with regards to that one. It was just such an absolute kick in the teeth. I have no career, no prospects through putting that aside to raise our family whilst he progressed in his because we were a team. That makes me very angry. It was all very naive of me I see that now. The Sarah Millican quote made me laugh and couldn't be more true! I've said similar numerous times. I just need to keep going and be safe in the knowledge that I'll not feel like this forever. My good days are great. I appreciate everything I have now without hun and could never have had with him here. I'm lucky to have amazing friends and an amazing family who have done nothing but support me. They don't have a clue i feel like this though and it's not something I'll ever tell them. I'll be back at exercise classes from next week which is kind of my hobby and keeps me mentally on top of things so hopefully that'll help me move forward as well. @Mermaidwaves we sound like we've had similar experiences and if you'd like to chat please feel free to pm me. Honestly thank you to everyone single one of you. You've all really put it into perspective for me and I definitely know I'm not the only one to have ever felt like this.

OP posts:
Skyla2005 · 12/05/2021 15:02

Really sorry. As others have said he already met her the first time he said he didn't love you. That's what they do You are best rid of him. You will move on and rebuild your life. You will look back and realise you are happier now than you were with him

Skyla2005 · 12/05/2021 15:02

Really sorry. As others have said he already met her the first time he said he didn't love you. That's what they do You are best rid of him. You will move on and rebuild your life. You will look back and realise you are happier now than you were with him

ravenmum · 12/05/2021 15:13

Agree that it was about this woman all along. Possibly she was married/with someone else and at some point also decided to give it another go with that person,or there was some other issue with her, during which time he came back to you.

You are mourning, grieving the life and the future you thought you had.

ravenmum · 12/05/2021 15:56

Agree that it was about this woman all along. Possibly she was married/with someone else and at some point also decided to give it another go with that person,or there was some other issue with her, during which time he came back to you.

You are mourning, grieving the life and the future you thought you had.

IsThePopeCatholic · 12/05/2021 16:13

Good luck to you, op.

Mermaidwaves · 12/05/2021 16:19

@Myusernameisunique
I'm glad you're seeing the positives hard as it is, and if you need to pm me, you're more than welcome too x

Mermaidwaves · 12/05/2021 16:19

@Myusernameisunique
I'm glad you're seeing the positives hard as it is, and if you need to pm me, you're more than welcome too x

KinseyWinsey · 13/05/2021 00:21

And now it's time to establish your career.

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