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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

Past EA and revisiting feelings around it.

5 replies

myremedy · 14/06/2021 16:38

DP and I have been together for 20-something years. Two adult children. Within the first three years I had an emotional affair and DP two. It was a turbulent time that two adult teens should never have to go through including familial abuse, major surgery for one of the children and other serious issues.

I guess it's no real surprise our relationship was super stretched and the edges pushed, it would've been so very easy to both move on away from each other.

We've had.a largely good relationship despite many challenging issues.

Over the past two or three years there have been serious medical problems for DP, needing constant support and while I feel committed to DP I've found my mind wandering back to the person I had the EA with, what they are doing now, how things might have worked out etc. I've searched for them on social media (not found them) a couple of times.

How do I move past this? We've experienced amounts of trauma that friends have been unable to comprehend and ties cut as the direct result. Splitting is not an option, I cannot and will not watch DP fight their inhuman fight alone.

I know I'm a despicable, horrible person.

OP posts:
myremedy · 21/06/2021 22:15

Any help at all, please??

OP posts:
Maybebe · 21/06/2021 22:20

I think you need to give yourself a break. You're obviously going through a really tough time. You know you don't want to leave your DH, fantasising (maybe that's too strong a word) about this other man sounds like a natural reaction to stress - an escape - and something that you know will stay in your head only.

You have said you're committed to your DH, you haven't "done" anything, you're certainly not despicable.

xsquared · 21/06/2021 22:32

You're not a despicable person to think like this and I think it is natural to be curious about what the other person is doing now. Consider it a blessing that they are not on social media. No point in wondering what may have been as it ultimately didn't work out.

Have you had counselling or therapy for trauma and for resurfacing feelings about your past EA?

I hope you find some RL support soon.

HeartvsBrain · 22/06/2021 02:51

Your life sounds very stressful and sad OP, and I wish that I had the words to make you feel better. Fantasising about the (presumably) man is not horrible, it doesn't make you a terrible person, it makes you human, but then you have always been human. We are probably the only species that give ourselves such a hard time both mentally and emotionally - and I sometimes think that the nicer, more caring someone is, the harder they judge themselves.

Without knowing a lot more specifics about you, your husband and your family situation, it will be hard for anyone here to offer much specific advice or suggestions, but I am not suggesting that you divulge more to us here.

We don't know if you have any life outside of your home (sorry I can't remember if you said whether you leave the house for work or not). But I feel that you do need to spend a lot more of your time outside of the home, doing things that are particularly for you. Do you have m/any real life friends, do you have interests that are not mainly solitary ones like reading? But then even with reading, if it is one of your pleasures, are there any physical book clubs in your area that you could join? If not, could you start one up now that Covid is hopefully retreating? If attending any sort of gathering is not possible at the moment, there are lots of things, like bookclubs that you can join online - some of them will use skype and other VOIP type ways to get together, and some will just be like MN where we type our communications. But the number of groups that you could join are enormous.

So what are your interests OP? Do you still have ones that you loved when you were younger, or is there anything that has your interest now? Anything from art or photography, to politics, amateur dramatics to cycling clubs? To have at least one interst that mainly takes place outdoors would be particularly beneficial I think. One that I would love if I was well enough, would be wild swimming, but I would join an already established club if at all possible, as there are quite a few inherent dangers involved in it, so having the advice of experienced wild swimmers and swimming with at least one or two other swimmers could kill two birds with one stone. Because I am mainly bedridden, reading and learning a foreign language online are two of my favourite hobbies. If you installed the Duolingo app you can learn a foreign language for free, and maybe you could look for a penpal in the country of the language you are learning. Have you ever just browsed through You tube OP, I have found things by accident that I never thought I would be interested in, and then found that an hour has passed, and it was fascinating!

So spending time away from the house with friends, particularly if you are partaking in shared intetests, would, I think, be very good for you. Also some counselling, just for and about you, might help you think more clearly, and help you realise that you are a lovely person, who has some flaws just like the rest of us, and that that is fine 💐 Good luck OP, and remember that MN is always here, whether you just want to chat, share a problem, or have some advice for others with their problems. 🤗

myremedy · 23/06/2021 00:38

Thank you so much, your replies have brought tears to my eyes. I'm on the waiting list for various mental health issues so will be dealing with everything on that front then - first part starts Aug/Sept.

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