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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

Everytime my back is turned.. how would you leave?

261 replies

love15 · 07/07/2021 12:12

We've had issues for 9 years since we've been together - we have DD.

Issues: Drugs, Lies, Cheating, Disrespect

Everytime I spend a night at my mums (generally to keep her company and my DD loves it) my partner is on Facebook messaging other women. Half the time he gets no response but it's things like "boo" "hello gorgeous" "oi oi" - just for the record I guessed his password and so I sit and watch him sending these messages from my phone.

I have to leave, it's more than time. But one, why do I find it so hard regardless of him being a complete and utter

How do I go about this? Tell him I've been looking at his Facebook and I've seen the message?

I'll have to go back to my mums for a while which at 33 is really rubbish!

None of this feels easy.

Advice needed xxx

OP posts:
Ginmonkey84 · 15/07/2021 13:57

Let’s be clear. He doesn’t love you, he has zero respect for you and is telling you all these things as he knows he can emotionally manipulate you. Find some self worth for goodness sake. Your more than young enough to find someone who wants to be with you and only you. Going back will destroy you and your daughter will be caught up in that don’t think for one second she won’t. You’ll spend your life constantly wondering what he’s doing because you will never trust him. He’s untrustworthy and clearly doesn’t care one bit a about you. Harsh but true. This part won’t be easy but it doesn’t last. Keep going and you will come out the other side either that or you’ll go back and live a life of misery. Il say it again this man does not love you! Be strong and find your way through this without him. You deserve more.

user1481840227 · 15/07/2021 14:09

@love15

Thank you Thanks

Why do some men act like this? Is it drugs? Is that nothing is ever enough? They crave attention? I just don't get it?!

Drugs can affect a persons serotonin and dophamine receptors so technically for some yes, nothing will be enough after that because it takes a lot to make them happy!

BUT my ex was a problem drinker/drug user and he didn't do things like with other women.

At the end of the day it's a choice to do it and comes down to the individual, drugs or drink won't make them do it, it's what they want to do or feel entitled to do at the time!

He's obviously messaged to say he loves me. That he's ashamed, that it's drunk that causes him to do these things. That he'll get some help etc if that's what I think is the solution

Always beware of the person who says they will get help if YOU want them too. That's putting some responsibility on you. If he felt like he needed help himself he'd go and get it, he wouldn't wait to be told it.

If he really loved you and didn't want to lose you and genuinely thought it was something that could be fixed with 'help' then he'd have already sought help.

Then if he does go for 'help' because you ask him to, that's a get out of jail free card for them in lots of ways, they can say they've sought help for you, talk about their meetings/therapists whatever and make you feel sorry for them!

love15 · 15/07/2021 16:02

I've never felt pain like it... I just want it to stop x

OP posts:
wtfisgoingonhere21 · 15/07/2021 16:23

What will you be going back to?

You doing al the domestic stuff looking after your child the house the bills etc etc etc and being made to feel shit about yourself while he sends messages and pics to other people ??

Why put yourself through it anymore.

In a week two weeks three weeks and so on from now you will look bak and thank your lucky stars you stuck to your guns.

If you go bak Youl be looking bak wishing you'd followed through with it.

He has no respect for you so why should you have any for him?

And you owe him absolutely nothing at all

rainbowstardrops · 15/07/2021 16:30

So, you do everything at home and he messages other women etc when you're not around. It's a no brainer to me.

love15 · 15/07/2021 16:32

Being at my mums just feels like such a failure on my part.. I know it isn't forever but I can't see a happy future in front of me?

OP posts:
Fairyxdance · 15/07/2021 17:06

@love15

Well my ex was 15 years older than me. At the grand age of 47 he was still treating women terribly. He'd lost everyone that mattered by 2019. His ex gf keeps in touch because nobody else wants him in his family. I think she feels responsible for him.

My ex from ten years ago that did it. Married a woman after me and they had two kids. Cheated on her last year with the same woman he cheated on me with all those years ago.

They can't give it up because it's supply. They need it. They don't give it up for their wives, children or lovers. Because it wins. It's pathetic behaviour. Needing Facebook messages of various women and if they are really lucky they might get some Phone sex and pictures. It's not real but to them it's some power trip.

My ex was also a drinker. He's sober now. He was sober when he met me. But he was a full on alcoholic at the beginning of 2020. He is not a nice man now he's sober. Just an angry liar.

You need to ride it out. Trust me these weak moments are normal. I had them. I coped by keeping busy. Having a cry. Writing it down. But it goes again I promise. Then you get more and more days where you see them for the horrible disrespectful Pervy liars they are

love15 · 15/07/2021 17:11

Had anyone else been here? Early 30's... did you start again and find happiness? Is 33 too old to even think about meeting someone nee and having more children etc? Finding a nice home...x

OP posts:
Fairyxdance · 15/07/2021 17:16

You are the same age as me. I'm currently alone. Don't expect to be forever. But I'm also ok in my own company right now. When you get past the pain you will start emotionally breathing again. You will start to feel positive and see joy in doing things for yourself. For your kids. You do not need the misery he brings along. You don't need an adult child.

What does your mum thin

Jenala · 15/07/2021 17:23

OP I've just read your posts and what's coming across is less that you want to be with him and more that you're scared to be alone, what it might mean for future children, a nice house etc. Which is understandable, as right now the future is unknown whereas while with your ex it was utterly shit, at least you knew what was what. But please, deep down you must be able to see that fear of being alone is not a good reason to lose your self respect and go back to him? What would you want your daughter to do in your situation? What kind of woman do you want your daughter to see you as?

It's scary. It's unknown. And that fear of the unknown is what is pushing you to want to go back. Becgause you're not really talking about him. You're talking about the trappings of a 'normal' two parent family life. Do you really want to settle for someone who treats you so disrespectfully just so you're not alone and have, outwardly, a happy family life?

Drinkingallthewine · 15/07/2021 17:32

I was 36 when I had DS - and had another few years trying for another one after that.

You've loads of time.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 15/07/2021 17:43

@love15

Had anyone else been here? Early 30's... did you start again and find happiness? Is 33 too old to even think about meeting someone nee and having more children etc? Finding a nice home...x
You speak as if you think you are old! Some people (me included) are your age and don't even have one child even though we long to be a parent! I'm in my first healthy relationship at the same age as you and planning a family. So yes, people can meet someone great in their 30s and meet or start a family. It's strange you don't think that's a relatively normal thing to do?
candycane222 · 15/07/2021 17:49

Yep, got together with dh at 36, two wonderful children a few yrs after that

QueenBee52 · 15/07/2021 19:48

OP...

this is your new beginning given time to heal and process what he does to you...

Posters on here recommend reading the Freedom Programme.. I believe it is online my lovely..

read it .. even if just to distract you from time to time 🌸

love15 · 15/07/2021 20:26

No it's not that I think I'm old... I guess it's just the panic in me thinking I won't ever get the things I want again. It's silly I know and I know I'm lucky to have my dd... there's just so much I want.

Honestly wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy x

OP posts:
Fairyxdance · 15/07/2021 20:47

@love15

It's just that even if you weaken and go back you will never trust him and you will be insecure. Anxious. On edge. Paranoid. You'll see every woman as a threat. You'll get lower self esteem. It's a horrible cycle. Going through the suspicion, the realisation, the denial, the fall out, the forgiveness.

It isn't that you are not good enough for him, it's that he wants more than he can have.

He's not considering his daughter or the family. He's not considering you. He's just considering himself and what attention he needs. That's selfish. He doesn't need it. He just wants it.

Not sure what his childhood was like. But according to a therapist it usually starts as a child. Some sort of fear of being alone and abandoned.

It's senseless. With my ex he would literally get in touch with old school friends from 2 hours away where he lived 30 years ago. These women are sort of late 40s. Getting divorced etc. He's in there calling them gorgeous. He doesn't know these women at all. He doesn't know if they are nice. If they smell good. If they have a good set of teeth. He doesn't know anything about their personalities. But he went to school with them so he uses that as a reason to chat them up. There was nothing to be gained. No future. No nothing. But he still needed that more than a dedicated relationship with me or his ex. I'll never understand why he continues to repeat the same mistakes again.

I think you need to realise 32 is a great age. You are young. But old enough to have that bit of life experience. Ofcourse you will have the home, the garden and the loyality. Even if it takes 2-3 years. You'll still only be 35. There's millions of men out there. So many people seperate and move on. It's life.

He's got nothing to offer you. If you want to keep the door open for the future tell him to leave you alone until he's got some solid evidence he's sorted the drink. Tell him if he ever gets as far as being in your life again he needs to stop using social media and get therapy to work out why he needs this extra attention. Can Guarantee he won't wanna do it. Or by the time he has you'll have moved on.

Also he's lost you. Not the other way round. You know you deserve better than this. You have got to ride out the next couple of months. You are going to be ok but please stick to it. Think of the long run..everytime you think about him think about him in bed with those women. Remind yourself how disrespectful he is!

Also on a lighter note I played dua lipa new rules and jamelia no more, and Joss stone you had me on repeat lol!! I personally find music helpful and kept me on track. Headphones in and a big walk in the countryside or the local park! I can't recommend being out in nature more. Lakes, woods anything. Take your child too. Just get out and refresh.

You can do it!! Keep talking to us x

love15 · 15/07/2021 22:06

Honestly @Fairyxdance and all of you... I cannot thank you enough. Your strangers to me yet your taking the time to help me and my situation. It's a tough time that's for sure and I'm sure what I'm feeling is normal, but it's so hard. I have a counselling session booked on Monday at 9am x

OP posts:
Fairyxdance · 16/07/2021 04:30

You are so welcome. I've had a tough year myself getting him out my life and I was "hoovered" back up twice so I understand everything you are saying. It can be so easy to take them back. But that's why I'm glad you've got something in place.

It's abuse. It's emotional and not visible to others necessarily. They can be very good at hiding it. The only people who truly know what men like this are like, are the victims.

Just two days after helping my ex out by lending him money he denied I was anyone to him. I had a screen shot from the woman from tinder. He said I was just "some girl" he was chatting to and had told to "f off". He paid me back everytime but I was still the reason he ate and had fags for several days on more than one occasion.

Your guy would probably do similar. He will make out you are the problem to other people. They'll do anything to save their own skin. It's really quite horrible. They learn how to live a lie. Then they get so caught up in lying they can't even admit things when there's good evidence.

One of the reasons I got through was I reached out to another lady who had history with him. Listening to her experience and realising how much he broke her too helped. It's literally a case of how many women have cried themselves to sleep because of this man!?!?

You are doing something really amazing for yourself getting some help. I hope it helps you untangle it. Because I can imagine there's so much stuff going through your mind. Every thing will keep flashing through your mind. My brain would focus on something new everyday and I think it was just my mind sorting itself. I had to process his continued relationship with his ex which was a "friendship". I'd have memories of things he had said and now I have learned they were confessions that he never thought I knew. I remember him saying he had told his neighbour about me. He worked for him last summer. All his neighbour said was "don't mess her about" at the time I thought how weird. Now I understand.

Is your daughter's dad a big drinker? Would you say he's alcoholic? Again that would indicate he has an addictive personality. My ex was an alcoholic in recovery. But also despite earning £150 a day was always skint. Addicted to spending too. Always getting new clothes and stuff. Plus addicted to women. He also got addicted to pain killers as he has a bad back from a car accident from drink driving years ago.

I hope you got some sleep and are doing ok today. Have you heard anything more from him? X

FlowerArranger · 16/07/2021 06:56

@love15 - please do remember:

Anything he promises now is aimed at manipulating your emotions and DOES NOT MEAN A THING

If you go back to him it’ll be just the same as before. All the drudge work and the anxiety - but multiplied by a fact of x, and you’ll be kicking yourself for falling for his pretty words.

You are young. Do not waste your one and only precious life on this worthless scoundrel!

FlowersFlowersFlowers

love15 · 16/07/2021 08:48

@Fairyxdance - he does have an addictive personality yes. He earns very well, has a very good Job - so is always buying stuff. Whether it be for the house or himself.

It's always been his house too.. it was before we met. Yet he's never wanted to buy together. He did say once that I could be put on the mortgage but it would be ring fenced so basically I was entitled to the most pathetic amount of it!

Honestly I feel like my legs are going to buckle from under me. When I see everyone at the school gate with their partners, I just think I don't want to do this on my own x

OP posts:
Fairyxdance · 16/07/2021 09:26

Yep. He sounds like a typical emotional abuser who can't fully commit. I think with my ex's ex she survived 8 years because she owned her own house and he never went on it. He apparently helped pay for stuff though and I think they had nice things. But he left with nothing when they split. Just some rubbish curtains and a wooden duck ornament. For his age he has nothing to show for himself.

I can't explain to you that everything you feel is because its Raw. You have two choices now. You can give up and take him back. Or you can take one day at a time and keep focusing on going forward.

You are not alone. There will be many men out there also single and wanting a nice woman. Some hurt like yourself. There's no rush to replace him.

I do understand the loneliness. But I quite like the peace now. I am ok of it takes months or a couple of years to meet someone. Because I know my life is not over. Neither is yours. Think of all the years you have ahead of you. Christmases. Birthdays. Summers. Snow days. Parties. Days out. Weekends. You are not going to spend it all alone forever more with no sex life and nobody who loves you. The only people I know that don't have partners have never had any and it seems they are tar people who just don't want relationships. Usually middle aged men lol.

You've survived another night. Is your mum wanting you to stay away from him now? All my friends just wanted him to jog on and leave me alone. I just can't deal with him. I know he will try and contact me again too. He sent me a accidental message last week at 3am. Just put a number 1 and nothing else. He's always testing to see if he can get anything out of me. Then he slithered off again. I just roll my eyes now. He's never going to find another me. Just like he will never find another you.

I hope you are keeping busy today? X

NewlyGranny · 16/07/2021 12:26

It keeps hurting because you keep the lunes of communication open, OP. He can reach in and mess with your mind whenever he fancies. Effectively, you haven't left. You aren't getting time apart because he's in your pocket.

Wounds don't heal is someone keeps ripping them open again!

You need to block him for a time and give yourself breathing and healing space. How can you think straight if he's endlessly yattering at you with future faking scenarios?

QueenBee52 · 16/07/2021 12:40

I hope you have started a claim for CMS my lovely 🌸

love15 · 16/07/2021 13:20

He's messaged to say he doesn't want to see DD yet... he doesn't want her to come and go.

That we might realise this isn't working?

What the hell? Is it mind games?

OP posts:
PearlNextDoor · 16/07/2021 13:25

So he can only be an accidental dad, if it's convenient, if the child is under the same roof.
What he's saying sounds like an admission, he cant step up to be a dad if it's effort

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