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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

Is this abusive or is it me?

37 replies

Namechange8688 · 28/08/2021 18:51

I had a very quick marriage to someone who I thought loved me very much. A complete whirlwind romance. It turns out he gets angry very often at me for things I do or say that annoys him. Things like this afternoon he's moaned about some metal thing in a kitchen drawer. I am 99.99% sure it was his and he moved in with it. I said this to him and he said it's not his, I said are you sure (he has got awful memory) and he said that I haven't learnt from any other time when I tell him he's wrong and he's not and it's going to go sideways. I left the kitchen and went back to the living room. He then came in the living room and started again. He says absolutely horrible things to me when he's angry with me. He threatened to move out again and said the only reason he didn't move out a couple of weeks ago is because I was upset about it (that isn't true, I was upset, I wanted us to split up and the only reason I stayed with him is because at the 9th hour he apologised and said we would get counselling- which is now booked for the 7th).

He's flicked me before in an argument but said that I was too sensitive when I told him that was abusive. He says my moods dictate his mood and that I make him feel like he is on eggshells. Apparently he's rang citizens advice about his housing situation and they think I'm emotionally abusive because everything is about my feelings. But he does things that upset me, that make me feel rejected and whether I don't say anything and just crack on with what I'm doing or if I say what you've just said has upset me, he gets angry whatever. I feel like he can say or do whatever he wants to do but if it upsets me then he turns it round to say I'm the problem.

My friends and family say I'm being emotionally abused by him and that he's broken me. But am I actually the one making him do this? I know everyone will say no I'm not, but am I actually in the wrong by feeling hurt all the bloody time. I constantly feel rejected by him and it shows in my face. A good example of this is that we were supposed to go out Thursday but he worked late, I wasn't upset about him working late but I was a bit disappointed that he didn't say we'll do it on our next free evening. I told him this and he shouted at me that I should have assumed that was what would happen, that I'm childish and my moods shouldn't take over the night (they didn't, I still cooked his dinner, cleaned the bin and chatted to him, I was just disappointed).

He just doesn't get me. All I want is to love him and be loved by him. I thought he was my one but the things he says to me are horrible. I want to end it, even if it's me that is the problem I'm really not happy and want to be free of the constant feeling of feeling unloved and the arguments. I am a big ball of resentment towards him now and I am hyper sensitive to how he is with me and expecting the negative. This annoys him a lot! But I can't change it, he's said and done so much I just don't trust that he has my best interest at heart. He's saying that I expect him to bow down to me and he's been making loads of effort the last couple of weeks and I've made none. That's not true, we argued Monday, Wednesday and Thursday! How can I make an effort when he starts demanding I do things and when I say no he shouts.

I was very lucky to get a very nice HA flat due to being a care leaver a couple of decades ago. I won't sign my tenancy over to a joint tenancy with him. He throws this in my face a lot. Apparently because we're married I can't kick him out until after our divorce is finalised. We haven't even been married a year! He also has so much stuff in my flat that I can't just bag up his stuff and he won't agree to stay with his nan or friends while he finds somewhere. But each time I agree to him staying while he finds somewhere we end up giving it another go. I feel utterly fed up of it all. Even if my moods and being annoying creates the arguing and him losing his temper it's obviously something I'm not able to stop so I don't get why he wants to keep trying anyway!

He told me to take my wedding ring off this afternoon and if I did that he would leave. I took it off and now he's cooking dinner!

OP posts:
Namechange8688 · 29/08/2021 14:37

Im waiting for him to go to work Tuesday and then I'm going to do it the cowards way and change the locks.

I looked through my phone and there's so many notes dating back from January wondering why he gets angry and doesn't listen to me. It's never got better It's only got worse. I've lost myself trying to change myself thinking I'm the problem. My good intentions show through those notes, different ways I could speak to him, what I could do so he doesn't feel defensive ect and how his sarcasm, belittling, using my past against me makes me feel. I don't know why I keep trying to explain to him what he does and says to me thinking that he will realise and stop. I feel so unloved that he knows what he is doing and still does it but that's the reality. I don't need to tell him what he's done and how its made me feel, he already knows and continues to do it. That isn't what someone who loves you does

OP posts:
billy1966 · 29/08/2021 14:42

It definitely isn't.

He clearly doesn't love you, so why did he marry you?

Did he target you?

Why?

Was it your home?

How did you meet?

PlanDeRaccordement · 29/08/2021 14:48

Yeah, you two are toxic together. It’s clear you make him unhappy and he makes you unhappy. I can’t say who “is the abusive one” when it appears both of you are emotional roller coasters and are lashing out at each other. There doesn’t have to be abuser-victim dynamic to justify breaking up. The we just aren’t happy when together and are toxic with each other is more than enough.

Cherrysoup · 29/08/2021 14:51

Please follow through with this. Speak to your HA, I think in cases of domestic violence (which this is) they will not quibble re it being the marital home. If you change the locks, it will take ages for him to go through the legal route to get back in if he is allowed to stay there (which I doubt)

Stop blaming yourself, he sounds like a total horror.

Namechange8688 · 29/08/2021 14:52

I have no idea why he married me now. At the time he told me that I was the only person he had ever wanted to marry and be with forever. He's since then told me I've trapped him, I'm not who he thought I was, he regrets marrying and moving in with me. I had never ever felt loved the way that he loved me before we married. I used to feel so special and valued.

OP posts:
Pinkbonbon · 29/08/2021 15:03

Well done op for seeing through the fog. Its such a big step to finally see that all trying to explain does is keep you on the suffering merry go round. Now you can finally step off and do right by yourself. Good luck on tuesday!

billy1966 · 29/08/2021 15:20

Well done for seeing clearly and having a plan.

Reach out for support from family and friends to pack up his stuff and get rid of it asap.
Can you find someone with a van to deliver to a storage area?

Humblpi · 29/08/2021 15:51

Welcome to the i-saw-thru-the-bs club! I would stick to thd 'we dont seem to make each other happy' line on repeat, any blame game just allows him ammunition and a foot in the door for an argument.

Colourmeclear · 29/08/2021 19:18

Please make sure someone is with you when he comes home and perhaps call the police to let them know that you are leaving an abusive relationship and to put a marker on your house for a quick response if you need to call them. If you can call a domestic abuse charity for help, please do.

AllApollogies · 29/08/2021 23:35
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 29/08/2021 23:43

Don’t not go to counselling with him. This is the worst thing you can do. You should never have counselling with an abusive man. They can often get the counsellor on side, as he even says he wishes to, to try to make you doubt yourself even more.

I speak from first hand experience, as well as having read this in expert literature, as my exh did exactly this.

Get rid of this man. tell his he has to leave. Call the police if he doesn’t. Start divorce proceedings immediately.

poppymaewrite · 30/08/2021 00:04

Don’t listen to Citizen’s Advice on abuse, it’s not what they specialise in. Speak to Women’s aid.
On the housing issue- call Shelter or speak to a solicitor.

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