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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

DH has no friends and following me round the house

288 replies

DotDashDottyDashy · 11/10/2021 16:23

My husband dropped his friends years ago and he has nothing to do with his family. He now works at home since the pandemic and his employer has made this a permanent thing. I already worked at home because I freelance. He goes to a book club once a month, but apart from that I am literally never alone in the house. He doesn't count the book-club members as friends and he will never stay for a drink after they've discussed the book as the rest of them do. I have lots of friends and interests that take me out of the house, but sometimes I'd just like some time in the house on my own without hearing his ever-there presence - the TV, his stomping and sighing.

If I close a door behind me (e.g. if I'm reading in the snug or in the bath, I close the door so I can't hear the TV that he has on all the time, or if I'm in my office I keep the door closed so I can't hear him on his work calls), he will always, without fail, find a reason to come into the room, and then leave the door open on his way back out. If I ask him to close the door behind him, he always frowns and sighs very loudly and exaggeratedly. I find this so unpleasant that I've stopped asking him to close the door and I wait until he's gone, then quietly close it myself. He wants to watch TV every night, whereas I don't - sometimes I want to read or do some drawing or something, but if I say this, he always asks why can't I do it in the same room as him (the reason is because the TV is distracting, but also I just want some time on my own as well sometimes) or he'll pull a 'jokey' sulky pouty face and say sarcastically 'oh that's nice'. Or, he'll give it half an hour, then come and join me in whatever room I'm in, sit next to me, and scroll through his phone.

He cares very deeply about furniture, decor and clothes. He watches what I do in the house and corrects things I do. For example, if I put the box of teabags on the kitchen counter, he'll lift it up to put a protective mat under it. Or he'll pretend he's admiring the knife I'm using and come to look at it (when in reality I know it's because he wants to make sure none of the veg I'm chopping have fallen off the chopping board onto the worktop). If he thinks one of us might have damaged something, he goes nuts, even if he can't see any damage with his naked eye, so he'll do things like get a torch to inspect it. I never do things to his standards - I apparently do gardening wrong, cleaning wrong, bedmaking wrong, washing wrong.

He doesn't like us using things in case we damage them, so the kitchen worktops are covered in lots of protective mats (so we can hardly see any of the worktop now) and the settees are covered in protective throws. And he gets really tense when we have visitors in case they damage something.

If I try discussing anything with him, he either denies whatever I say (even stupid things that are obviously true - it's his default position to just deny anything I say. I could point out his grey hair and he'd deny it's grey), or he gets really defensive, or more often than not he just walks away and refuses to discuss anything with me, going completely silent on me. He literally never gets riled or worked up. He likes to ignore me when I ask something of him, and if I repeat myself, he'll just say really dismissively and calmly, "yeah I heard you", but then he won't comment any further. He also makes things up about me. For example, he was sorting out our important documents and I asked him to leave mine alone and I would sort them myself, and he told me that I had lost my driving licence once so I shouldn't do the sorting and should let him do it. I know for a fact that I've never lost my driving licence, but he was so adamant that I started believing him. He could tell me I'm spelling my name wrong and he'd be so believable that I'd doubt how my own name is spelt.

I'm 20 years into this marriage, and now I'm perimenopausal, and suddenly I'm just drained by it. We're currently not talking to each other at all after he was snappy with me on Saturday all day but wouldn't tell me what the issue was. He does that a lot - snapping and frowning at me, but if I ask him what's wrong he says "nothing" every single time. I really fucking hate the silent treatment - I think it's a pathetic game and really manipulative, but I can't be arsed trying to engage with him anymore, so I'm just not bothering. I know I'm in the wrong not talking to him, but I'm exhausted by him and actually it's quite nice not having to talk to him and listen to him go on about how his work colleagues have wronged him this week.

OP posts:
Iggly · 11/10/2021 16:50

How low your standards are. “Not a dick 100% of the time”.

I read something once about a drop of poison. If a relationship has a drop of poison - regardless of the rest of it, that one drop is enough to hurt you.

Enjoy the rest of your life and move on from him.

Tal45 · 11/10/2021 16:53

God I want to run round your house pulling off all the covers and sprinkling coffee and spreading marmalade everywhere just to fuck the bastard off.

Lottapianos · 11/10/2021 16:54

'Don't go to joint therapy with him. Get your own therapy and get very clear in your mind about what is ok for you and what isn't'

One hundred percent YES to this

OP, I was exhausted just reading that brief summary of what you live with every day. It sounds absolutely suffocating. This is not normal, not healthy, not ok, and you don't have to put up with it. It sounds like you would get more peace and quiet in prison.

I know it's not as easy as 'just leave him'. Honestly though, living with him sounds like torture

MintyGreenDream · 11/10/2021 16:56

Fuck that.The jury would let you off if you filled him in op.

Seaoftroubles · 11/10/2021 16:57

Good heavens O. P, what a thoroughly miserable, joyless pedant. I really have no idea how you have endured such a grim and depressing relationship for so long. Getting a torch out to inspect miniscule marks on the work surface? I'd be ramming that torch somewhere where the sun don't shine! He sounds utterly horrendous. I would suggest time to start planning your future without him in it and set yourself free from such a controlling misanthrope.

Tina7391 · 11/10/2021 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 11/10/2021 17:00

Op I don't mean to make light of your situation but it sounds like you are married to my retired 70 year old mum
, a short visit with her makes me feel drained. Even down to the picking arguments ( through boredom)
Sounds awful and makes me happy to be single

tobedtoMNandfart · 11/10/2021 17:01

@Tina7391 did you mean to post that on this thread?

thelastgoldeneagle · 11/10/2021 17:01

Wow. That's a lot.

Wtf is with the mats on counters? Do you think he has OCD?

Regardless of MH issues, though, he is abusive - hyper-critical, passive aggressive, needy, annoying and demanding.

I don't know how you live with him.

What do you want to do?

Tina7391 · 11/10/2021 17:02

Nope. it was a newbie error and now I don't know how to delete 😞

leavesthataregreen · 11/10/2021 17:03

Wow. I have the same issue with DH being permanently at home. Not a single friend and zero desire to make any. After years of nagging I have finally persuaded him to join a local group that meets once a week. It's the only time I ever have the house to myself and I bloody love it. But... he doesn't huff and correct me all the time. If he did I think I'd have walked by now.

Kiduknot · 11/10/2021 17:07

Tell him how it’s going to be in the future as you are seriously considering leaving him.

If he’s fundamentally decent but has underlying anxiety/insecurities etc then he’ll do his best to change. At least you can talk about these and he can get help/counselling if he wants to save his marriage.

If he’s fundamentally a controlling arse then he’ll agree with you but will soon show his true colours again.

Or you could just decide to leave him anyway if he’s not making you happy.

ChargingBuck · 11/10/2021 17:07

Dot, I am suffocating just reading about your man. What an arsehole.

Have you read Lundy Bancroft? - if not, please do so - this is an e-copy, so you can keep it online & hidden from DH -
www.docdroid.net/2fZmz40/why-does-he-do-that-pdf

It sounds like your DH falls into the "Mr Perfect" category described by Lundy Bancroft - exploringyourmind.com/10-types-of-emotionally-violent-people/

  • his cool insistence that you are not competent to sort out your own paperwork because you once (didn't!) lose your driving licence was a chilling bit of gaslighting.

I think you know what you need to do.
Please keep posting here while you gather the nerve & resources to do it xx Flowers

Lifeinthescratcher · 11/10/2021 17:10

What is he bringing to this relationship. I presume you still youngish if pre-menpausal, do you really want to live out your days like this? Would you both do marriage gudance? Not sure I’d bother tbf.

ChargingBuck · 11/10/2021 17:13

DO NOT DO MARRIAGE GUIDANCE.
Do not enter any form of joint therapy with this abusive dick.

Professionals advice that couples counselling must never be undertaken when one of the parties is abusive. And your DH is 100% abusive OP. He doesn't have to be abusive 100% of the time - very few people are - in order to be a totally abusive twat.

ExplodingCarrots · 11/10/2021 17:13

OP, you sound exactly like my SIL. I would have been convinced you were her but she dumped her controlling , abusive , loner DH 3 years ago. She is now about to enter her 50s feeling completely free , full of happiness and new lease of life. She has had a new partner for 2 years . Her ex DH had zero friends, couldn't get along with anyone and controlled her and the kids with horrifically rigid house rules. Living room wasn't allowed to be used , she wasn't allowed to cook because it would be wrong , they wasn't allowed down the beach because of the sand.

I can see that you're started to back peddle a bit with your words now that people are saying to leave . The thing is, can you really imagine spending the next 20 years of your life like this ? And he's only going to get worse with age.

3luckystars · 11/10/2021 17:13

He sounds very like someone I know with Aspergers. I’m not saying he has that! But it is not an easy life is it?

Why don’t you find a small place for yourself, and be free from all of this ?

There is more to life than money. A lot more. Good luck.

DulciUke · 11/10/2021 17:14

Re the silent treatment. Not talking or reacting to him is the proper way to go. He's trying to manipulate or control you and he feeds on your frustration. Don't feel guilty about not reacting. Ignoring his sulks and going about your day is the best way to deal with this sort of pettiness.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 11/10/2021 17:15

Do not enter into any form of marriage counselling with him under any circumstances. It is never recommended where there is abuse of any type within the relationship. And there are several types present here not least of all psychological and emotional abuse.

What are you getting out of this relationship with him Dotty?. It must be something because why are you still there?. Staying merely because of the area you live in and social clubs are NO reason to remain with him.

What did you learn about relationships when you were growing up then?.
Did your dad treat your mum the same?. How is it you got with this person in the first place?.

Tina7391 · 11/10/2021 17:15

He sounds as though he has OCD and maybe social anxiety. Have you tried to speak to him about it? We're often unaware of our own actions.

Triffid1 · 11/10/2021 17:16

It sounds truly truly awful. It's also awful in two completely different ways:

There's the suffocating neediness. The subtle suggestion that if you aren't WITH him all of the time, you are letting him down (he might be okay with you leaving the house etc to do other things, but inside the house it must be all about HIM). Then there's the ridiculous controlling behaviour around how and what you do all the time.

Honestly OP, if he had even a shred of genuine decency, you could sit him down and explain how suffocating this is. That not being able to put a bag of tea bags down, not being able to spend 10 minutes alone, not being able to wash/garden/cook the way you want to is absolutely exhausting and you need him to figure out how to let some of this go. And he would accept it.

But sadly, the chances are slim. Over 20 years, he's got thoroughly used to getting to do whatever he wants and to having you do whatever he wants. I'm sorry.

SpaceOp · 11/10/2021 17:17

@Tina7391

He sounds as though he has OCD and maybe social anxiety. Have you tried to speak to him about it? We're often unaware of our own actions.
So what? I am so tired of mental health being used as an excuse. Over a 20 year marriage, I'm confident that the OP has expressed frustration many times. She says nothing here about him EVER accepting that perhaps his behaviour is unacceptable. NOTHING about him understanding her frustration.

Mental health issues are NOT an excuse to abuse people.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 11/10/2021 17:19

You described him as funny, patient and supportive. He is none of those things. Denial is a powerful force isn’t it?

If a friend was describing this life and called her husband any of the above would you think she was in denial or trying desperately to put a gloss on things?.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 11/10/2021 17:21

Tina

You are missing the point by a country mile. MH issues are no excuse or justification to abuse other people.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 11/10/2021 17:22

The only acceptable level of abuse in a relationship is NONE.

Women do not have to be or set themselves up as rehab centres for badly raised men.