Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

He's 'changed'....I was doing so well!

131 replies

beesfeet · 23/01/2022 20:44

I won't go into the reasons why my marriage broke down but through therapy I can see it was emotionally abuse and coercive control. Well at least I think I can see it. My therapist also says he sounds like a narcissist which I am not 100% on. I do still have some sort of attachment/love towards my husband unfortunately but I have been working towards my own needs and starting to think of my own boundaries.

And then he comes and ruins it. But I don't know if he means it.

So H has apologised for his behaviour towards me. He realises it was unacceptable. He blames work for the reason he made me feel unloved. He says he will not let that happen again and while I've been gone, he has realised how to leave work at work.

I have told him exactly how he made me feel, how I felt I had to tip toe around him and that he was emotionally abusive. He will not agree he was emotionally abusive but says he can see why he came across as controlling. He will continue to work on this in therapy. He's has approx 5 sessions so far.

He is 100% sure he can change, he will never let us get back to the place we were at again. He will help with the dcs, he will help with the house work. He will be the husband I need and the father the dcs need.

He has let me shout and scream at him while telling him everything he's done and hasn't got angry. He says he deserves it all.

I have said he hasn't been in therapy long enough yet and he needs to stick it out to see a change. He isn't asking me to come home, he said he would like some sort if inclination that we can try when the time is right.

What he hasn't done is sorted the bills as I removed my name off them and he has a pile of letters and things he needs to pay - he is clueless but if he sorted them himself it would show he is capable of doing things without me.

He also hasn't really asked how the dcs are coping. It's mainly how he is doing and how he feels. He does talk about himself a lot.

He also blames work for a lot of it like I said. It's not directly him. His behaviour after I left was terrible but that was blamed on a mental breakdown he has because I left. Again the blame wasn't on him - it was a breakdown.

Another reason he says is the reason for him treating me how he did is to do with a suicide in his family from 13 years ago. He didn't grieve for that and continued his life normal and never took time to deal with it. This is what his therapist says is a reason for his behaviour.

He has mentioned him meeting someone else - as a way to get over our marriage and that he feels if I don't give him an inclination that we can try resolve things then he will have to try meet other people as a way to get over me. Is this manipulation?

He has a habit of taking about things in front of the dcs. I am very conscious that they don't hear anything but he doesn't seem to have learnt and continues to try being up the subject in front of them.

He isn't going to change is he? It's just the fact I have been trying to get him in therapy for years and now I've left, he finally has.

I also wondered if I could contact his therapist. I know he won't be able to tell me anything as it's all confidential which I completely get but maybe I could get some idea of what to do.

I think what I'm worried about is he will change for another woman and I'll be feeling like I'm the one that's made a mistake

OP posts:
beesfeet · 29/01/2022 11:37

I'm really struggling today. I don't understand why. My head knows I've had a lucky escape. The police told me he would of hit me eventually. But my heart just hurts at the thought of him with this other woman. Which I know is all fake.

When does it get easier? He can't contact me and I certainly am not going to contact him - I can't anyway or the police would never take it as seriously. I'm just heartbroken

OP posts:
totallyoutnumbered · 29/01/2022 22:58

Hi op,
Just so you know that it's totally natural to feel like this. Infact it would be weird if you didn't. You're struggling because you had so many hopes for your life with him and he let you down so terribly. You already know he's not going to change for anyone else do you indeed do knows what you're missing. However, you're bound to feel trauma because you've been through so much. I definitely had periods of self doubt in the early days of leaving my husband. Be kind to yourself and don't expect the storm to pass overnight. Along with my "not my pig, not my farm" saying also remember "this too shall pass". My good friend reminded me of this for weeks in the aftermath and she was absolutely right. It takes time, but time really is a healer. Sending another squeeze ❤️

HashtagSexy · 30/01/2022 08:28

My ex was like this. Emotionally abusive, manipulative, all in all horrible and then when I left him after begging him to go to therapy for literally years, he suddenly could see everything and was going to be a better person after just two sessions. I said no, you need to keep going and you need to let me keep going so I can work out what I want and need and I need no pressure from you because everything has been your way and controlled by you for years and I need to be seen and heard now, not by you but by everyone else.

Well. He didn't like that. He gave me everything you're getting. Told my stepchildren what a nasty person I am, that I wanted them to go into care, never cared about them, tried to discuss everything with our young children, told me he would get a new girlfriend, messaged me to tell me he was going on a date, to tell me life with me had been a long nightmare, I'm not a victim, he is etc....

Leaving him was the best thing I ever did.

beesfeet · 30/01/2022 09:44

@HashtagSexy

My ex was like this. Emotionally abusive, manipulative, all in all horrible and then when I left him after begging him to go to therapy for literally years, he suddenly could see everything and was going to be a better person after just two sessions. I said no, you need to keep going and you need to let me keep going so I can work out what I want and need and I need no pressure from you because everything has been your way and controlled by you for years and I need to be seen and heard now, not by you but by everyone else.

Well. He didn't like that. He gave me everything you're getting. Told my stepchildren what a nasty person I am, that I wanted them to go into care, never cared about them, tried to discuss everything with our young children, told me he would get a new girlfriend, messaged me to tell me he was going on a date, to tell me life with me had been a long nightmare, I'm not a victim, he is etc....

Leaving him was the best thing I ever did.

Wow this is the exact same! Did he carry on with therapy? My guess is not?

After my exH first therapy session, he rang me to tell me everything. He said the reason for his behaviour was that he didn't grieved for a family members death and he was taking it out on me. That upset me, he then shouted at me and told me I had put him right back down to where he was before his session and it was my fault.

He thought he could say after one session 'I'm grieving over xyz that died 10'years ago, that's why I've treated you so badly. You can come back now'

Then it got worse and he blamed it all on a nervous breakdown. He was convinced I was seeing someone else (I wasn't) but if I came home then all his thoughts would stop.

He was never going to put in the actual hard work to change. He just wanted me to go back to his words not his actions. I don't doubt that things would have been good for a couple of months but he would of cleverly snuck back into his old ways before I knew it. I need to remember this.

Thank you for your post - it's very very similar to mine. I'm thankful that my step daughter hasn't believed what her dad has told her about me. I'm giving her space right now but I hope to see her soon if she wants too.

ExH was ringing her all the time to tell her about his 'depression' and how he wanted to die. She has major exams this year. I just don't understand it. Where is his thought for her? Where is his responsible parenting?

Well I do understand it actually....he's a narcissist

OP posts:
beesfeet · 30/01/2022 10:57

@totallyoutnumbered

Hi op, Just so you know that it's totally natural to feel like this. Infact it would be weird if you didn't. You're struggling because you had so many hopes for your life with him and he let you down so terribly. You already know he's not going to change for anyone else do you indeed do knows what you're missing. However, you're bound to feel trauma because you've been through so much. I definitely had periods of self doubt in the early days of leaving my husband. Be kind to yourself and don't expect the storm to pass overnight. Along with my "not my pig, not my farm" saying also remember "this too shall pass". My good friend reminded me of this for weeks in the aftermath and she was absolutely right. It takes time, but time really is a healer. Sending another squeeze ❤️
I googled him on Facebook...he's changed his picture to him and his new gf. On Monday he told me he didn't care about her or her feelings.

Eurgh....I just need to get over this. I'm going to the bank tomorrow to freeze the account as he won't remove my name off the joint account. Which means I can see everything he spends on her.

OP posts:
beesfeet · 31/01/2022 15:27

Just thought I'd re visit this thread to ask for advice.

As over the weekend he took his new girlfriend away and spent money out of our joint bank account.

I have removed most things over to my new bank account apart from sky, broadband, tv licence, home insurance.

These were all things that I left as normal in the joint account as he was still using these things however they were in my name. I have to protect myself.

After his behaviour at the weekend and the fact that I have repeatedly asked him to go into the bank to sign a form to remove my name off the account and he still hasn't - I went in to the bank today and froze the account.

So when he gets home today he will find that he has no access to the bank account, I have cancelled Sky and broadband with immediate affect so he's lost those as well as no tv licence.

I'm petrified of how he is going to react. Should I unblock him just to send him a message explaining what I have done and then re block him? I haven't heard from him for over a week now.

He's stuck to his word of 'rubbing my face in it with his new girlfriend' by taking her away and using our account to pay for it. I can't take anymore.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page