Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

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

DH has told me that our entire marriage has been crap

227 replies

Trueblues · 19/02/2022 19:29

As in sex.
We’ve been married for more than a decade. We have two kids. Last night I was minding my own business watching a movie. He comes and decides to watch with me. There’s a scene where the characters get hot and steamy. He pipes up that we “used to be like that before we got married”. I was a bit shocked to be honest because although sex has dwindled the last few years due to lack of empathy, communication, leading to lack of connection which puts me off, it hasn’t always been like that. So I said “we’ve had hot sex since we’ve been married” he says “when”? in a nasty tone. We had a daytime quickie initiated by me about a week ago. He came, I didn’t but I thought we’d had a good time while we were doing it. I said “last week was pretty hot I thought” “not really” he says. Then he says “we just need to do it more” I dropped it at that point because there’s a history of this kind of conversation escalating and I’ve learnt to not argue my point if he’s upset me. It gets me nowhere but I’m really hurt and deflated. I feel like giving up to be honest. The issue with the “we need to do it more” is that I now don’t. He always gets his jollies but never finishes me off. I’m always left high and dry and after this conversation I’m left wondering what’s the point. What I want to be able to do is actually have a conversation with him about it but I can’t because he’s going to shut me down and we will get nowhere. Im wondering what other people would do in my position?

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 20/02/2022 11:04

You have hundreds of experienced knowledgeable women telling you there is an option for you. It's divorce. I'm not sure how else you want anyone to write it to take any notice. You have two choices. Two. That's it.

  1. Divorce him and have a chance at a happy life for yourself and your children
  2. Stay. And continue with this horrible life whilst modelling to your children a terrible relationship.
me4real · 20/02/2022 11:08

He’s annoyed because I control the sex.

He's angry that you have the ability to say yes or no to sex. He would rather your ability to consent was taken away from you. He's abusive @Trueblues . If you can't say no, then your yes doesn't mean anything.

apologise because otherwise he’s sleeping on the sofa and it’s an awful atmosphere that just carries over to the next day.

He controls what you can do or say by making your life difficult if you say something he doesn't like. This is abuse and coercive control.

he is terrified and ignorant. He has no idea how to talk about difficult issues

I think he knows exactly what he's doing @PermanentTemporary . He doesn't see the point in a genuine discussion with OP because he doesn't value her opinion/feelings. If she has a different opinion to him, especially about sex, then she's out of line as far as he's concerned. He thinks it's her role as a woman to provide him with what he wants. So he gets angry when she doesn't act how he thinks she should.

billy1966 · 20/02/2022 11:12

Please call Womens aid for confirmation that you are in a highly abusive relationship.

What are your options?

RandomMess · 20/02/2022 11:25

You are being abused.

Why do you want to stay with someone that doesn't want to be with you? Doesn't love you? Demonstrates to your DC that he sees you as a piece of shit on his shoe?

Please rescue your DC from living in that dynamic.

TragicMuse · 20/02/2022 11:38

Sweetheart, you have a bigger problem than the sniping about sex.

He's nasty to you about everything.

Look at the words you've used.
How in control of everything he is
How he hates that you control sex

This man is a controlling bully. He's gaslighting you into believing your own feelings and reactions aren't reasonable.

I would be seriously considering my options, and adding separation into the mix.

There's nothing as unsexy as a man who thinks he's entitled to your body and doesn't fulfil the most basic requirement of making sure you enjoy it too.

madroid · 20/02/2022 11:42

I think he can be both ignorant and abusive.

Inadequate and a bully.

He may well be emotionally immature and a poor communicator, but he's not bothered to try and improve. He doesn't need to. He can bully his wife into putting up with his inadequacies without all the work and effort to try and improve.

Really @Trueblues, you can't improve a relationship on your own. Unless he was keen to do any part of it better himself, then you're not going see anything change.

Bad for your dc to grow up in. Fucking awful for you. Life is short, too shot to be miserable most of the time if you can change it.

Mumof3confused · 20/02/2022 11:46

He sulks and creates an atmosphere when you pull him up on something he does not want to address: playing the victim, this is passive aggressive

He turns everything around to how you are the problem: DARVO (Google it)

Making you feel like you should have sex with him even though you get nothing out of it, then shaming you for ‘controlling sex’: coercion and crazy making

www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/ten-examples-crazy-making-relationships.html

He’s really bad for you. You deserve better. How old are your children?

me4real · 20/02/2022 11:50

He may well be emotionally immature and a poor communicator, but he's not bothered to try and improve. He doesn't need to. He can bully his wife into putting up with his inadequacies without all the work and effort to try and improve.

@madroid Yep he's taking OP for granted. He thinks he can treat her any which way and she'll still stick around. And these relationships can feel difficult for a woman to get out of.

Mumof3confused · 20/02/2022 11:50

@Trueblues

He seems to delight in proving to me just how “bad” my behaviour is and how in control of everything he is.
Oh dear. Please book yourself a counsellor. Alone. You need to build up your own self worth and begin to see how much he is controlling you.

There is an online course called the Freedom Programme. It’s only £12 and I think it would be helpful for you. Also the book ‘why does he do that’ you can find a pdf for free if you Google it.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 20/02/2022 11:56

He’s annoyed because I control the sex. I get to say when it happens.

This is absolutely chilling. That he is angered by you having the right to say no.

CaptSkippy · 20/02/2022 12:03

@Trueblues

He seems to delight in proving to me just how “bad” my behaviour is and how in control of everything he is.
Op, why are you still with him? He is slowly destroying you.
Ramalamadingdongs · 20/02/2022 12:24

The more you post the more apparent it is he is abusive. Walking round being nice to everyone but not you is horribly familiar from my abusive ex. He's showing you how he can be nice but you're not worth even talking to. Until you fall back in line.

RedToothBrush · 20/02/2022 12:27

I’m literally out of options here.

You do have an option. You are just avoiding it at the moment.

Do you really want to live like this forever? Its not going to get any better.

DrSbaitso · 20/02/2022 12:30

You don't have to live like this, OP.

When you're old, or dying, what reward are you going to get for knowing you sacrificed yourself on the altar of a bullying twat who didn't give a shit about you? What other things might you devote your life, love and energy to?

Jewel52 · 20/02/2022 12:35

True blue you probably feel like it’s a massive mountain to climb to get out of your marriage and think about all the ramifications for your family, including wider family. I was in this situation a few years back and as a SAHM I felt like I had no options. It’s fucking hard to get out of a bad marriage with kids involved. Please work on a plan, things like counselling on or offline, talk to your friends so it becomes more real. It took me 2 years, including being stuck with the selfish arse through lockdown, but I got there. My kids are good, I have a job I like, love having my own house but also interesting, my ex treats me so differently and with respect. I stopped being a doormat, when he tries to pull me into the old rabbit hole arguments, whatever the circumstances I cut the conversation, walk away. You can get a new life but it’s a process

me4real · 20/02/2022 12:46

@Trueblues I agree with a PP, the Freedom Programme is great. You probably wouldn't have to pay for it, as a lot of facilitators are doing it over Zoom, or maybe starting to run their in-person groups again. Find your local group here freedomprogramme.co.uk/search2.php

Of course, if you were going to do it over Zoom or in real life, you would need to be able to do it without your 'D' H knowing about it. Or better still, do it after you've separated from him ASAP, to help you avoid him persuading you to get back with him, and to help you better avoid abusive relationships in future. I learnt a lot from it and also made some new friends.

GabriellaMontez · 20/02/2022 12:58

Can you tell us your circumstances? Do you work? Own a house? How old are your children? Start to build a plan to leave?

Imagine living in peace away from this man!

AcrossthePond55 · 20/02/2022 13:17

Oh love, this is beyond saving. A marriage can only be saved when both sides want to do the work to save it. He doesn't.

What happens when only one person is rowing the boat while the other just complains that the oar is too heavy? The boat goes round in circles and gets nowhere. And the only one who is rowing gets exhausted.

Time to start considering your options.

Opentooffers · 20/02/2022 13:28

I'm surprised you have sex with him at all. I would have agreed with him, yes the sex has been crap - from your side it has. But, you have bigger issues than the sex, you really out to look at getting out of this marriage - taking at least half the assets with you, as it's what you are entitled to, see how he likes that - selfish, sulky prick, it's what he deserves.

rainbowstardrops · 20/02/2022 14:12

@TibetanTerrah

Every time you apologise you're handing him yet another stick to beat you with. Stop.

100%

Graphista · 20/02/2022 19:17

Why the hell were you apologising? You did nothing wrong!

Honestly you are flogging a dead horse here op. He very much appears to be emotionally abusive and sexually coercive!

This is an abusive relationship op. The only option that makes sense is to split up.

Counselling etc does not work with abusers and is not advised

The sulking too is abuse.

Seriously stop even trying with this loser

rosabug · 20/02/2022 20:01

@Trueblues

It’s really made me feel shit and deflated to be honest. I’m actually really giving in bed. I always give a blow job and get really amorous. Sex is one thing I’ve always thought I’m good at. Now I’m feeling about two inches tall to be honest
It's designed to make you feel shit. You feel shit and try harder, he gets more of what he wants. This is not a nice man. I think sex is not the issue. He's just not a nice man. it's very easy to focus on the the way you feel - to absorb it - and not that's he is the person doing it. I would never hurt and manipulate anyone I loved like that - would you?

You could try this. Without anger and very calmly ask him "that conversation where you said xxxxx, Can I ask you how you think you that made me feel?" I don't think you'll get much joy. But watch his response. Start watching and listening to him. Who is he really?

Lookingoutside · 20/02/2022 20:39

He’s going to shut you down? Fuck that.

‘He’s annoyed because I control the sex. I get to say when it happens.’

Leave him. In your own time in your own way but please don’t give him any more of yourself or any more of your precious time.

He’s a cunt. A dangerous one.

SpringTime2020 · 20/02/2022 21:08

I'm sorry the more I read the worse it is. It is very rare for me to say LTB but honestly LTB.

It is clear he has completely wrecked your self esteem. He appears to be an extremely controlling and nasty man. Does he hit you? If not that could be next. Please get yourself and your DC away from him. It will be so hard. But you really deserve to be happy.

TatianaBis · 20/02/2022 21:10

This isn’t t fixable OP, you have the option of a get out of jail free card.