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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 being really nice after years of emotional abuse

19 replies

RoseQuartz1 · 06/04/2022 12:40

I’m feeling confused about my husband at the moment and thought I’d ask what people thought. A few years ago after we’d been together years, he gradually became emotionally abusive. It took me a couple of years to realise as it crept up slowly. I rang Women’s Aid as it really confused me and they explained it was emotional abuse and it sounded like he may have narcissistic traits.

Predictably it started after we got married and bought a house and got worse when our first child arrived.

It’s been hard to deal with over the last couple of years with the lockdowns and him working from home all the time but I managed to cope with it. What’s odd is that a few months ago he suddenly went back to how he was when we first met and has sustained this for several months. I’m suspicious as to why, he has everything he wants, travels with his job and socialises as he wants but this has always been the case.

Up to now he hasn’t bothered getting very involved with our kids, I’ve done everything and he would spend most of his weekends asleep. Now he is getting up and joining in, which I find odd. Do you think people like this are capable of just completely changing themselves or should I be suspicious. I also just realised that if he can just change like this, the times he has been nasty to me must have been deliberate if he can hide it for several years and then reveal it, then change back.

I’m not able to articulate this in real life so appreciate any ideas.

OP posts:
Tdetfrgrgf · 06/04/2022 14:11

You should be suspicious.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49481998.amp

He is on ‘change of thinking’.

Ihavenoideawhatmyusernameis · 06/04/2022 15:46

I would also be concerned. Keep your guard up. Maybe time to get your ducks in a row

💐

Cherrysoup · 06/04/2022 19:32

Did you threaten to leave him? I think it seems that the abusive side is normally the real one, so I’d be very suspicious.

HeDidWhattt · 06/04/2022 19:39

His either lost the other woman so his attention is back on the family,
Or his got another woman and it’s giving him a new lease of life.

There’s always another woman.

DebtheSander · 06/04/2022 19:45

Other woman or money.

I apologise for asking the following questions but are your parents in good health? Will you inherit money/property in the future?

DrBrennerFan · 06/04/2022 19:48

He’s up to something mines like this after a spell of being nasty first month this year was hell, I was proved right he didn’t like it.

Lunificent · 06/04/2022 19:51

Coming out of lockdown and going back into the office (if he has done) might have presented opportunity to start/restart an affair. Any suspicious behaviour aside from seeming more agreeable?

WildPoinsettia · 06/04/2022 20:03

Even if he senses you're thinking of leaving him, that can be enough to trigger the nice side to show itself again temporarily. It's always temporary, unfortunately.

WildPoinsettia · 06/04/2022 20:06

To add, when my ex did this and I thought we'd finally turned a corner, it was because unknown to me he'd gambled away 40k, had run out of money and needed my wage to pay the utilities.

RoseQuartz1 · 07/04/2022 13:57

Thank you for all the comments, it’s helpful to get a few ideas and see whether it seems irrational or not. No I hadn’t threatened to leave but I’ve been doing loads of reading around narcissism and trying to counsel myself through the last couple of years so maybe I have come across a bit stronger. I’ve also started walking away when he’s having a bit of a rant about something.

I don’t think he’d actually cheat but would probably talk to other women for an ego boost and he has been going out socialising more whereas he stayed home throughout most of the last couple of years.

It feels odd that he’s being so much nicer and more respectful. He’s never been violent but the change of thought article was quite chilling. Thanks again everyone.

OP posts:
Herejustforthisone · 07/04/2022 14:04

@Tdetfrgrgf

You should be suspicious.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49481998.amp

He is on ‘change of thinking’.

Fucking hell.
Rinatinabina · 07/04/2022 14:08

@Tdetfrgrgf

You should be suspicious.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49481998.amp

He is on ‘change of thinking’.

This really needs to be widely read. Thank you for posting it.
Rinatinabina · 07/04/2022 14:09

OP watch him like a hawk, people who do this shit don’t suddenly become nice people. I hope you are ok.

HollowTalk · 07/04/2022 14:16

I'm almost too scared to read that article.

OP I wonder whether he's found someone else and is afraid you'll tell her what he's like? He's going out more - do you know for certain who he's with?

PussGirl · 07/04/2022 14:40

My narcissistic ex reverted to the nice behaviour he showed when we first met from time to time, usually if he was worried I was going to leave him. He could never keep it up for long.

jay55 · 07/04/2022 15:53

@Tdetfrgrgf

You should be suspicious.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49481998.amp

He is on ‘change of thinking’.

That's incredible work and utterly heartbreaking that she had such a large sample size.
ThackeryBinks · 07/04/2022 16:00

I'm wondering if he's responding to your new boundaries. Still I think you should very much be on your guard as he's a narc.

anonng1987 · 08/04/2022 11:09

@PussGirl

My narcissistic ex reverted to the nice behaviour he showed when we first met from time to time, usually if he was worried I was going to leave him. He could never keep it up for long.
This. 100% true of my narcissistic recent ex too. And that's what made it even harder, because we generally want to make relationships work rather than just throwing in the towel and leaving them. I think it's called the narcissistic cycle of abuse, they lure us back in by showing a charming side from time to time.
juustme46 · 29/03/2024 10:57

@RoseQuartz1 I just stumbled across your post and had to jump on because it is literally what I'm going through at the moment! Only difference is my husband never goes out, he's always here with me! I had been doing so much research over the last few months and the more I researched the more I was convinced he was a narc! It led to me feeling very cold towards him. He noticed this and told me that I'm his life and there would be no point in living if it wasn't for me! Since then he's been super nice like he was in the beginning but the previous behaviour had been happening for at least 15 years!! I'm totally confused and I just wondered if your husband continued with his better behaviour or did he go back to his old self.

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