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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

I've really upset him

66 replies

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:27

My partner and I have had a tough few months recently due to severe factors- family issues and mental health (on my part).

We get one night a week together where neither of us have to work and that was tonight.
He made lunch and we sat down to watch tv. He had family drama on fb again and sat on his phone for 2.5 hours arguing various points. In the moments he put his phone down I tried to hold his hand or squidge in for a cuddle but he just inched over as soon as his phone went off. I left it, and went for a bath. When I came back after drying my hair, he asked if I had a bath. I replied that he would've known if he took his face out of his phone for two seconds. He got pissed off immediately and left the room. I know my response was unnecessary.

An hour later, I went to see if he was okay. He told me he was still pissed off etc. and a little disagreement started (bit of back and fourth)- I then said that I think he needs to stand back and have a look at his life and why he always thinks people are attacking him and can't just have a conversation. I stupidly bought up his ex and said that it seems to be the same in our relationship than it was with that one.
My meaning- he constantly says he's doing everything he can to make me happy I.e occasional flowers and making me lunch but then whenever a disagreement happens he takes everything to heart and says everyone's blaming him for everything, which isn't the case.
He took it as- you're the reason why that relationship failed and why this one isn't going great.

The thing with the ex is- if we split up his excuse would be parallel as to why they broke up- she didn't appreciate him, he tried to make her happy but she didn't want it etc. and with me that's not true. I try very hard to keep everyone happy, mainly to my own detriment.

He was devastated. Sat there crying, refused to speak with me and explain why I'd caused such a reaction- at this time I didn't know that he'd taken my meaning in the opposite way to what I meant.
He asked me to leave him alone, so I did.

Eventually he briefly spoke to me, which is when I realised how he'd taken it. I tried to explain but he wasn't having any of it.

He spent half the night on the sofa and I tried to sleep in with my DD. Then at 4.30 he moved back to bed.

I feel awful, I've been up all night. I've apologised profusely and tried to explain what I meant but I need to leave him alone now.
I genuinely didn't mean to hurt him and I don't know what to do now.
I've really fucked this one and I don't know if we'll be okay.

Not overly sure what this thread is going to achieve- just don't know where else to funnel this as I don't have anyone to speak too.

OP posts:
Covetthee · 02/11/2022 06:30

You’ve done nothing wrong, he is gaslighting you big time.

please think carefully about staying and building a life with this kind of person. You’ll be walking on egg shellsfor the rest of your life

Whatwouldscullydo · 02/11/2022 06:33

So he ignores you then when you arent happy about being ignored he turns himself into the victim and now you feel sorry for him.

Stop it.

He knows what he is doing stop making excuses for him. You deserve better than a gaslighting self pitying prick

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:33

Covetthee · 02/11/2022 06:30

You’ve done nothing wrong, he is gaslighting you big time.

please think carefully about staying and building a life with this kind of person. You’ll be walking on egg shellsfor the rest of your life

I find it so hard to judge.

I was in an abusive relationship before with my DDs father. I could see the gaslighting very clearly with him.

I can't see it now, I know I've hurt him. I could see his genuine reaction.

I hate upsetting upsetting people (who does?!) but it does take a big toll on my MH knowing that I've upset someone.

OP posts:
Onefootinthegroove · 02/11/2022 06:34

Gas lighting is emotional abuse designed to have you tying yourself up in knots trying to please him. Its obviously working.

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:35

Whatwouldscullydo · 02/11/2022 06:33

So he ignores you then when you arent happy about being ignored he turns himself into the victim and now you feel sorry for him.

Stop it.

He knows what he is doing stop making excuses for him. You deserve better than a gaslighting self pitying prick

He does have the tendency to be the victim.. but yet so does his dad- seen it with their family drama.

Learned behaviour maybe?

OP posts:
WhatAboutGiraffes · 02/11/2022 06:35

Look up covert narcissists. It’s a control game.

EmilyGilmoresSass · 02/11/2022 06:35

He tried to sleep in with your DD... how old is DD and is he yours or his too? Confused

Wallywobbles · 02/11/2022 06:36

He needs counseling to learn to deal with his shit. Really FB family drama. Can't he step back and leave them to it? What would happen if he came off Facebook?

Seriously this all sounds like a waste of his life. Why would you voluntarily waste yours?

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:36

EmilyGilmoresSass · 02/11/2022 06:35

He tried to sleep in with your DD... how old is DD and is he yours or his too? Confused

No, sorry, I slept with my DD in her room (double bed).

He slept on the sofa and at 4.30 went to our bed.

OP posts:
tunthebloodyalarmoff · 02/11/2022 06:37

You havnt hurt him you've pissed him off. Get a boyfriend who is not on Facebook that is really sad !! Too much drama. You would be better off on your own going out with friends that being with this idiot. Someone who makes you feel bad is not good for you remember that and you won't go far wrong. Good luck.

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:39

Wallywobbles · 02/11/2022 06:36

He needs counseling to learn to deal with his shit. Really FB family drama. Can't he step back and leave them to it? What would happen if he came off Facebook?

Seriously this all sounds like a waste of his life. Why would you voluntarily waste yours?

I've come off Fb because of his family drama after being dragged into it.

Think I need to take a good look at this relationship Sad

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 02/11/2022 06:40

He sounds exhausting to be around
ltb

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:40

Thank you all so far.
I'm not feeling quite so awful after hearing some other perspectives.

I was worried about the relationship ending but I think I have to have some time apart and think about this.

OP posts:
crystalize · 02/11/2022 06:40

Your response to him being on the phone so long was perfectly fine. Why do you feel you need to apologise profusely? Staying up all night worrying about it is ridiculous. He sounds like a whining, manipulative manchild that is gaslighting you. Crying FFS, what a bellend.

I hope he doesn't live with you. Is he your DD dad?

Oh and of course he was the reason he split with ex.

STOP apologising to him and start to wake up to what he really is.

category12 · 02/11/2022 06:46

Have to agree with the others, he's turned this round on you, but you did nothing wrong. Certainly nothing to warrant a night of drama.

You've got to wonder. The common denominator in all this strife with his family and then strife at home looks to be him.

ittakes2 · 02/11/2022 06:48

I really don’t understand. In stead of you communicating to him your feelings you are having digs at him and he is being triggered to respond to that and people are saying he is gas lighting you?

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:52

ittakes2 · 02/11/2022 06:48

I really don’t understand. In stead of you communicating to him your feelings you are having digs at him and he is being triggered to respond to that and people are saying he is gas lighting you?

Any way that I would've communicated my feelings would've been wrong.
I've tried to approach it in different ways before and he always takes it as an attack which is where my second comment came from. It wasn't meant as a dig, although I can see why he would take it that way

OP posts:
ittakes2 · 02/11/2022 06:57

I think he behaved badly but I think so did you - you were not in his relationship with his ex and yet you as a third party are telling him it failed because of him. You don’t sound happy in your relationship with him and you are both acting toxic to each other. If you both want this to work you both need to sit down in a calm moment and agree ground rules for what behaviour needs to stop going toward.

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:59

ittakes2 · 02/11/2022 06:57

I think he behaved badly but I think so did you - you were not in his relationship with his ex and yet you as a third party are telling him it failed because of him. You don’t sound happy in your relationship with him and you are both acting toxic to each other. If you both want this to work you both need to sit down in a calm moment and agree ground rules for what behaviour needs to stop going toward.

I didn't say to him that it failed because of him- that is how he took it.

I said he needs to look at why he takes everything as a personal attack.

OP posts:
Whatwouldscullydo · 02/11/2022 07:01

tiredmumma93 · 02/11/2022 06:52

Any way that I would've communicated my feelings would've been wrong.
I've tried to approach it in different ways before and he always takes it as an attack which is where my second comment came from. It wasn't meant as a dig, although I can see why he would take it that way

I've been here. Its exhausting. You don't say anything to keep the peace then you have to think of ways to say anything in a way where it cant possibly be taken the wring way or missing interpreted and tailored to someone who's too immature or unable to have an adult discussion and then set aside however long to comfort them for how they have made you feel.

It doesn't get better.

IntrovertedPenguin · 02/11/2022 07:01

How sad a grown arse man arguing on Facebook for the world to see their dirty laundry! Yak 🤢
I'd be leaving him for that alone not to mention the gaslighting.

icelollycraving · 02/11/2022 07:04

Nothing to apologise for. If that is your time together, it was pretty shit. Sorry if I missed it but how long have you been together? He’s got you dancing quite nicely to his tune.
Is your life better with him in it?

frozendaisy · 02/11/2022 07:05

Never ever his fault eh OP?

Your fault, ex's fault?

Never his.

Interesting don't you think.

Sarahemmabrown · 02/11/2022 07:10

It’s not that he doesn’t understand when you try to explain, and takes it wrong. You’re not explaining your feelings wrong - it’s that he doesn’t want to hear them and doesn’t want to change.

He doesn’t want to engage, so if he turns it around on you, starts an argument, says he doesn’t get it, becomes the victim, cries, etc he can then carry on as he is. No adulting required!

I tied myself in knots with a man like this (although mine was a cocklodger and our ‘discussions’ were around him contributing financially). Wrote letters, had back and forth texts over YEARS trying to improve our relationship, asked for time to discuss things calmly, got angry, tried to ignore it and hope he’d work it out for himself, everything. I went to counselling , everything. Life is so much better since he’s gone😁

IWasFunBeforeMum · 02/11/2022 07:13

I was you. I'm sorry but he won't change..

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