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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

I just can't cope with my husband's crazy making, contempt, and cruelty anymore

262 replies

Wildfloral · 26/02/2023 02:59

My husband and I had a fight because I woke him up last night asking him to change positions, so he'd stop snoring.

My husband snores like a monstrous beast crossed with a gravelly, raspberry-blowing, vibrating truck. But because he need his sleep for work, I don't disturb him on weekdays. I wear earplugs or leave him on the sofa if he falls asleep there for a night of good sleep.

Last night, being Friday night, I decided to tell him to stop snoring ("please for the love of god, stop!") as I'd been awake for nearly two hours trying not to murder him and then realised I can wake him and get him to change pillows/move/rearrange/unswallow his tongue as it wasn't a work night.

He reacted really badly, telling me to stop waking him up, that it wasn't fair, that he wasn't snoring, wasn't even asleep, and things like - why should I care as I was on my phone (I usually wait for him to settle down so I can fall asleep in that brief period of silence, but I have to make sure he's gonna be silent for at least twenty minutes first, It's a hard game to play), he told me I should just go to sleep, then after spouting off he said do I want him to go to the sofa ?.... yes I did, but I don't like to tell him to leave the bed... it would be nice for him to just believe me when I say his snoring is LOUD and for him to want to do something about it.

Here's the kicker.
I am EXHAUSTED. I have huge dark circles and I woke up at 12pm and was falling asleep at the table at 8pm. I am so tired because we are trying for a baby, and my hormones have made me this tired. It is 9DPO, it might be implantation. He knew this, and still didn't care that I couldn't sleep.

He was really angry. He jumped up and made a huge deal of getting a blanket (which is already on the sofa) tuning the lights on, stomping round, and then real rey started to go at me saying things like I'm stupid retarded, I'm ignorant, endless insults. I'm just lying there waiting for him to stop and leave the room.... he always says nasty things to hurt me in a fight.

I said back to him 'why did you marry me then, if you think I'm stupid?'... he started saying other mean stuff, but I can't remember. I was covering my eyes from the light and trying not to get mad... because I am trying to get pregnant and want to be healthy and happy right now, but I ended up yelling loudly as he was going off on nasty tangents: 'this is not about my intelligence this is about your snoring, you have a medical problem and it needs to get fixed, you need to go to the doctor otherwise we won't be able to share a room and you should care about me and whether I can sleep!!!'

I just can't believe he thinks he was wronged because I woke him up.

So he left, I fell asleep an hour later cos I was so hurt by the things he said, and got woken up really early to him obnoxiously on purpose making loads of noise to disturb me. I quickly took my BBT temperature and he left the house without saying goodbye. He left to do extra work about 9am.

All day long I hear nothing from him. In the morning I thought he just needed to cool off, by the afternoon I was thinking he was giving me the silent treatment, but by 9pm I was crying over my food over this.

Then he came home at 11pm. I came out from the kitchen to see him. He had a bunch of flowers almost bigger than me, it was sooooo huge in pale pinks and white the colours I love. I am not a crying kind of woman but I started to cry. I had been prepping myself all day on how to confront him and set boundaries regarding insults and name calling, and there he was with a big bunch of flowers about to apologise. I said the flowers were beautiful and then he said "can you guess they are fake flowers? I thought they would look nice in the house". They were fake but looked so real and I was just blown away by them and the gesture. Then I asked where he'd been all day etcetera, and he gave me a hug and said he'd place the flowers down for me because they were heavy.

Then we walked into the kitchen. It was at this point I paused and realised he hadn't actually apologised at all. My heart started racing wildy, maybe the hormones were affecting my heart? But anyway, I asked him what the flowers were for and he just repeated that he thought they were nice and would look good I'm the house.

My heart started pounding so badly I thought he could hear it racing. It felt like I was having a heart attack. I wanted to leave the room. I couldn't believe he'd be so callous. I asked him again, 'I thought that you were going to say something with these flowers, that you got them for me, that's why I stopped in my tracks and started crying'.
He said, 'no I don't have anything to apologise for' and 'I don't want to talk about anything tonight'..etcetera ...My heart nearly jumped out of my chest with the panic.

I'd spent all day being given the silent treatment, waiting at home not sure where he was, after he said some of the most horrid things to me (again) when I might well be pregnant (soon), only to have this trick played on me with a giant bouquet of flowers, all because I woke him up snoring and told him he needs to get it sorted, and having to shout this at him as he was escalting this and losing the plot over it (he can never stay on topic in a dispute).

My heart was racing wildly for the second time in under twenty minutes, whilst I tried to comprehend what was going on. It was like shock, a panic attack, a heart attack all in one. I clutched at it and gasped. I nearly fell. What the hell? Isn't that the cruellest thing he could do? He could have fixed it with a few words, but instead, the flowers were either a mean joke, or a coincidence that he hadn't thought through.

I told him I don't want him swearing at me, calling me names because it hurts me, it makes me feel small and little and asked why he does it. He wouldn't give me any answer... then he just walked off to sleep on the sofa and left me hanging there. I couldn't help it. I had to talk to him, I followed him in there we had a brief argument rehashing this bloody stupid argument form last night - where I realised he didn't even remember what happened last night or was trying to gaslight me, as he kept saying things that didn't happen, and out of order. I feel like I am going mad.

I told him I don't want his bouquet without an apology and threw the giant thing in the front garden. I told him if he doesn't fix these three things..1, 2 and 3. I want to separate, that I can't cope with the insanity of having my self-esteem whittled away by verbal abuse. I know I shouldn't have - Ultimatums go against my beliefs. I do not swear, I do not name call and I do not say anything in an argument below the belt. I feel awful for doing this. And I'm panicking as I have to commit to it now.

I just feel like he has ruined everything. He ruined our weekend. He ruined my TWW. He possibly ruined how I feel about my early pregnancy. I feel like this is just the icing on the cake for his cruelty. He does not respect me, he thinks I'm stupid but he was trying for a baby with me one week ago??! He has so much contempt for me and I think it must stem from shame for how he treats me.

I feel like my world is falways apart. I can't take the abuse anymore. I am SO FED UP. It's constant. He always says he'll stop, then three weeks later he's calling me names again, emotionallwly abusing me somehow, leaving me constantly on the defensive and eggshells. He always denies he has ever hurt me. I have no where to go. And I just can't take it anymore.

Sorry this probably makes no sense. It would be easier in person to express the whole story.

OP posts:
bakewellbride · 26/02/2023 05:29

I was the child in this.

My mother would not protect me and leave him - not ever. My life was unbearable and I developed anxiety and severe panic attacks that it took one whole year of therapy to resolve.

I have rebuilt my life and haven't spoken to my mother in ten years and never will again. Escaped in my early twenties after not being able to stand any longer. Life for me is great now but I obviously have a lot of traumatic memories and it was hard breaking away.

If you want to stay with this awful man fine - your life and you're an adult. But to bring a new, innocent and defenceless life into your set up, someone who has no choice. Absolutely terrible and cruel. Don't do it.

bussteward · 26/02/2023 05:40

Make your first act of motherhood not having a baby with this man. It would be an immensely cruel thing to do to a child.

LemonTreeSkies · 26/02/2023 05:40

He smacked your ears so bad you can’t sleep on one of them?

Fuctifin0 · 26/02/2023 05:45

Do not have a child with this man.
Life is too short to be shackled to that for the rest of your life, get out whilst you don't have a child to consider.

KalvinPhillipsBoots · 26/02/2023 05:48

This reply has been deleted

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Mummyoflittledragon · 26/02/2023 05:56

Please. Do not have a baby with this man. The violence, belittling and rage will ramp up. You say you don’t want to escape to the places that are on offer as a lone woman. It will be 100 fold worse if you need to go to a shelter with a child in tow. Start planning your escape. Now, please.

YetiTeri · 26/02/2023 06:07

Wildfloral · 26/02/2023 03:15

Because he has flaws like all humans (and me) and I guess I'm kinda used to it now used to name calling. When he's good, he's very very good and when he's bad he regresses to shit.

Ok,so the thing is about babies is that they shake your marriage like nothing else. Parenting is relentless. You need to know you have each others backs because the exhaustion is intense and can quickly boil over.

When people say don't have children with this man they mean he is going to have loads more bad days, and you'll be getting the brunt of that.

You won't be leaving him because of his snoring, you'll be leaving him because of the way he treats you, the way he speaks to you. There is zero respect there. This is more than just 'flaws'

If you leave him after, separating with a child is really really hard.

MangoBiscuit · 26/02/2023 06:11

Please, please do not give your future children a father like this. If you can't or won't leave for yourself, think of how damaged a child would be growing up in a household where they are terrified of their own dad.

Fwiw, my DP will snore occasionally. He also works longs shifts, and has to start really early. He has asked me to gently wake him if he snores, so he can roll over and stop disturbing me. He respects me, and wants us both to get as good a night's sleep as possible.

maximumcarnage · 26/02/2023 06:13

You’re drowning. This man is an ocean and he’s drowning you. The people on this forum are giving you a life line. Take it or you will drown.

You’ve become so accustomed to being treated with contempt that you’ll make excuses for it. He can be nice. I’ve got nowhere to go. He has the money. You should leave and under no circumstances have a child with this man. It’s one thing to condemn yourself to this life, don’t condemn another innocent life.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 26/02/2023 06:16

So he had a " torturous nightmarish horror movie of a childhood" and now you are having a " torturous nightmarish horror movie of a marriage" and if you have a baby with this man in this marriage, your baby will also have "a torturous nightmarish horror movie of a childhood". Break the cycle. Leave him. Get a job. Somewhere in the UK there is a better man than that who will love you, respect you, and be a good parent to your child. Go find him.

Fraaahnces · 26/02/2023 06:28

I have attached a link below to a research document explaining why the Human Rights Foundation clearly accepts that sleep deprivation is legally a form of torture.

I took this into marriage guidance counselling after 17 years of my DH refusing to get himself a sleep study, along with a recording of him snoring, the decibel level and some equivalents which included a church which had been fined after it had been soundproofed and was playing Christian rock music at unsociable levels, banned Fisher-Price toys, and certain aircraft taking off in certain conditions.

He had his sleep study and was horrified to discover that he averaged over 46 episodes of apnoea per hour. He has a cpap machine now which isn’t perfect, but it’s bloody better than the beast from hell.

Human Rights Foundation - Sleep Deprivation is Torture

Bournetilly · 26/02/2023 06:33

He can’t help the snoring and honestly I think the way you acted was awful, why don’t you sleep on the sofa?

He is awful too but you both need to apologise not just him and clearly shouldn’t be together.

Don't have a baby with him and just consider when you do have a baby you will get way less sleep than this.

crew2022 · 26/02/2023 06:36

You mention him battering your ears so you can no longer sleep on one?
That's full on physical violence.
Add it to the emotional abuse and I can predict he will become violent again if you get pregnant (it often gets worse at that time).
You need to leave him, pregnant or not but especially if you are pregnant as you and your baby will be in danger. I don't say this to be dramatic.
You can have the home and family you dream of, you will have them BUT NOT WITH HIM.
Please get some real life help and get out

TheChoiceIsYours · 26/02/2023 06:41

Sorry to be blunt but if you think having a baby with this man is a good idea, you’re not ready to be a mother.

Get the hell out and get a lot of therapy before even thinking of dating again.

No baby deserves this life. Neither do you.

AgentJohnson · 26/02/2023 06:42

You are so focused on the happy ever after, that you are ignoring the severity of the misery now. There is no happy ever after with an abusive man! He knows you well enough to ‘pretend’ to not be abusive for a period of time, will keep you sweet. If you think his behaviour is bad now, you wait till you are pregnant, he probably won’t even pretend not to be abusive then.

Is your dream more important to you than the welfare of a child? You are not powerless but freedom and independence come at a price and sometimes that price is temporary living situation that isn’t your first choice.

TTC a child with this man is irresponsible and that’s on you.

moose62 · 26/02/2023 06:45

You need to leave him now before you gave any children.

But you also need to take some responsibility. You could sleep on the sofa, buy ear plugs? The government didn't make you reliant on him....if you lost your job, did you look for another one?

He sound really dreadful and abusive but you are also very dramatic....lots of heart pounding etc...

TauroLomo · 26/02/2023 06:46

You lost me at “retarded”

Anyone who stoops to throwing around that word as an insult is a piece of shit, an ignorant and illiterate piece of shit.

And you op, are utterly devoid of any critical thinking skills to be actively attempting to bring an innocent child into such a horrid household.

What. A. Mess.

Mammillaria · 26/02/2023 06:48

Please, please do not bring a child into this hellscape. Don't purposefully breed the next generation of damaged adults. Don't prioritise your own selfish needs over those of an innocent child.

You cannot change him, you can only work on your own self awareness.

IHeartGeneHunt · 26/02/2023 06:57

I grew up with a father like him, and it was miserable. Worse than horrible. It fucked up my relationships, and those of all my siblings. It turned my mother into a bitter and cruel woman old before her time. Please don't have a baby with this man. It won't get better. The nasty things he does are his real parts, the rest is put on to keep you hoping.

Sparklfairy · 26/02/2023 06:58

This potential baby is all my dreams. All I've ever wanted was to have a house and family. I don't think I could live without getting to have this.

Think practically OP. You're so blinkered by this drive to have a baby you haven't thought through the reality of a baby with this man.

I don't need to tell you that it will be utter hell. If you're honest with yourself you'll see it clearly on your own. This explosive temper of his surfaced because you woke him up. WHAT DO BABIES DO? They wake up and scream all night. What do all new parents suffer from? Sleep deprivation.

The first few years of having a baby tests the very strongest of relationships and some of those don't even survive. Your relationship is already on very thin ice, and throw a baby into the mix and you are in for a life of abuse, exhaustion, very possibly PND, being left to do everything and being thoroughly miserable.

He may also cheat/leave you once you have the baby and put the baby first. He'll hate that and resent you. So now you're stuck with nowhere to go, him being an arse about child support, and you have a baby who relies on you for its every need.

Fgs think. I cannot implore you enough NOT to have a baby with this man.

femfemlicious · 26/02/2023 07:01

Is this a visa issue?. Are you his dependant?. You need to see a lawyer. You don't have to stay with him. You work so you can move into a house share. You need to leave. He will soon start beating you up again. Pregnant or not move out ASAP!

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 26/02/2023 07:12

Why did you post if you don’t want to listen to any advice?

DO NOT HAVE A BABY WITH THIS MAN.

He’s an abusive arsehole. If he reacts this badly to you waking him up, how will be cope with a screaming baby? How will you cope, come to think of it, if you’re ‘so tired’ already?

Utterly toxic relationship and it would’ve cruel to bring a child into this. You know you need to split up.

ItchyBillco · 26/02/2023 07:20

This is a shit show. Please don’t knowingly subject a poor baby to this shit show.

Aquamarine1029 · 26/02/2023 07:24

It is horrifying that you are trying to bring a baby into this disaster. It's the most irresponsible, selfish thing I've ever heard of.

rainbowstardrops · 26/02/2023 07:28

AnyFucker · 26/02/2023 04:44

That’s a whole lot of drama, and you sound like you actually thrive on it

Don’t bring a child into this mess

Absolutely what I was thinking. All this heart thumping drama.
It would be incredibly selfish to bring a baby into this shit show.

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