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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

Do I deserve to be validated

135 replies

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 09:21

We've been married 2 years. My last marriage ended very quickly and unexpectedly. My ex wife told me she was gay and left me and the kids and moved in with her partner. Years later we're obviously divorced and share equal 50/50 care of the kids. I'll admit I'm bitter. I funded my ex wife's education and life, as soon as she qualified she left. I've never recovered financially and yet she lives the life or Reilly with her partner a geeat job, off on three holidays a year and to be honest, I hate her.

My new wife knows all this. She is so laid back and loving. I trust her 100%, first person in years. She gives me no signs to mistrust her and our relationship is great.

I admit I'm jealous. I try really hard with this and have been in therapy for PTSD (Military related) but this therapy has helped me overall. I hate being this way and my wife knows how I am. She's not a jealous person in the slightest so don't think she really gets it.

She had, let's say, an active sex life over the years. Allthough I hate the thought of that, I work really hard in myself not to let it effect me. I'm a serious overthinker but again try not to let her past bother me (because I know she did nothing wrong) and I don't make her feel bad about it either. Why should I, we didn't know each other and she was single.

All I ask of her is that she doesn't go into detail of her past because I know I'll dwell on things or overthink. I don't want to hear about exes or where they went etc. Now I know many of you will say we all have a past, we do, she did nothing wrong etc etc. I know all this but I can't help how my brain works.

I try to tell my wife how some of her comments dig into me, for example on honeymoon she said let's go have sex in the sea, I say OK and off we go. I stop and she says not here, it doesn't work here we need to go in more, stand up, I'll do this etc etc. I respond with how do you know, and she looks at me in silence. My response was well you've obviously done this before and it put me off so we left.

If the boot waa on the other foot that wouldn't bother her in the slightest. She'd probably laugh and say did it work back then.

I wish i was like that. All I want it for her to validate how I feel and to acknowledge we're different. I have other examples but won't list them all because I know I'll be told I'm being ridiculous and I probably agree.

I don't know if it's even possible to change. I really wish I could but I also wish she acknowledged who I am an give a little more support in it by leaving the past where it belongs and not refer to it

OP posts:
TheMatriarchy · 16/04/2023 11:21

Your attitude boils down to misogyny. Rather than viewing your partner as a complete whole human being with life experiences she can learn from and share (just like yourself) - your (perhaps unconscious) attitude towards her is that she is a possession, an object, that you now 'own'. An object tarnished by previous use, secondhand so to speak. A very tragic attitude that will ultimately destroy every relationship you try to have. Try to get some help with dismantling your bigotry, your unhappiness (and your partners) will persist if you don't.

Pixiedust1234 · 16/04/2023 11:22

it sounds like you need more intensive therapy. This is not your wife's problem, it is yours. Please get serious with the extra counselling before she decides you've killed your marriage.

Fuerza · 16/04/2023 11:24

It's a version of the so called Madonna / Whore complex.

You had a marriage before you met your now wife, but you want your wife to have no experience before you?!?!? If that were the case, it wouldn't be an equal relationship. That would be unhealthy.

Iguanainanigloo · 16/04/2023 11:24

Just wanted to say, you probably dodged a bullet with the sea sex... Did it once and ended up with the worst water infection of my life and antibiotics for a month 😆 never again.

It sounds like you're massively insecure op, and the only thing that may help with this is some sort of individual therapy to get over your past. Your wife sounds very laid back and patient, and I'm sure the last thing you want is to "scare her off" by frequently bringing down the mood, because of your past issues. She has a past, you have a past. Hers obviously hasn't scarred her like yours has, and after what happened with your ex, I can see you're probably in some sort of defensive mode of maybe feeling like pushing her away, getting grumpy, etc so you get that reassurance from her that she loves you, and to validate your relationship, to see how much she will put up with. i.e, If she puts up with this current mood swing, it temporarily proves her loyalty to you, until the next time you need that validation.

Some people who have had bad past experiences that have affected their self esteem, and left them insecure, struggle to be content in future relationships, and develop cycles of self sabotaging, as if you've got nothing to lose, then at least you know where you stand, and life feels simpler, even if lonelier and sad. Plus the self pity, that is clearly still a big part of how you feel now. That is a common issue after a traumatic life experience. Some people can end up seeking out the need for that self pity, and from external places (friends, family, colleagues), and if your current wife left you, you'd have all that pity and care again from others, which in some one with low self esteem, can become an addictive situation to be in. We all know when anyone asks how you are and you say "great!" That's the end of it, job done. If you appear to have a happy, healthy, fulfilling life, most assume you don't need support or reassurance, when in reality, you're crying out for it. So again, the need to create situations of unhappiness, can resurface, to create that level of concern and care for you, from friends and family.

Do you feel like maybe your self doubt, could be, in a way, forcing you to make things "shit" as although you obviously adore your wife and want to be with her, the internal struggles of "what if she leaves me too?" Make you feel like you want to be alone, so you have nothing to lose in the future?

The way you talk about how she had a more colourful past than you, again, indicates you feel like you're not as experienced, and don't deserve her, maybe feel like you aren't good enough? Which is an understandable feeling, but I'm sure that not how your wife sees things. If you feel like you could get hurt, you try and escape, but obviously you don't really want to, so instead, the self sabotaging behaviours take over. If so, you really need to seek out therapy for these thoughts, and the current self destructive mindset, to improve your future happiness with your current wife.

You deserve to be happy, and so does your wife. Seek out some individual therapy to give yourselves the best future you both deserve. Everything happens for a reason, and the breakdown of your previous marriage, although I'm sure was sad and stressful, ultimately led you to the one you're in now, with a woman you clearly adore, and clearly adores you. Therapy is the way forward op.

Fuerza · 16/04/2023 11:24

TheMatriarchy · 16/04/2023 11:21

Your attitude boils down to misogyny. Rather than viewing your partner as a complete whole human being with life experiences she can learn from and share (just like yourself) - your (perhaps unconscious) attitude towards her is that she is a possession, an object, that you now 'own'. An object tarnished by previous use, secondhand so to speak. A very tragic attitude that will ultimately destroy every relationship you try to have. Try to get some help with dismantling your bigotry, your unhappiness (and your partners) will persist if you don't.

It is so sad and depressing that men still end up like this.

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:28

You maybe want to look up the definition of misogyny beside you spout your hatred. Not only is your comment offensive by calling me misogynistic, it suggests thst only a male/female relationship can experience issues like mine. Males, female, trans or whatever all experience these issues so if you have nothing relevant to say find another post

OP posts:
UnsureSchool32 · 16/04/2023 11:28

Hi OP, i’m not going to judge. But I’m thinking with this black and white attitude and all the rumination and procrastination might you have ADHD? It’s like there is a constant voice in your head that needs taming too.

I think you’re on a bit of a self destruct and it’s like you need to learn to be kind to you then you can stop judging and be kind to others. What do you think? What if you were just kind to yourself one day? Often people judge because well it’s about them, not the other person.

I think you need a new therapist to help you work on this.

5128gap · 16/04/2023 11:31

TheMatriarchy · 16/04/2023 11:21

Your attitude boils down to misogyny. Rather than viewing your partner as a complete whole human being with life experiences she can learn from and share (just like yourself) - your (perhaps unconscious) attitude towards her is that she is a possession, an object, that you now 'own'. An object tarnished by previous use, secondhand so to speak. A very tragic attitude that will ultimately destroy every relationship you try to have. Try to get some help with dismantling your bigotry, your unhappiness (and your partners) will persist if you don't.

I think this is right. Its also apparant in the OPs inability to see one woman as different from another. A woman hurt him (with a woman) so therefore no woman can be trusted, and the current woman in his life is a proxy for the punishment of the former.

Effieswig · 16/04/2023 11:34

Op you need to deal with your divorce and the emotions around it. And also the practicalities.

How can you never recover, financially, from the divorce? What settlement led to that?

You now have a wife. You have a 2 income household. It can be recovered from. You are still in the mourning stage.

In 2 years you met and married someone else without moving on emotionally and are still stuck in part where you feel you can never move on. But have moved on anyway.

Your wife didn’t bring up her past in the situation you described. You did. You’re picked at a scab you knew would set you off. What could she have said that would have been better? Lied? And if you found out?

Your wife is in a position where she can not win and you are putting all your emotional baggage on her.

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:36

Thank you sincerely. You are pretty much spot on. I absolutely recognise this is my issue and not hers (even though plenty keyboard warriors here think different) it's absolutely about me, being good enough, comparing myself to her exes (even though I don't know any of then so have nothing to compare to) self doubt, not feeling manly enough after my ex wife, the list goes on. I've been in therapy over a year and we talk regularly about this and the difference in me is noticeable. I have many examples of times when before I would have been in a bad way because of off the cuff comments she's made but I'm learning to move on from that.

Fir those of you repeating what i know, its MY fault NOT hers.

OP posts:
YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:38

I think you may have a very good point. I'm really not kind to myself. I hide a lot of pain and negativity about myself. I don't like myself very much at all

OP posts:
YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:39

You're 100% wrong

OP posts:
Wimpeyspread · 16/04/2023 11:40

I agree with pp - you should not have married this poor woman, you are nowhere near in the right frame of mind to be in a relationship. Makes me wonder what your first wife had to put up with

Pixiedust1234 · 16/04/2023 11:44

Fir those of you repeating what i know, its MY fault NOT hers.

You know you need to work on yourself, you know you can't do it alone, you know you need professional help, you know your wife can't help you with that...so what are you asking/wanting?

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:44

Absolutely nothing. I was nothing like I am now when in that 15 year relationship. That trauma changed me 100%. So wonder no more you have your answer

In actual fact exwife asked on a number of occasions post separation to get back together, told me plenty times that she'll always love me and she was forced into a situation and hates the fact I'm married again

So there's your answer

OP posts:
YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:48

I suppose I want to know what should I expect? Is it wrong of me to expect support by asking to do/say certain things to help me mange myself or not?

I haven't explained this in depth to her. All I've said is I'm an Overthinker can you please not say anything about the past because I'll make it something it's not.

She doesn't know the depths I Overthinking and how much I go over and over things

Is it fair to even tell her that

OP posts:
Effieswig · 16/04/2023 11:52

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:39

You're 100% wrong

Who is?

it’s hard to follow what you are posting as you are not addressing the people who post.

JuneShitfield · 16/04/2023 11:53

Seeking validation from an external person, whether that's your life partner or strangers on the internet, is never a good and healthy long-term strategy.

So at that level; no, you don't deserve validation from your wife.

The only person who can validate your feelings is you.

All you can ask (and I say ask, not demand or feel you deserve) is that your life partner — your wife, in this case — hears you and understands what you're experiencing. It sounds like she does that — but she's also not willing to bend herself out of shape to accommodate you. Her approach is probably healthier for both her and you in the long run.

I think if you have PTSD it is very very complex, and there will be numerous issues that will be impacting on how you process thoughts and feelings. What you think consciously is going on might not be what's happening in the deeper, non-verbal part of your brain for example.

I would keep going to talking therapy. And — and I mean this kindly — give your wife a break. It's not her job to validate you.

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:53

Effieswig · 16/04/2023 11:52

Who is?

it’s hard to follow what you are posting as you are not addressing the people who post.

Oh... so I am! I waa hitting reply on the comment assuming it was replying to the individual chat. Figured it out now

OP posts:
Effieswig · 16/04/2023 11:54

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:48

I suppose I want to know what should I expect? Is it wrong of me to expect support by asking to do/say certain things to help me mange myself or not?

I haven't explained this in depth to her. All I've said is I'm an Overthinker can you please not say anything about the past because I'll make it something it's not.

She doesn't know the depths I Overthinking and how much I go over and over things

Is it fair to even tell her that

Not if you are the one bringing up and leading the conversation to her past.

You can not ask her not to discuss the past, at all. What if she wanted some support for something she experienced? Her past has made who she is and you love her do you not? Do you want her to pretend non of it happened.

Are you pretending nothing in your past happened? You just ignore it?

But you definitely can not tell her not to mention her past and then also get upset when you lead the conversation that way.

5128gap · 16/04/2023 11:55

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:38

I think you may have a very good point. I'm really not kind to myself. I hide a lot of pain and negativity about myself. I don't like myself very much at all

Thats not going to get any better while you keep externalising your anger at yourself and blaming your wife, and getting cross with women on here who are posting in good faith, but saying things you don't like.
You've taken great exception to the suggestion misogyny is at play, and I'm not sure why, it's a huge part of our collective psyche. Few of us are immune to it, whether as men, or as women in its internalised form. Yet you dismiss that out of hand and refuse to accept any other narrative than that your ex wife made you like this.
Part of working on yourself and learning to like and respect the person you are is to take responsibility. That means not just saying helplessly 'I know its my fault', like you have no agency; but by stopping actually being at fault.
A bad thing happened to you. Which puts you in a club which has just about everyone else as a member. It doesn't have to define you. If you don't like who you are and how you behave, then change.

YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 11:57

JuneShitfield · 16/04/2023 11:53

Seeking validation from an external person, whether that's your life partner or strangers on the internet, is never a good and healthy long-term strategy.

So at that level; no, you don't deserve validation from your wife.

The only person who can validate your feelings is you.

All you can ask (and I say ask, not demand or feel you deserve) is that your life partner — your wife, in this case — hears you and understands what you're experiencing. It sounds like she does that — but she's also not willing to bend herself out of shape to accommodate you. Her approach is probably healthier for both her and you in the long run.

I think if you have PTSD it is very very complex, and there will be numerous issues that will be impacting on how you process thoughts and feelings. What you think consciously is going on might not be what's happening in the deeper, non-verbal part of your brain for example.

I would keep going to talking therapy. And — and I mean this kindly — give your wife a break. It's not her job to validate you.

Thanks. No I guess it isn't her place to validate me. So is it wrong for me to ask for support? If my support need is validation is that wrong?

As per my original post I DO have PTSD

OP posts:
YeahWellWhoKnew · 16/04/2023 12:00

5128gap · 16/04/2023 11:55

Thats not going to get any better while you keep externalising your anger at yourself and blaming your wife, and getting cross with women on here who are posting in good faith, but saying things you don't like.
You've taken great exception to the suggestion misogyny is at play, and I'm not sure why, it's a huge part of our collective psyche. Few of us are immune to it, whether as men, or as women in its internalised form. Yet you dismiss that out of hand and refuse to accept any other narrative than that your ex wife made you like this.
Part of working on yourself and learning to like and respect the person you are is to take responsibility. That means not just saying helplessly 'I know its my fault', like you have no agency; but by stopping actually being at fault.
A bad thing happened to you. Which puts you in a club which has just about everyone else as a member. It doesn't have to define you. If you don't like who you are and how you behave, then change.

You are suggesting I'm getting cross with women?? How do you get to that? How am I meant to know what gender authors are?? I assume many are men... so yes I do take offence at being labelled misogynistic. I'm sur you would too if I picked out some derogatory terms to refer to you without foundation

OP posts:
sparkysalmon · 16/04/2023 12:02

It's called retroactive jealousy and it's a real condition that may be a facet of OCD.
There are a number of books now, and therapists who are starting to specialise in this condition.

Send me a private message and I'll give more information

ThisNameIsNotAvailable · 16/04/2023 12:03

OP, just to warn you that on here a LOT of stuff gets put down to misogyny, if a female poster disputes this they’re told it’s internalised misogyny. It’s not just you.

I tend to just ignore them now as there’s no point trying to discuss something with someone who absolutely does not want to see other perspectives.

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