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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

Stay or go (cheater)

10 replies

AyayaPushover · 13/05/2023 09:58

I don’t know if it’s my personality or maybe linked to my autism but I struggle to make decisions and always need a really balanced pros and cons list. I am currently in a dilemma although really it’s probably fairly obvious what I should do. However, the more people tell me to LTB in indignation, the more I shove my heels in. So, I’d appreciate some kind assistance.

I discovered yesterday via anon message that when I told my partner I was pregnant last year, he took the news badly and essentially went and slept with a couple of other women over a period of a couple of months because I’d ruined his life and he was bitter. He moved out a few months after that but we remained a couple. I discovered that two months ago that two weeks after our daughter was born, whilst he was playing the doting father, he was apparently planning a suicide attempt and because he “didn’t want to make it worse for me” left me abruptly and slept with someone else for a couple of weeks.

At the time of his overdose I essentially knew something was wrong despite not talking, went to his house where he was in a state. He cried and begged for me to take him back and since then, has been trying hard to be better. He has slipped up by not coming home from the pub when he says he will, an hour later for instance and says it’s because of his ADHD.

He has been making plans for our future etc.

However, I said - I don’t understand how you could do these sorts of things to someone you love - and apparently that triggered another depression spiral and now he is questioning whether he loves me because I’m right. Why would you do that. I have previously excused his behaviour because he does suffer from severe depression and PTSD from an attack 4 years ago.

I can imagine you are reading this and thinking, are you stupid? Is this not obvious? Well - yes, it is - he brings nothing. But…I love him incredibly deeply, so deeply it physically hurt when he left. And to my not very normal brain, that overrides anything and everything. The logical side of me knows that’s stupid, but the little lost girl clings on to the fact that I adore him despite his huge faults.

I cannot bring myself to end it and ask him to leave. Even the idea that I don’t want my daughter to grow up seeing this as the ‘model’ relationship isn’t enough. I’m crying as I write this, I love her more than anything so why can’t I take the right steps and make the right decisions.

thank you for reading

OP posts:
J8231 · 13/05/2023 10:32

Sorry you're going through this.. I recently went through the same....
He cheated while I was pregnant couldn't deal with the stress of having a poorly baby so he cheated... I decided to stay and felt sorry for him ( so stupid looking back) however we had another baby which I wouldn't change... again I found he was messaging other women... I stayed again ( o my days I was so silly) stayed because he was depressed and suicidal I wanted to "rescue" him but honestly you can't rescue anyone. He tried councilling then stopped he wasn't helping himself, again blaming me for everything that happened I kept at it thinking it wouldn't change he would change but they never change really they just act like they do for a few weeks then back to normal.
I finally kicked him out. I never realised how much of myself I lost due to him blaming me for everything, I'm so much happier the children are so much happier, it might take you time to see you deserve so much better, its better to be alone than stay in a relationship like that.. I stayed more because he was suicidal and I didn't want to be the one to tip him over but that shouldn't of been put on me and you have to do what is best for you and your daughter, I wouldn't want my daughter to have that relationship so I left I didn't want my son to see that is how you treat someone you love. We need to set an example for our children to show what we accept and don't accept.
I wish you courage and strength to leave, it is hard for a few weeks but feeling so much happier is so mush worth it.
I'm at a point where I love my life, people can tell I'm happy as apparently I'm glowing. I never thought I would be here. I thought I wound always walk on egg shells go to bed early just to avoid.
Sorry that was long I just started typing and didn't stop 😊

5128gap · 13/05/2023 10:43

Cons of remaining in the relationship:
1.You will be sharing your life with someone who doesn't love or respect you and denying yourself the chance to find someone who does.
2.You will have no peace of mind, lurching from one drama and heartache to another, which will spoil your time with your child.
3.His issues will become all consuming as time goes on, denying you and your child a normal happy life, draining you and turning you into a shadow of yourself.
4.Eventually you will need to choose between leaving or sacrificing the happiness of the one life you have for him and that will be difficult and painful.

Pros of remaining in the relationship:

  1. You get to put number 4 off for now.
Londontoderby · 13/05/2023 11:04

Some good questions you’ve asked.
Your love for him overrides everything because you let it. You don’t want to face the fact your decisions up to now have been wrong and have negatively impacted you. Instead of facing it, taking responsibility and applying action, you’re burying your head in the sand, sticking to your guns and ignoring the reality of the situation.

Basically, your not admitting when you’ve wronged yourself and don’t want to put in the effort and pain to make it better, too much work, you’d rather do nothing.

That will only last so long though, at some point, you will yearn to have a life, be it tomorrow or in 10 years time, you won’t stay forever, it’s not viable. (So do yourself a favour and don’t waste too many years on it)

ChristmasFluff · 13/05/2023 15:40

You don't love him. You are trauma bonded - and that is FAR more powerful than love.

Love can let go. Love can say goodbye and wish well when things aren't working. Love changes when betrayal happens.

What doesn't change is addiction. Addiction needs, in spite of the pain. Addiction feels like the solution, when it is creating the problem. Not saying he is a narcissist, but this is so often why people stay in cheating relationships

https://blog.melanietoniaevans.com/the-answer-to-narcissistic-abuse-that-no-is-talking-about-peptide-addiction/

AyayaPushover · 26/05/2023 07:13

I feel sick. I’m determined to do it today. I’ve been awake all night trying to sum up the courage to pack his things and drive them to his house. He’s asleep at the moment after coming back from the pub at 4am.

The weekend just gone he was at my house helping me with baby and the dogs whilst my mum was up north making funeral arrangements for her dad. He had a birthday party to go to and I asked if he could come back when the pub closed at 1pm

He stumbled back in at 5.41am and I could just smell the cocaine on him.

He’s been at his house for the week deciding if he loves me (because he says if he truly loved me why was he so abusive).

I'm trying to find the balls to go and tell him that he is not fit to be a dad. I’m going to chicken out I can feel it.

Why is this so hard when I know exactly what I should and must do. What stops me? I wrote him a letter about the sort of abuse he had been pushing on me and I couldn’t even hand him that.

OP posts:
AyayaPushover · 26/05/2023 07:13

Pub closed at 1am not 1pm sorry.

OP posts:
Namechange666 · 26/05/2023 09:09

I know your mum is going through a lot at the moment but do you know have any other support?

Is your autism making it hard to make the change? I'm just asking because I don't have autism so just wondered if this could be affecting your decision making? Is chnage hard for you? I have adhd and sometimes change is hard for me too.

I think having someone there when you tell him to go. Any other family or friends who could help you?

AyayaPushover · 26/05/2023 10:50

I have friends but they all have issues at the moment, one’s getting divorced why his quite tough for her.

I think I need therapy more than anything. I don’t have much support I guess.

I can’t work out if the change is hard because of ND or if it’s because I “love him”. I guess if it was because of ND that might make it easier for me to reconcile. I have this block, I’ve written a letter telling him how abusive he is and I SHOULD drop his stuff off. Just full of anxiety and stress and want to completely avoid the situation

OP posts:
FartSock5000 · 26/05/2023 11:30

@AyayaPushover this isn't love.

He isn't a good person and he can't be a good father while he is so self obsessed. All his focus is on himself and none on your or the baby.

He lies, cheats, abuses drugs and alcohol and threatens to harm himself.

This is not a person who loves you, wants to build a life with you or even respects you.

End the relationship and stay away. He will either go off and work on himself or continue to waste his life in a self indulgent pity party.

Its not your job to try to fix him. Only he can do that. You MUST focus on yourself and the baby now. Do what is best and walk away.

NotAgainBrian · 26/05/2023 12:02

I'm sorry you're going through this. Firstly, if anyone ever has to take time to 'decide if they love you' then tell them to get lost. I've been in this position and it was awful, I did the pick me dance and tried to be this perfect wife so he'd realise he loved me. I wish I'd been strong enough back then to tell him to piss off.

I agree with the above poster about trauma bonding. Please read up on it, it really helped me. I knew things were awful with my ex but whenever he left it was like physical pain and so I thought 'I must want to be with him then or it wouldn't be this hard to be without him'. When I learned more about trauma bonding it made a lot of sense and helped me finally leave. It's like an addiction, your brain gets addicted to the highs and lows. He'll never change, and you and your child deserve better than this.

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