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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

Think this time really is the last time and we need to separate. Need help.

319 replies

lulupop · 10/12/2004 20:34

Oh God, this could be such a long msg but no point going back to the yr dot with it all. DH and I just had a row and he has screamed at me (as usual, no self-control or thought for DS who was awake in his room) and left the house. I am shaking. I feel all fizzy.

We have had a volatile relationship for such a long time. Things go fine as long as I suppress my frustrations with him but if I bring up how I really feel, it all kicks off. He has no boundaries when it comes to losing tempers and will scream the most appalling things at me, usually in front of the children. We have had 2 separate periods of time going to Relate and all we achieved was that he agreed in principle to setting boundaries, taking time out etc when arguing, but it has always been only till the next time.

He's never been physically violent but he is a real bully and is so abusive I feel like nothing. Just now when I said I was sick of having the same argument over and over again and it made me feel there was no point carrying on, he screamed "Fine! Fine! I will go into work and resign and we can get divorced and you and the kids can have half of NOTHING. And I can tell them that you only married me for the money, you stupid fucking WHORE!"

Not sure what he meant about resigning. I am SAHM and only worked for 2 yrs before having DS. I have no idea how we would live if I left DH but I think I've reached the point where anything has got to be better than feeling like this. All the times we;ve had rows like this before, I've always thought "Don't do anything rash, just give things a chance to settle" and then it goes back to normal for a bit. But nothing changes, it all feels so hopeless now. I don't think I even like him - we certainly seem to be inhabiting different planets. I come from a happy home myself and can't bear the idea of my children not living with both their parents, but don't want them witnessing these sorts of scenes.

I feel stuck in Groundhog Day. No amount of counselling is going to change DH, and though I realise I could change as well, I don't think I can change my personality to accomodate the way he is. He can be very, very nasty when he thinks he's been betrayed, and I am afraid of what would happen if I said I actually wanted to separate formally.

I don't even know how to find a solicitor who could tell me what to do first.

I am supposed to be going to my parents' tomorrow for the night, but now I'm wondering if, if I do so, when I come back he'll have locked me out (he has done this before). What should I do?

Should I lock the door tonight so he can't come back in? I cannot face more of his screaming and ranting at me, with the children hearing it. But afraid of making him even angrier.

OP posts:
IwigitcouldbeXmaseveryday · 15/12/2004 19:41

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lulupop · 15/12/2004 20:20

thanks w&r. Don't know how you find the energy to deal with all us MNers' problems at the end of a busy day at work!

Feeling a bit crap today but trying to keep things on an even keel. DH totally absorbed by the Blunkett resignation so I'm going to have a nice bath now and early bed I think.

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IwigitcouldbeXmaseveryday · 15/12/2004 20:26

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OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 19/12/2004 10:46

How are you lulupop - eveything ok?

lulupop · 19/12/2004 11:01

Hi Zephyr. Not really OK. I spent Fri night at my mumand dad's, leaving the lids with dh overnight for the first time. Came home Sat and found everything fine, house tidy, so made real effort to show him I'd noticed etc. he was a bit odd all day, but kept saying everything was fine.

Then last night we went to a party thrown by my best friend here. It was a big do, and I really wanted DH to behave. He spent the whole night on the sofa (everyone was standing and mingling), talking to one other bloke, getting really drunk. I heard him make a few comments (of a derogatory nature) about a single girl there (must have been hard for her as everyone else was in couples) and her outfit, within her earshot. he thought he was being amusing. I thought he sounded like a wanker.

Then the hostess (my friend) told me that when she'd sat down next to him, he'd said "You can't sit there, X is sitting there when he comes back" (in her own house!), and then when she sat between him and this bloke anyway, to talk to the other bloke's wife, he said "Come on X, let's go and sit over there away from these bitches". I mean, for God's sake. She said he was saying it thinking he was being amusingly provocative, but she is a pretty feisty lady and I could tell she was offended (who wouldn't be).

When we left I said You have completely embarrassed me and left it at that. I went to bed and he slept on the sofa. This morning it's all "You hurt my feelings, I had to sleep on the sofa because I was afraid you'd just have another dig at me if i came to bed". He also insists he was not pissed at all.

Basically, I spent the evening looking at him and thinking, If I'd just met you, I would think you were a total idiot.

I have decided to just say nothing, try and stick it out, while working out my escape route. Not what I had hoped for for my life and my children, but I can no longer see any hope in this arrangement.

OP posts:
lulupop · 19/12/2004 11:01

kids, not lids, sorry!

OP posts:
OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 19/12/2004 11:08

oh so sorry it's not going well lulupop. Do you reckon you can stick it till after xmas?

lulupop · 19/12/2004 11:46

Yes, I definitely have to stick it till after Christmas.

Since I have realised that the things I can't put up with about dh are never going to change, I have changed my strategy. The last 5 years have been full of arguments because I've been trying to get him to see how the way he behaves might not be perfect. Now I see that nothing I say is ever going to change his mind about himself, I have given up. I am going to just say nothing about anything that annoys me.

We have about £17,000 of shared debt (excl mortgage). In March, he may get paid a bonus, which is how we usually clear the debt (but then somehow always end up with the same amount of debt the next yr). This makes me sound like a very calculating person, but I think I now need to think about what the situation for myself and the kids will be when we split. I need to at least startb with as little debt as possible. So I've got to stick it out till March.

Enough about me. How are you, anyway?

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OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 19/12/2004 11:57

sounds like a good plan. Things here are ok-ish lol. We had a fight this morning before we even got out of bed about him dropping his shirts all over the floor downstairs expecting me to pick them up and wash them - but how is he meant to do it when he works all day blah blah blah!!!! Same old crap! But he is actually getting better. We were fine by the time he left for work. He's really having a panic about money just now because we are already 2 months behind with the rent and can't pay the next one either. He is getting really bad headaches every night which isn't too good. But while he's at work I'm putting all my energy into the kids and getting them excited about xmas - which is generally keeping me in a good mood so i'm not so ready to launch into him the second he comes in the door!

stressedmummy · 19/12/2004 12:18

I just wanted to say that I think you are very brave lulupop, to have got as far as you have.
If things don't end up improving with my dh in the near future, I know I will end up taking action just like you, but at the moment I haven't quite got the courage.
My dh has apolagised for his behaviour before going out & said he will try not to scare me again.
Did your dh used to say similar things to you & not follow them through?

OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 19/12/2004 12:21

hi stressedmummy - dp says that every single time and like you i havent got the guts to do anything about it - so i stay and try to work it out. I think I'm getting there but it's hard

jabberwocky · 19/12/2004 12:25

lulupop, you are very smart to think about when would be the best time to leave. I was very careful about when I left my first dh. Spent quite a bit of time gathering information about our finances and secretly consulted an attorney first. It was definitely the right way to go about it. Just do your best to keep your spirits up in the meantime. It can get stressful, but then again, living with someone who makes you miserable is stressful too!

Loobie · 19/12/2004 12:46

lulupop that sounds like a very good idea ,it will also give you time to get your head round to the idea of getting away and you will be prepared to just get up and go which will shock the life out of him.Just remind yourself everytime he starts that by march/april next year you will not be living under that and niether will your kids.
If in the meantime he gets physical towards you or the kids phone the police and change the locks while he's out.
Where abouts are you cause i will offer you the same as i offered stressedmum who is going through similiar,im in scotland and would be more than willing to take in you and your family if you needed somewhere to run to where he wouldnt know to look.My exp was very like yours and stressed mums and i chucked him out 21/2 years ago when my 2 where 4 and 6 and i was 5mths pg with no.3 we are all still alive and very much happier than we ever were.Take care xxx

lulupop · 19/12/2004 17:54

stressedmummy, yes my dh has often made promises which only ever last until the next time.

loobie, bless you, that's a lovely kind offer. Sadly I couldn't be much further away as am in Kent. But I really appreciate the thought.

Jabberwocky, interested to hear you sort of did the same thing re the planning ahead. How did you manage to keep things normal at home? And how did your ex-h react when you finally announced it was over?

zeph, how's it going in your house this w/e?

OP posts:
lulupop · 19/12/2004 17:55

Durrr, sorry Zephyr, just realised you have already posted below about things being OKish. Ignore me, I'm "tired and emotional" after last night

OP posts:
IwigitcouldbeXmaseveryday · 20/12/2004 09:07

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OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 20/12/2004 09:42

Morning Guys - Hope today's a better day for you Lulupop
Wig can I ask you a quick question? I sent dp to the doc to discuss his temper and the doc has contacted the mental health team so someone can talk to him. Am I going down the right path? A lot of his anger stems back to his childhood and various things that have happened over the last 4 years - do you think I should be seeking out someone more specialised than the local MH team?
TIA

lulupop · 20/12/2004 12:06

Thanks Wig, I appreciate your help. Have been going through the mortgage stuff this morning to work out what might happen.

Zeph, how are you and your little people today?

OP posts:
IwigitcouldbeXmaseveryday · 20/12/2004 12:16

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IwigitcouldbeXmaseveryday · 20/12/2004 12:19

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OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 20/12/2004 12:21

Thanks Wig - at least I know I'm going the right way about sorting him out once and for all!! Have bookmarked you

Newbarnsleygirl · 20/12/2004 12:39

Just caught up with this thread. I have'nt much to say but big hugs and hope everything works out right for you and that your kids are ok

ElectricBlue · 23/12/2004 01:08

Lulupop, I totally sympathise and empathise with all you said - have similar sitation (just posted a separate thread). Your husband sounds very similar to mine, you mentioned a nasty streak about betrayal - I know exactly what you mean, plus all the negative talk/brainwashing. Will post again as there's more I'd like to add. Hope things get better for you and for all families going thru this. Big hugs from me to you.

ElectricBlue XXX

lulupop · 23/12/2004 09:32

Hi EB. There seem to be a few of us in this situation at the moment - I'm just going to look at your thread in a moment.

Things are so bad between DH and I at the minute, I don't know how we're going to get through the next few days. I feel sick at the thought of it actually.

Anyway, let's all try and be strong and make it through Christmas with no fights, for the sake of the children at least.

OP posts:
OnZephyrstdayofXmas · 23/12/2004 09:38

hiya lulupop - was thinking about you yesterday and was hoping that no news was good news. Things bad again?