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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

Dh in recovery has gone out....

67 replies

definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:13

....And I'm beyond anxious and angry. And yet I'm not sure I'm reasonable in feeling this way.
Dh had an issue with cocaine for, it emerged, 12 months or so. I found out on Boxing Day and since then there has been a lot of discussion. He had lied to me for a long time and I feel very betrayed by it. And I don't want to be married to a drug addict, plus I don't want him to die because of it. I feel betrayed, disappointed and small, and it's really rocked what I had thought was a lovely marriage.

Nevertheless we agreed to work through it, he has started counselling and I thought he understood where I was at. My anxiety is through the roof, and worse when he is out for work (his work involves a lot of going out with clients, and pretty well all of them do coke). I've found it very hard and he has in fairness cut back on the going out whenever he can.

Today he had a big thing at work. It went really well. He told me he had a meeting at half three after the thing and then would be coming home. It so happens I've had a fairly unpleasant medical procedure today which was at 4. I'm alright, but it wasn't ideal to go on my own.

He called me at half five. From the pub where he had been with his team all afternoon since the big thing which was at one. His meeting got cancelled he said.
His friend has just got there, he'll be another hour.
This is the exact thing he would do before when unbeknownst to me he was going a lot of coke. (Then he would phone me every hour or hour and a half, still out-which want an issue really when I thought he was just out having a nice time-I'd no problem with that until it came out he was high as a kite).
He knows how I feel about him being out currently. I've had panic attacks and I'm on the verge of having to take anti depressants as I just can't cope with being this on edge all the time.
To boot today He knows I'm on my own at home in a bit of discomfort.

If his meeting got cancelled he could have come home and supported me.
He could also have told me at half two he was going to the pub as his meeting got cancelled.
My feeling is he didn't because he knew I would be unhappy and he would feel guilty and have to come home.

And yet-he had a big thing at work today. It should (and always would have been) fine for him to go out and celebrate it.

I have never been a possessive or paranoid person and now here I am having an anxiety attack because my dh is in the pub with his work friends.

We have had words and he is now on the way home. He says he has done nothing wrong and it was the biggest thing of his work life etc etc.

I'm so upset and I feel awful that he has missed out, and yet it's been not even three months since he turned our marriage upside down, and I also don't think it's a good idea for him to be in an environment where he would once have automatically taken drugs just yet.

I don't know if I'm being unreasonable at all and I don't know how we ever work past this.

OP posts:
zippingalongslowly · 21/03/2024 19:16

You're not being unreasonable to be worried and upset.
Have you got support from something like Smart recovery friends and family? They do online groups and it can be really helpful to hear from people in similar positions with loved ones.
I'm sorry you're going through this. I had similar with my ex husband. It's very hard competing with someone's addiction.

Querty123456 · 21/03/2024 19:18

If he was committed to change he would avoid situations where there is alcohol being served because no doubt if he has a couple of drinks with that kind of crowd he’ll get drawn into it again.

BlueEyesBrownHair · 21/03/2024 19:18

sorry to say, your not his priority. If he has gone on a bender you have two choices. Stay or go. Dont keep forgiving him and waste your life. However, he might be clean and surprise you!

definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:19

No, no support from anyone. I'm too ashamed to tell anyone our marriage is a bit fucked and I don't want anyone to think badly of him (I know that's weird). He won't call it addiction. Just says that he went too far with it, was doing it too much. but he has lied, spent money, done it regularly and admitted he has found it hard to stop. Which is addiction to me.

OP posts:
definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:21

I don't think it's a bender tbh. That's the thing. The team did a big pitch this afternoon and it's usual after something like that for them to go out. Which is why I feel like I'm wrong to be angry.

OP posts:
definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:23

@Querty123456 that's my feeling on it. But he would say he has to go, and as he quite senior it would look odd if he didn't.
It's more that old thing of not telling me, his meeting was cancelled etc etc... I mean it's just the horrible feeling of not feeling able to trust your husband really I suppose

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 21/03/2024 19:33

If you cannot trust him there is really no relationship.

What do you get out of this relationship now?.

Do not be ashamed to bust this secret wide open, keeping this a secret does not help him or you. Do not continue to enable him or otherwise prop him up. He has to realise there are consequences for his actions.

Please consider contacting Frank via this link https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you

Find drug and alcohol support near you | FRANK

Find drug and alcohol support near you | FRANK

https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you

ThePlumsOfWilfred · 21/03/2024 19:40

And yet-he had a big thing at work today. It should (and always would have been) fine for him to go out and celebrate it.

In the nicest possible way, this is bs.

A cocaine addict who has terrified his family with his addiction does not get to go out celebrating less than 3 months after they found out and he has said he'll stop.

A truly repentant person would see that. And one committed to change would not put themselves in such a vulnerable position, so soon.

But he would say he has to go, and as he quite senior it would look odd if he didn't.

It'll look even worse if he cannot recover and his employer catches onto him.

grinandslothit · 21/03/2024 19:46

So his meeting was at 1:00 p.m. or presentation then half past five he called you from the bar where he has been hanging out since.

And then he mentioned his friend just showed up there. I guess that same person would have also been in that presentation.

So how come the friend didn't just go and hang out in the bar after the presentation with him?

I guess the point is that a pub celebration really isn't necessary for anything. No matter how much men seem to think it is, it really is not.

He knew you were having a procedure at 4:00 p.m. and he most certainly could have come back and taken you to that procedure and then left to the pub afterwards, but no he didn't do it because he didn't want to be bothered with you and your pesky medical procedure.

He got to get mad at you for spoiling his fun even though he'd already been in the pub for several hours already before the friend showed up.

He would rather sit in the pub all afternoon and get pissed than take care of you.

I'm sure you can think of other situations where he's been selfish and sulky.

A bit harsh but true.

definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:48

The friend is a colleague but who wasn't in the presentation but came to meet those that were after work.
Dh and the whole thing are in London, I'm at home an hour away. But yes he could have come back to support me. And I am hurt by that tbh as that's appointment number 3 and for various reasons I've had to go to them all on my own.

OP posts:
definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:49

However I think that's also clouding my reaction.

OP posts:
ZekeZeke · 21/03/2024 19:49

Stop making excuses for him OP.
His meeting was cancelled, he should have been holding your hand after your procedure not going out to the boozer with his work mates.

I hope you don't have any children with him?

ZekeZeke · 21/03/2024 19:51

And I hope you are recovering well and not in too much physical pain.

definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:52

We have four

OP posts:
ZekeZeke · 21/03/2024 19:55

definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:52

We have four

He is an irresponsible dick OP.
A married man with 4 children and a sick wife at home and he goes on the lash? Fcuk that.

definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:56

I'm not sick per se. Just a bit uncomfortable. The kids are nearly grown up and don't take looking after -so is not a childcare thing.

OP posts:
definitionofmadness · 21/03/2024 19:57

Just to give a fair picture

OP posts:
Hatty65 · 21/03/2024 19:58

But he would say he has to go, and as he quite senior it would look odd if he didn't.

No, it really wouldn't. If he's reasonably senior then it is perfectly acceptable to say, 'Well done, guys. Today went really well thanks to your input. I'd love to celebrate with you but unfortunately my wife had minor surgery today and I need to get straight off home. Well done again!'

You look far less of a prick. He's not over the cocaine crap and you shouldn't trust him.

Fannyfiggs · 21/03/2024 20:12

Hatty65 · 21/03/2024 19:58

But he would say he has to go, and as he quite senior it would look odd if he didn't.

No, it really wouldn't. If he's reasonably senior then it is perfectly acceptable to say, 'Well done, guys. Today went really well thanks to your input. I'd love to celebrate with you but unfortunately my wife had minor surgery today and I need to get straight off home. Well done again!'

You look far less of a prick. He's not over the cocaine crap and you shouldn't trust him.

This ☝️

Don't forget it's HIM that turned your marriage upside down, not you. You are not being unreasonable in feeling that he should have come home today and went to your appointment with you. Your anxiety about his addiction is normal in this situation and he should be doing EVERYTHING he can to put your mind at rest, not whining about how he's done nothing wrong. YES HE BLOODY WELL HAS!!! (Sorry for shouting but I'm livid on your behalf)

He's being a thoughtless, selfish whiny baby.

Iloveshihtzus · 21/03/2024 20:17

Oh dear God OP, I thought you had no kids until you last posts!!! He is still addicted. He will always choose cocaine. He told you what you wanted to hear.

As the child of an addict, I would say please decide how to move on with your life without him, the constant stress you feel
is also being felt by your children.

chickenpieandchips · 21/03/2024 20:18

So he's not admitted he's got an addiction?
So is he in recovery if he's not recovering from anything (in his mind)?
Is he just telling you what you want to hear until he can't hide it?

chickenpieandchips · 21/03/2024 20:24

And my DH is senior. He wouldn't have gone out or if he had to he would have had 1 pint, done the pleasantries, and left.
He's walked out of important meeting before when I've taken the DC to an and e (nothing major and I would have coped!).

MadeForThis · 21/03/2024 20:32

Has he made it home yet?

Notreadytomakenice · 21/03/2024 20:42

I'm in recovery. Addicts lie. We lie and manipulate as much as we can.

Today will not be 'the biggest thing in his career'... But if he can make you think it was and feel bad for making him come home, then he will be the victim... And you won't be able to have a go at him.

Of course he should have told you at 2.30pm. Of course he should have come home and supported you and, brace yourself, if he wanted to, he would have.
He sounds very typical of most addicts, is he in a program?

Binfire · 21/03/2024 20:44

Sorry you're having to go through this, it must be such a worry. I hope he’s home soon.

You can buy drug test kits from the chemist to see if he’s clean or not. He may not want to take the test but if you are to ever trust him he might need to. https://www.superdrug.com/health/home-testing-kits/selfcheck-multi-drug-test-kit/p/782430

I really hope that he’ll show you that he’s turned the corner and made lasting change.