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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

Feeling sad

11 replies

BetteDavisChin · 26/06/2024 20:45

Hello

I'm spending yet another evening in a separate room from my husband. We had a minor disagreement. I left the room without speaking and now I'm feeling that our relationship is over. The trouble is, I feel like this over nearly every minor disagreement we have. Catastrophising, I think they call it. I know if I go back in there and start speaking it will all be over. In fact, he's probably forgotten about the disagreement already. But it grieves me to be the one to break the ice. Even thinking about doing that makes me feel sad and lost, that I'm so unheard.

I sound needy, don't I? Yet, surprisingly, he's the needy one, always wanting my attention. Honestly, it drives me nuts. We have a basic mismatch. We have daily misunderstandings in conversation that are so unnecessary and frustrating. He's careless with me, emotionally and physically. If we're moving some furniture, for example, he'll push it too hard, or stop without warning, or twist it round unexpectedly. I've had bruises and cuts and a broken finger through this.

Having said all that, he's quite kind hearted and usually good natured. I don't think he'd give all this a second thought and he'd say there's something wrong with me for writing this. Incredibly, we've been married for 30 years. We never celebrate anniversaries or birthdays, which is okay, but our relationship is just flat and empty. We don't have sex and haven't for about 15 years. My instigation. He left for a year after his affair with his colleague, then came back. I've never wanted him like that since and he's never bothered.

I don't know what I want from this email. I feel better for having written it down.

Thanks

OP posts:
BetteDavisChin · 26/06/2024 21:51

Bump
Bump

OP posts:
PunchyLunchy · 26/06/2024 21:53

Why did you take him back I wonder? As in, what (the hell) is in this for you?

StormingNorman · 26/06/2024 21:58

The marriage didn’t recover from the affair did it? You don’t sound needy. You sound angry and resentful and TBH like you want to be a victim in this relationship. His neediness is probably because he knows you don’t think much of him.

You could try counselling to explore if you can forgive the affair and if you want to be in this relationship.

BetteDavisChin · 26/06/2024 22:11

That's a bit harsh and unexpected. Like I want to be a victim? I don't see how you've got to that?

OP posts:
PunchyLunchy · 26/06/2024 22:21

If I can be blunt, you clearly haven’t got much self respect as you accepted a man back into your home to live as your husband after he had an affair and left you for a year then waltzed back in. Now you’re miserable, no sex, no birthdays - fuck that!

I’d chuck him out forever, get the best vibrator money can buy and have some therapy.

You can be happy! It doesn’t have to be so…dreary.

Iwantacupoftea · 26/06/2024 22:39

Sounds like you need to leave this non relationship. What exactly are you getting out of it? You sound bored and lonely. There's a whole world out there. You don't need to stick this marriage out if you don't want to. Be brave. Grab some life whilst you can. Life is short. Don't waste it fading away in some dreary relationship

StormingNorman · 26/06/2024 22:52

BetteDavisChin · 26/06/2024 22:11

That's a bit harsh and unexpected. Like I want to be a victim? I don't see how you've got to that?

To paraphrase: he accidentally hurt me by moving furniture too quickly.

Victim.

HappyWidower6kids · 27/06/2024 00:34

You deserve better, life is to short. You deserve to feel love, appreciate and wanted by a person who genuinely has feelings and affections for you.

XChrome · 27/06/2024 02:39

StormingNorman · 26/06/2024 22:52

To paraphrase: he accidentally hurt me by moving furniture too quickly.

Victim.

Nope. She has said this is a pattern with him being careless about her safety. That is not playing the victim.

XChrome · 27/06/2024 02:44

Op, at this point you don't have a marriage. You have an arrangement. He is not a good, kind person or he would not have hurt you by cheating, and he would be more careful and considerate towards you. He would not blame shift and say there is something wrong with you, when he is the one who ruined the relationship.
I don't understand why you stay in this misery. You have just one precious life. Is this how you want to spend it?
Ask yourself if this rekationship is acceptable to you. It sounds like it is not, in which case, it is functionally dead. You just haven't buried it yet.

StormingNorman · 27/06/2024 06:27

XChrome · 27/06/2024 02:39

Nope. She has said this is a pattern with him being careless about her safety. That is not playing the victim.

I saw a pattern of someone who hadn’t forgiven and hasn’t moved on, So OP is angry at little things as displacements for still being angry about the affair. It’s not a question of physical safety, her emotional safety is not where it needs to be and so there are a lot of perceived slights. Because she still perceives herself as the wronged woman and wants a heightened level of consideration and affection as an everlasting apology and proof of love.

Either way we ultimately agree, this marriage died when the shitbag had an affair.

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