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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

Ignoring poor mental health-would this upset you?

33 replies

creamandcookies2 · 22/09/2024 16:52

Name changed. Have had some issues in my marriage which i have previously posted about, currently trying to work out what's normal and what isn't. Had a disagreement with H this week, basically about his work and me not getting any rest, always being the one to change my work around him and sort out childcare. He isn't one for discussing things or arguing so walked away. I suddenly felt so down and anxious I had to walk out the house, felt i was having some sort of breakdown, got on two buses then was walking around in the cold and dark for three hours, my reaction went between quietly sobbing and breathing fast, as if having an anxiety attack, i felt pathetic and embarrassed as I'm normally so composed. H messaged me once with a snappy 'where are you?' He was asleep when I got in, then the day after completely ignored me, didn't say goodbye for work or talk to me, gradually over the week i started saying small talk and ten for him it was like we were back to normal. Then as usual, the only affection he showed was today when he grabbed me from behind and said some sort of innuendo while groping me. This is a pattern with him, he only shows affection when it's sexual.

Am I being unreasonable to be hurt by this? He knows I suffer from depression and anxiety, but seems to take everything personally and didn't seem to care about how I was the other night? We rarely argue because he doesn't like confrontation and I want to keep the peace. If I say I'm not happy with something he will often say, 'your being nasty, you don't love me, you want someone else,' so it's very hard to be honest. On the occasion where iv really upset him, iv sobbed and apologised and asked for forgiveness and he has just sat there so coldly, with no attempt to comfort me, and he never apologises. Just says something like 'OK, that's enough'. Is this normal for most men, do they struggle to talk about emotions and feel uncomfortable, and that's why he reacts the way he does? or is it that he just doesn't care?

OP posts:
unsync · 23/09/2024 11:11

@creamandcookies2 You should consider medication again, there are many types available. It sounds like you had an anti depressant, you probably now need an anti anxielytic, which will stop the anxiety within a couple of weeks. You have to push through the initial side effects and give them at least a month to take effect. Mine allowed me to go from panic attacks which felt like I was having a heart attack and hyper ventilating, to being able to function on a day to day level.

Having said that, if you are in an abusive relationship, there's no point trying to understand it, they do it because they can. It's a power trip, they enjoy the control. You need to leave, you can't change them. Read Lundy Bancroft's book - Why Does He Do That? if you want insight, but it won't change anything.

creamandcookies2 · 23/09/2024 11:50

unsync · 23/09/2024 11:11

@creamandcookies2 You should consider medication again, there are many types available. It sounds like you had an anti depressant, you probably now need an anti anxielytic, which will stop the anxiety within a couple of weeks. You have to push through the initial side effects and give them at least a month to take effect. Mine allowed me to go from panic attacks which felt like I was having a heart attack and hyper ventilating, to being able to function on a day to day level.

Having said that, if you are in an abusive relationship, there's no point trying to understand it, they do it because they can. It's a power trip, they enjoy the control. You need to leave, you can't change them. Read Lundy Bancroft's book - Why Does He Do That? if you want insight, but it won't change anything.

I'm not sure if its at the level of being an abusive relationship, or just two very different people.
Thanks for your practical advice I will write that medication down and male an appointment with the GP.

OP posts:
Edingril · 23/09/2024 11:56

This is mn so the man will always be considered at fault, this is from your viewpoint but if it was reversed how would that work?

How do you think you are like to live with? If we could look into the actual reality what would we see?

It sounds like it is not working for either of you so split up

unsync · 23/09/2024 12:09

@Edingril If you read the OP, there are elements of the man's behaviour which are abusive - minimising, ignoring / refusing to speak, unwanted sexual groping etc. On the Relationships board, particularly when there is potential abuse, victim blaming someone who is obviously in some considerable distress is not acceptable.

creamandcookies2 · 23/09/2024 12:31

Edingril · 23/09/2024 11:56

This is mn so the man will always be considered at fault, this is from your viewpoint but if it was reversed how would that work?

How do you think you are like to live with? If we could look into the actual reality what would we see?

It sounds like it is not working for either of you so split up

I never said it was his fault. I just wanted to know if its common for men not to be able to talk about problems or emotions. Perhaps I'm not the easiest. I have had more frequent panic attacks in the last year, i hide them from H most of the time though. I don't talk to my H about how I feel very often. I just snapped the other day after I had to yet again organise my work around his. I didn't shout at him of course, just walked out because I needed air. I very rarely raise any concerns I have beause it is futile (hence the point of my post). And when I last mentioned something a out me feeling he doesn't trust me he lost and it and screamed.

OP posts:
creamandcookies2 · 23/09/2024 12:36

Thanks for all the replies. They've given me a lot to think about. I am going to try and contact the GP to get some different medication, and try to manage my behaviour around H better. I should mention that he is the main breadwinner so understandably has a lot on his plate, which may be why he doesn't want to interact with how I'm feeling because as previously said, it can be draining. Looking at it from his perspective I can see how it can be.

OP posts:
category12 · 23/09/2024 15:13

creamandcookies2 · 23/09/2024 11:50

I'm not sure if its at the level of being an abusive relationship, or just two very different people.
Thanks for your practical advice I will write that medication down and male an appointment with the GP.

Please consider that it is hugely unhealthy to need to be medicated to stay in a relationship.

If he is unsupportive and resentful of your anxiety & depression, and have to hide your poor mental health from him, then what do you actually have worth having with him?

And if your MH is exacerbated by the relationship and you need to pop pills to deal with him, you really need to think about leaving.

Even if it's just that you're "two very different people" and he's not abusive (which is doubtful) - is a relationship so fraught and painful actually good for any of you, including the kids?

dizzydizzydizzy · 23/09/2024 17:58

This does not sound like the way people
Communicate in a normal healthy relationship. As others
Have said it sounds like domestic abuse. Talk it through with your GP and/or Women's Aid. My GP was extremely understanding.

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