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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

AIBU?

28 replies

YourMintFish · 04/05/2025 16:11

Looking for some advice really. Been in a relationship with my currently partner for 18 months on and off, with 2 breaks initiated by me. I have 2 children from a previous relationship who live with me, and see their dad every other weekend. I’ve always made it very clear to my current SO that having space and time to myself is massively important and that without it I start to go a bit stir crazy. SO wants to move in and I’m not so sure. He’s been spending bigger chunks of time at mine with me and the kids and everytime he does we fight constantly, he doesn’t see it as fighting but I do, and he gets really offended when I ask why he thinks we’re constantly bickering. So to cut a long story short he is massively anxious, so comments on everything I do. Example, I had a longer shower than normal the other day, just so I could get a bit of time on my own. I come out the bathroom to “that was a long shower” or everytime I look at my phone he asks “is everything ok” to a point now where I intentionally don’t look at my phone around him because it drives me mad. Or if I go upstairs for a wee and take longer than usual he either comes to “check I’m ok” or he’ll ask if I’m ok when I come back downstairs. These are just a few small examples but I kid you not it is constant. He follows me around EVERYWHERE, it’s like having a constant shadow, and in the end I get snappy and irritable because I feel like I’m being watched constantly. It’s like having constant surveillance cameras on you. The other night I was meant to be having some time to myself in the bath with a book, after 45 mins he comes in, announces he’s finished his work and sits on the toilet like it’s prime chatting time. To which I awkwardly said that I wasn’t going to be able to read with him sat there, so he begrudgingly left. Then came back half an hour later for a wee and to ask if I was getting out soon. Safe to say my relax time was over. Then he was moody all night because he wanted to spend time together and I’d prioritised bath time over him. So AIBU at getting annoyed at him, and wanting some time to myself.

OP posts:
ChersHandbag · 04/05/2025 18:11

No. As I’ve taught my kids, if someone makes you feel worried/frightened with their emotions, something’s wrong.

HeatedBlanketAllYear · 04/05/2025 19:27

Is he anxious or is he just really controlling? Anxiety seems to be a convenient excuse for his bad behaviour. I couldn’t spend every waking second with someone who behaved like this. It sounds suffocating.
I get what you mean about being good around the kids though. My ex did the same and I had wanted us to be a family. But my DC’s have pretty much forgotten him now it’s been a few months on from leaving him.
Leave him now and don’t let him get even more intertwined in their lives.

MyOliveHelper · 04/05/2025 20:28

HeatedBlanketAllYear · 04/05/2025 19:27

Is he anxious or is he just really controlling? Anxiety seems to be a convenient excuse for his bad behaviour. I couldn’t spend every waking second with someone who behaved like this. It sounds suffocating.
I get what you mean about being good around the kids though. My ex did the same and I had wanted us to be a family. But my DC’s have pretty much forgotten him now it’s been a few months on from leaving him.
Leave him now and don’t let him get even more intertwined in their lives.

Anxiety can definitely compel you to try and seize as much control as you can. It's rarely an appropriate or productive response though. So you can be genuinely anxious and that causes you to be terribly abusive in the way you seek to control everyone to alleviate your own anxiety. It's important to acknowledge both things are happening.

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