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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

Lonely and debt

35 replies

JaneSR · 05/05/2025 10:23

Bank holiday - sat alone. My husband had told me we would go out for the day but he got up, argued with me and went to golf leaving me alone and lonely. I begged him not to go. The arguments - he is in debt and blames everyone but himself. I work hard, pay for the house, holidays and everything - he contributes £1500 a month (a fifth of monthly costs) - this month he gambled and is out of work until next month. I am down £1500 because he couldn’t pay me which I rely on so have nothing and into overdraft. He says he runs out of money this week and not sure what we will do - he calls me a narcissist when I say I have nothing and tells me I am not listening to his problems. He is expecting me to magically find money from somewhere. I resent him - I buy nothing for me and now this. Can’t stop crying.

OP posts:
Anyonefoundmysparesock · 06/05/2025 17:45

Op I am so sorry.
Get some legal advise. Get ducks in a row. Plan your own future as he has kind of taking the very best of your life and happily discards you and your financial security, and that of your child. That is no way to live.

Roaminginthegloaming · 06/05/2025 18:00

@JaneSR
You do seem to be a victim of emotional and I daresay, financial abuse. He does not respect you and probably doesn’t love you.

I suggest you do the (free) online Freedom Programme course and you can also get advice from the National Domestic Abuse helpline:

www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk

and

www.freedomprogramme.co.uk

Best wishes to you

Redfloralduvet · 06/05/2025 18:05

JaneSR · 05/05/2025 11:07

Thanks. I have lost all my confidence. Just lying in bed, can’t stop sobbing. Can’t see a solution - he says he will only
leave if I pay him back all the money he has contributed - just don’t see any way through. Every penny I earn goes into a house he doesn’t lift a finger in, I have no friends anymore and scared of the next couple of weeks and him begging money off me I don’t have

He is abusive OP. You should never be scared of a partner. You should be able to tell them NO without fear of consequences.

Don't let him blackmail you. All it takes for a relationship to end is for one person to want to end it. You don't need his permission or agreement to end the relationship. You don't have to pay him to leave. You just divorce him. You can both live in the house until divorce is finalised and house is sold.

Stop doing anything for him once you've informed him of the divorce, which should be AFTER you've spoken to a solicitor and Women's Aid about when is the best point in time to tell him. Once he knows, stop doing any laundry for him or buying/cooking any food for him, don't give/lend him any money or pay towards his debts, don't have sex with him or share a bedroom/bed. Don't let him drive your car, don't give him lifts and don't pay for petrol/MOT/ insurance/repairs for his car. on't tell him your personal business like who you're meeting or where you're going when you go out. Once he knows about the divorce he isn't part of your life any more even if you're living in the same house. You don't even have to talk to him if you don't want to, especially if he's being rude, unfair, insulting, disrespectful or abusive.

He is financially abusive, controlling, emotionally abusive. Speak to Woman's Aid about joining a confidence building course, they run them. Ask them for help making a plan to leave. You're in a good situation in that you can afford to live alone and don't need help from anyone to house you.

Speak to your mortgage provider about taking a payment holiday and tell the estate agent you need a fast sale. Try not to move out until house is sold because otherwise husband will stall the sale endlessly, he'll have no incentive to move out if he's living there alone and not paying for the mortgage.

Be realistic about your finances, if you have to live in a rented 2 bedroom house/flat for now and your child go to state school, then so be it. The main priority is exiting the relationship, not finding the perfect new home. Wanting to maintain your current lifestyle isn't a reason to stay in an abusive marriage. It won't even be possible, he's not going to contribute financially anyway, he'll just get more and more in debt.

After you've told him you're divorcing him, contact your old friends, tell them you're leaving an abusive marriage. See if they want to be back in touch with you even just to meet for coffee now and then.

DaphneduM · 07/05/2025 02:34

I'm so sorry to hear this, OP. When you're in this type of situation, it's so hard to see a way out. But you can do this. Please, please take the advice you have been given on this thread - start divorce proceedings, get this awful man out of your life. You deserve so much more - and when you're rid of him you will have peace of mind. It's also not good for your child to be growing up witnessing this type of awful behaviour - you both deserve so much more.

Communitywebbing · 07/05/2025 07:52

You would not have to pay him anything OP. Get some proper advice based on your circumstances and get him out of your home somehow.

JaneSR · 09/05/2025 20:10

Thank you all - this week hasn’t been much better - lots of blame thrown at me. Feel numb with it all. I know I need to move on - I just need to take baby steps to get me there. The irony - I worked hard and achieved as from a young age I never wanted to be dependent on a man. And now I feel I am in the reverse - never taken a penny off anyone, nothing got handed to me and now I am faced with someone threatening to take it all away. Friday night and I am in bed since 7pm as can’t bear being in same house. My daughter has exams soon so trying to keep everything calm for her. I appreciate all of your comments - thank you x

OP posts:
JaneSR · 09/05/2025 20:14

And the saddest thing - I don’t feel I have even one friend left anywhere to even talk to or go for a drink. My birthday next week and I can’t even bear the thought of that

OP posts:
Chiconbelge · 09/05/2025 21:11

Go and talk to a lawyer, you will feel so much better, you will see that you are in a strong position and have lots of options. Try to be the person you are at work and deal with things at home the way you would at work. You will have plenty of friends and lots of nice times when you get rid of this poisonous man.

OhamIreally · 10/05/2025 07:12

JaneSR · 09/05/2025 20:14

And the saddest thing - I don’t feel I have even one friend left anywhere to even talk to or go for a drink. My birthday next week and I can’t even bear the thought of that

You have us now and we will help you. This is your lowest point and the only way is up.
Make an appointment with a solicitor. You’re not doing anything else at this stage, just make the appointment. Come back here and tell us when it is and we will help you with what to do next.

Chiconbelge · 10/05/2025 13:08

OhamIreally · 10/05/2025 07:12

You have us now and we will help you. This is your lowest point and the only way is up.
Make an appointment with a solicitor. You’re not doing anything else at this stage, just make the appointment. Come back here and tell us when it is and we will help you with what to do next.

I agree with this, if you are a long-time reader of MN you will have seen many threads where starting by reaching out to MN has been the turning point. You need to take that step because the solicitor will start helping you - starting by helping you to get a really good understanding of your true position. They won’t take any actions until you are ready, but they will listen to you and respect you and that will be such a good feeling.

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