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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

Am I doing the wrong thing here by going back again?!

107 replies

TooManyPlates645 · 12/11/2025 11:36

I’ll try and keep this as short as possible - I’ve been dating a guy on and off since December. We were pretty much together from March until September - in September he had a family death, he broke up with me 3 times after becoming convinced I was cheating on him - totally untrue! I was just snowed under with work - and the final time I said enough, I wasn’t going back, he blocked me on all platforms and went abroad for 3 weeks, as soon as his plane landed back home he turned up at my doorstep to check I was ok, which then led to us meeting up for a walk and he then ended up staying over, he apologised and blamed his previous behaviour on grief, says he knows I wasn’t cheating. We spent the rest of that weekend together and then on the Tuesday he flew out to Bali for a month on a retreat, to get over the grief of his Mum passing and to become a better person (blah, blah, blah) he said we’d have no contact while he was away but he has contacted me every day.

Some red flags are popping up and I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into it or not.
Firstly he was talking about how he never wants to be away from me and when he’s back he wants us to be together all the time - I have very much made it clear that I will not be ready to live with anyone until my children are older, maybe 4-6 years time as I like living alone with my children and they wouldn’t like it.
Second, I’ve always told him right from the start that turning up at my house unannounced is not ok for me, I had an ex who did it to check up on me. He’s done it twice now when we’ve been fighting and when we FaceTimed the other day, he told me he’s going to show up unannounced all the time to bring flowers and cook me dinner.
He has been messaging me about how he can’t wait to live with me and have children (I’m almost 40 and have made it very clear I will not be having any more children!)
He has also been bombarding me with massive paragraphs about how much he loves me and about our love being a true love - I did have to ask him to stop these as I was finding them emotionally draining, which he has done to a certain extent.
I was annoyed with him for leaving for a whole month after we’d already gone 6 weeks without seeing each other and I’ve been unwell also, when I got upset and emotional he told me that it wasn’t fair to do that to him while he was so far and dealing with his own stuff. I texted to apologise for getting upset and said I won’t share my feelings again while he’s away, to which he agreed. He also told me that he wouldn’t have been in Bali if I’d have supported him better after losing his Mum.
He doesn’t sound like he’s changing does he? I think I know the answer but I just need someone to tell me that I’m right here and not making another mistake by putting a final stop to all of this nonsense!

OP posts:
Lifeoflemons · 13/11/2025 08:03

He sounds similar to someone I was with for 3 years and it led to me having a burnout.
I literally couldn't do it anymore but by that time I was so brainwashed to think that it was me who Shaw the problem and who just didn't appreciate his love for me.
But no one has time for all this, it will chip away at everything that makes you you, because all your time and headspace goes to him.
Even when he's away you get no breathing space.
Trust me, this doesn't get better with men like this.
It's very controlling, manipulative and emotionally abusive. It can be hard to recognise when you're in it because he's not overly verbally or physically abusive (yet).
But the proof is in the pudding: he has zero respect for your boundaries and space, is extremely entitled, makes you feel drained and exhausted, is love bombing you, makes you question yourself. Isn't forthcoming, ie likely lying. Makes you wholly responsible for caretaking him emotionally, trying to control what you say to him, demanding endless reassurance, and how he wants you to show up for him. And "punishing" you when you haven't done enough for him in his eyes, pushing you to ever keep going over your own limits to keep him happy and reassured.

This is dangerous territory and will completely break you down if you stay with him. There's no happy ending where he remains a part of your life

Mumlaplomb · 13/11/2025 08:35

OP it seems like he has some mental health issues to be honest and he sounds very erratic. Not someone you want or need in your life when you are a single parent. Call it off now.

BitOutOfPractice · 13/11/2025 08:38

I agree with everyone else. He’s dodgy af.

But also, who needs all this drama? Jesus I feel exhausted just reading the op.

feelingfree17 · 13/11/2025 08:52

Manipulative, attention seeking man child.

Do you and your children a huge favour and block him on everything.

I don’t think you’re going to get rid of this one easily, so the sooner the better.

VickyEadieofThigh · 13/11/2025 09:13

TooManyPlates645 · 12/11/2025 15:21

There is a lot of good things about him, he is amazing and has some lovely qualities. I just think the bad outweighs the good at the moment and I’m don’t think I can live with the bad.

I have just checked my messages and since 12pm today he has sent me 17 messages and deleted them all, it’s things like this, it feels like chaos and drama all the time, he’s promised to be calmer but he really isn’t showing any of that change.

You've said he's "amazing" and "has some lovely qualities". All I can hear are dreadful ones - would you enlighten us as to what these "amazing/lovely qualities" are?

You're clearly prevaricating over dumping this unemployed, emotionally abusive waste of time. You need to dump him very fast.

TheGoddessFrigg · 13/11/2025 09:19

He sounds like Mr Big Old Borderline Personality Disorder with a ton of coke sprinkled on the top.

You have to realise that this is IT- this is the relationship. I went out with someone similar for far too long thinking that eventually it would all calm down and he would stay being that good person all the time. But some people actually thrive on Chaos. He's messing with your head, your boundaries, your time,

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 13/11/2025 09:27

TooManyPlates645 · 12/11/2025 15:21

There is a lot of good things about him, he is amazing and has some lovely qualities. I just think the bad outweighs the good at the moment and I’m don’t think I can live with the bad.

I have just checked my messages and since 12pm today he has sent me 17 messages and deleted them all, it’s things like this, it feels like chaos and drama all the time, he’s promised to be calmer but he really isn’t showing any of that change.

This is where you, and so many other people on here go wrong.

This decision shouldn't be about some delicately balanced scales where you add one more thing to the good column and suddenly it tips that way. It's not about a list of positive and negative qualities and suddenly you find one more to put in the good column.

The only reason to stay in a relationship if there's the weight of a feather on the bad side of the scales, and a fucking great elephants foot stood on the good side. There should be absolutely no possibility of those scales shifting an inch, because there is no universe where a feather is ever going to outweigh a ruddy great elephant.

If I offered you a million quid every year, but you also had to eat a Shit sandwich once a week, you'd rightly tell me to fuck off. That's what you'll be getting with this relationship. A good relationship should be like winning a million quid every year, but maybe once every couple of years you step in some dog shit and have to scrape it off the bottom of your shoe. It's annoying, and unpleasant, but it's very rare and it's not going to hurt you.

Turn down the shit sandwich @TooManyPlates645 . Why on earth would you not?

Tillow4ever · 13/11/2025 09:28

You said in your op you think you know what you need to do, but wanted to hear it from others to be sure. Well this post is unanimous that you need to get him out of your life, but you keep posting to say “but he’s also amazing…” - I suspect you are going to ignore what we are all saying and keep going back.

CoolFineDoneWicked · 13/11/2025 09:30

He's a certifiable nut job OP, I didn't need to read past the fourth line of your post to see what's going on here, and the rest just got worse.

He was only able to dump you three times because you kept going back. He's a nut job and you have major self-esteem issues. That's how he keeps reeling you back in. Obviously he's not going to change, why would he? The only change he has in mind is becoming your cocklodger.

Dump him, block him, and work on changing yourself. I mean, I know you won't, because he's amaaaazing, and you're a fool.

rainbowsparkle28 · 13/11/2025 09:33

Seriously. Block and delete. Don’t engage with them 🚩

BitOutOfPractice · 13/11/2025 09:45

For reference, at this stage of a relationship it should laughing, lovely dates, shagging, fun. Not this nonsense.

HelloCharming · 13/11/2025 09:56

Honestly he doesn't sound well....

CautiousLurker2 · 13/11/2025 10:10

Didn’t need to read beyond half way through the first paragraph. Block him and move on. No new relationship should be that much hard work. Nothing justifies his behaviour, bereavement or otherwise.

You deserve better. There are lots of lovely men out there, also dealing with shit in their lives, who would not treat you like this. Please don’t give up on finding one of them.

Bananalanacake · 13/11/2025 10:48

Don't let an unemployed man move in with you, ever.

hedgehog82 · 13/11/2025 10:58

He is awful and a DREADFUL role model for your children. Get some self-respect and dump this guy then work on your boundaries, please!!

Macaroni46 · 13/11/2025 21:02

Good grief, run as fast as you can! He sounds unhinged and actually quite menacing.

Missj25 · 13/11/2025 21:18

Well if you’d like to be with someone who will drain the life out of you , by all means get back with this guy …

TooManyPlates645 · 14/11/2025 08:30

After the 17 deleted messages, he then decided that we should have no contact for the next couple of weeks until he gets back from Bali. He sent me a message at 2am saying it wasn’t healthy or fair on him having to wait around for me to reply to him and we would go no contact, I said I thought it was a good idea. Less than 24hrs later and he’s started again!
I’m so sick of this, I know it’s not normal behaviour. I’m trying to write a final message to him, asking him to stop contacting me and to not turn up at my house when he returns home.

OP posts:
LilySad91 · 14/11/2025 08:38

Sympathies. He sounds like he's got severe drug induced mental health issues.

Fingers crossed you can end this without his problems making it too unpleasant for you

Idontjetwashthefucker · 14/11/2025 08:40

Send him a fuck off message, tell him if he contacts you again or turns up at your house you'll call the police. And then block him

BellesAndGraces · 14/11/2025 08:40

I read the title and said “yes” because it’s always a bad idea to go back. Read the OP and it’s still a “yes”.

BitOutOfPractice · 14/11/2025 08:42

Don’t bother with a message. All it will do is start him off again. He enjoys this stuff. Just block him - for your own peace of mind.

Notice that that last exchange - 17 messages from him, all deleted - is not fair on him. 🙄

HappiestSleeping · 14/11/2025 08:45

@TooManyPlates645 if you are walking around a forest, and you keep walking into the same tree, you are probably lost.

Time to leave the forest.

wfhwfh · 14/11/2025 09:03

TooManyPlates645 · 14/11/2025 08:30

After the 17 deleted messages, he then decided that we should have no contact for the next couple of weeks until he gets back from Bali. He sent me a message at 2am saying it wasn’t healthy or fair on him having to wait around for me to reply to him and we would go no contact, I said I thought it was a good idea. Less than 24hrs later and he’s started again!
I’m so sick of this, I know it’s not normal behaviour. I’m trying to write a final message to him, asking him to stop contacting me and to not turn up at my house when he returns home.

He is trying to control your behaviour. He was using “no contact” as a punishment for you. He wanted you to beg him not to and say you would reply sooner. Because you didnt react the way he intended, he changes tack and starts messaging.

The scary thing is he might be so lacking in self awareness that he doesnt realise this.

Men like this are full of entitlement. They have no impulse control and they see themselves as victims. They are like overgrown children - but ones who’ve grown up angry and as bullies. My point is they are cruel and have no moral compass or accountability so they will stoop very low in their behaviour. You have to get out now.

TooManyPlates645 · 14/11/2025 09:17

wfhwfh · 14/11/2025 09:03

He is trying to control your behaviour. He was using “no contact” as a punishment for you. He wanted you to beg him not to and say you would reply sooner. Because you didnt react the way he intended, he changes tack and starts messaging.

The scary thing is he might be so lacking in self awareness that he doesnt realise this.

Men like this are full of entitlement. They have no impulse control and they see themselves as victims. They are like overgrown children - but ones who’ve grown up angry and as bullies. My point is they are cruel and have no moral compass or accountability so they will stoop very low in their behaviour. You have to get out now.

Yes, I guessed this was more of a punishment for not replying immediately to the messages that were deleted. I think this was also the reason he broke up with me 3 times in 3 weeks because he wasn’t getting his own way and wanted me to beg and comply with what he wanted.
He is impulsive, in everything he does and loses his cool quite quickly, there’s always some sort of drama. He totally see’s himself as the victim and he can be cruel, he has been cruel in the past when I’ve told him no. He doesn’t like being told no and doesn’t handle it very well.

OP posts:
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