Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

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 being dramatic and mean, or is my husband dismissing my feelings?

18 replies

BurgundyBora3 · 07/06/2026 21:32

My husband (37M) and I (37F) have been together 12 years. He is a great husband (does housework, is affectionate, is an involved father, etc.) but there has been a history of him saying or doing something "clumsy", me expressing hurt, him not apologizing for several days until I make the first move to reconnect, and him calling me dramatic. Over the years, I have repeatedly communicated to him that this is not okay and he has acknowledged it, but he hasn't changed the behavior. And now, he has started telling me that I am the problematic one.

Things got bad recently. Our kids were sick and I ended up catching their virus. He told me that I got sick because I didn't think positively and my immune system is not as strong as his. I immediately told him it wasn't a nice thing to say. He said a simple sorry, but I could tell it wasn't genuine and spoken just to avoid further conversation. I was too sick to say more. He kept commenting how his immune system was strong and mine wasn't. A few days later, he got sick. I was supportive and didn't throw it in his face, but did point out the difference in his vs. my behavior. He didn't like that. He gave me silent treatment for 8 days. I cried myself to sleep a few nights. He completely ignored me until I finally said I felt so frustrated and alone that I was going to go home to my parents' house with the kids for a few days. He finally apologized genuinely. I forgave him and we seemed to be doing better.

Shortly after, he was injured, needed surgery, and traveled for work. During those 2 months, I took care of him and solo-parented and managed the house while working. Though I still felt hurt and was exhausted, we were affectionate and everything seemed fine. At the end of the 2 months, he suddenly said he was struggling to feel completely reconnected because he couldn't get over how dramatic and mean I was when I said I would go home to my parents' house with the kids and because we hadn't gone out on a date in a long time (while he was recovering from surgery and out of town). He suggested counseling. The therapist communicated that his behavior (stonewalling) was not okay while mine (saying I want to go home to my parents' house out of frustration and loneliness) was understandable.

He now believes that counseling is useless. He says that if I continue to behave like this and cause problems for no reason, he will stop feeling connected in the marriage. I feel truly baffled and hesitant to say anything in my defense when I feel hurt.

Am I being dramatic and mean?

OP posts:
Weekmindedfool · 07/06/2026 21:34

He sounds like a dick.

WalkingtheWire · 07/06/2026 21:43

Your therapist should sounds great. keep seeing them on your own, I think you’ll soon see the light!

sprigatito · 07/06/2026 21:44

He’s a spineless, manipulative, passive aggressive bully. And he’s not even very good at it. What is he for, exactly? Is he an earth-shattering shag?

Numsmetposter · 07/06/2026 22:17

Second vote for dick.

Hey56 · 07/06/2026 22:24

I had this with first partner my mental health therapist told him he was extremely negative about everything unsupportive and lack of understanding ,he couldn't hack it never went back, thus a year later I left🤣

Mischance · 07/06/2026 22:29

8 days silence is really not acceptable, never mind the rest. It must be a difficult atmosphere for the children.

oliviaAustin · 07/06/2026 22:32

Leave him. His behaviour is emotionally abusive and his knowledge of the immune system is idiotic.

moderate · 07/06/2026 22:34

He sounds tedious and cruel. Leave him before the children pick up bad habits from him.

ProfessorRedshoeblueshoe · 07/06/2026 22:39

He's a great dad - he ignored me for 8 days.
That is not a great dad, or even a nice person.

whatcanthematterbe81 · 07/06/2026 22:42

So he went to recover from surgery away from home? Or am I misunderstanding?

Bonkers1966 · 07/06/2026 22:54

You married a pathetic cunt.

AnonymityAnonymity · 07/06/2026 22:57

Giving you the silent treatment is abuse OP.
And that's on top of his other dismissive and unpleasant behaviour towards you.

So no you are not being dramatic and mean. And he is not a great husband. A great husband would be supportive of his wife when she was ill. Not blame her for it.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 07/06/2026 22:59

Why are you still with him.

Mullaghanish · 07/06/2026 23:03

Next time he does it, actually go to your moms.. and don’t be crying over him, when he’s sulking let him at it.. he has choices to make too.. your life is too short to be waiting on him to come around.. keep living and enjoying life.. my partner was a sulker but knows I no longer wait for him to come round.. I left him alone to sulk in peace enough times..so now no longer than a few hours and he’s done

Mullaghanish · 07/06/2026 23:05

You don’t have to bear witness to him being moody.. off out meeting friends, walks in pretty parks .. sleep downstairs if you have to stay home..

BlackRowan · 07/06/2026 23:10

Keep seeing the therapist!

Bestfootforward11 · 07/06/2026 23:14

His behaviour is not reasonable, respectful or kind. A grown adult ignoring his wife for 8 days is not normal. Calling you dramatic is just a way of minimising the impact of his own behaviour and not taking any kind of accountability. It’s manipulative and not what someone does when they love you. I’m
sorry but you need to find a way out of this. He is trying to normalise behaviour that is quite simply not normal.

GOATYOAT · 08/06/2026 00:33

Go to your mums and don’t return.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page