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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

Glam & fab part 7 - from strength to strength

1000 replies

UC · 31/07/2008 22:16

Thought I'd start this one off on a positive spin? Hope you all find it..

OP posts:
ginnny · 05/09/2008 11:17

That is such good advice HW. I totally agree.
MHIS - I know it is so so hard and I feel for you so much. But you are doing great, concentrate on yourself and dd for a while and put thoughts of him on the back burner.
Dior - WOW!! You look fantastic - even though you looked great before it's really made a difference. Well done you!
Come back TFM - we miss you

MyHeadIsSpinning · 05/09/2008 11:24

Thanks HappyWoman - you are so wise

He has admitted that he is scared of rejection but I feel that at this point that shouldn't matter if he really does want me back.

I want him to be going all out to win me back and at the moment he isn't. The question is how long do I wait and effectively condone his crap behaviour

ratbunny · 05/09/2008 12:19

mhis - youare doing really well. this is really difficult, and you will always think you are doing the wrong thing! There is no way of knowing what the right thing to do is! I just feel like I am damned if I do, and damned if I dont.

h and I had a huge barney. in his opinion, he is trying (an give him his due, he is), and says that whatever he does isnt enough for me. I actually thought about that, an that is right. I wont let him in emotionally and am fining I am criticising everything he does in my head, I dont want him to come over but DO want him to text / call / want to come over, I can see the things he is doing to trying, but still critisise those. I wont let him come over every night, but then get paranoid about where he is. Whatever he does isnt good enough, and I am not telling him when he is on the right track. I am definitely giving him the message he isnt good enough for me.
eg he hit and killed a dog last night it ran out in front of his car chasing a rabbit. he has always had dogs, so was really upset, had to report it to the police etc. but there was me, with a babysitter, after he had told me, thinking to myself - he cant even come over here when I ask! I think I am being a little unreasonable...

so, I am going to focus on the fact that both of us want to work on this. recognise how he is trying to make amends, focus on the positives. I am asking him to change overnight, but that is impossible really. the test of his committment will be him sorting his head out with the counsellor, but that will take TIME. in the meantime, if I want this, I need to actually be nice to him sometimes...
I THINK this is a way forward, out of our stalemate. btw counsellor said that if I want to be with him, I should have hugged him - shown him I was willing to reach through the pain towards him..

anyone any ideas - how can h prove he is trustworthy to me without us seeing each other every day?

still confused, but actually ready to give this a go now.

sorry this post has been all me me me

MyHeadIsSpinning · 05/09/2008 13:31

Rtabunnny - glad you are feeling a little better. Not sure I agree with the counsellor on the hugging TBH - if you really feel uncomfortable with this then you shouldn't rush and DH should realise that you need more time. How about explaining that to him?

Also wasn't he messing you about only last week? He needs to work a lot harder for a lot longer (IMO) before he can expect something from you and he should understand that you can only GIVE when you feel ready to.

I might be way off the mark here but that's my gut feeling.

I do know how hard it is tho and you should do what feels right to you - that's what these lot on here keep drumminginto me anyhow! !!!

ginnny · 05/09/2008 13:57

Bloody men!
XP has been sober now for 3 days. He is bending over backwards to be nice, picking me up from work when its raining (which is all the time atm), mending things, nice phone calls and texts, promising the earth etc. But I know he'll be back to his old ways within a week. Now he's got the hump because I'm not falling at his feet. He wants a brownie point for not being drunk and vile for the last 3 days. Why can't he understand that I need more than a few days of niceness, I need to see big changes before I even consider seeing him again.
There that's my rant for the day over with
Ratbunny - I recognise a lot of my own behaviour in your post. I have felt guilty for punishing him too hard and expecting too much. Its perfectly normal though, he has hurt you so much and you are still (quite rightly) angry and upset. He will have to weather the storm and if he wants you that much he will take whatever you throw at him, because he's thrown a lot worse at you.

Lilyloo · 05/09/2008 14:31

afternoon all
MHIS glad you had a nice non commital meet up but stick by the do as you feel at the time. Try not to plan everything and second guess his reactions and i think his fear of rejection is for him to deal with not for you.

Ratbunny i think it's a protective mechanism to push them as far away as possible to protect us from being hurt again.
I don't think you can base trust on seeing him every day as that doesn't mean anything. Trust will have to be built up again slowly and with time and i and prob others here further down the road find that a daily battle. Don't beat yourself up for asking more of him he needs to step up to the mark to rebuild trust and go that extra mile. That's the consequence of his actions.

Ginny think 'holiday' holiday' it's clearly frustrating him as he realises it isn't all about him controlling everything. He chooses to drink and everything goes pear shaped when he get's bored of that nicey nice and you come running. It's all within his control in his own mind but sadly he is so far out of control and by you getting back control hopefully he may have to think a little deeper about his problem.

Well dd lot's better and crawling so me and dp are baby proofing house as she is behind tv , on dog when she is asleep, pulling ds football trophys on her head

Lilyloo · 05/09/2008 14:33

Ginny meant you come 'running' in his head ! Sorry sounded little condescending.

Dior · 05/09/2008 15:52

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HappyWoman · 05/09/2008 16:06

ratbunny - think about how you would like to be seen by him.

Of course the trust is important - but that is not the only thing that needs to be mended.

Be the person you want to be - sorry but i think it would have been nice to have given him a hug. Yes he has hurt you and there is a part of you that 'needs' to punish him for that - it is only natural. But if the relationship is to work you need to do your bit too - this is not meant in a patronizing way btw.

I always tried to be the best person i could be - however badly h treated me i could still hold onto some of my values. That is one of the reasons i think we did manage to sort things out. There were things even then that h could trust me on and actually i could trust him on - money being one of them.

Would you have liked to give him a hug? If you would then maybe you should have - it is not showing your weakness to do so - but serves to show that you can beat this and shows him that you are a wonderful person that he wants to be with.

The resentment and 'point-scoring' is so natural though and difficult to break out of.

Do try and be nice to each other - otherwise what is the point. But equally dont bottle up the anger and resentment.
We still have heated discussions - but communication is the key. It is a tricky balance sometimes - but can be done.

I hope you dont think i have been too harsh - as that really is not my intention. Hope it works out for you.

HappyWoman · 05/09/2008 16:07

Dior - how do i get to see your blog? have i missed something?

Will i still recognize you when we meet - or will we have to have some secret code .

Dior · 05/09/2008 16:09

Message withdrawn

Dior · 05/09/2008 16:13

Message withdrawn

MyHeadIsSpinning · 05/09/2008 18:09

DH has txt to ask how DD hospital appt went today...an improvement. I have emailed him to let him know.

Dior - had a peek at your pics you look fab

Ratbunny - agree with HW that if YOU want to hug Dh then do it - just that I know you felt unable to the other day because you felt let down by him still contacting the OW. However if you are unabel to hug him right now you are not a bad person for this.

When DH asked me for a hug a few weeks ago it was for his comfort and I felt that I was unable to offer him comfort - FFS he should be comforting me after what he has put me through. I explained to him that it didn't feel right and that I was unable to hug him atm. Even though I desperately wanted to hug him for my own needs I just knew it wasn't the right thing to do. Not yet. Not knmowing he is stil in contact with the OW.

ratbunny · 05/09/2008 18:35

hw - you are so right. I WANT to punish him for this, but what IS the point on rebuilding the relaionship if I am justy going to be resentful and nasty. I need to let him prove himself to be truly sorry etc, but honetsly noone is going to do that for someone who is continually pushing them away and trying to score points are they?

I wish I HAD hug him now. I did want to, but was scared to. it seems such a big bridge to cross now, like I have made a point of it iyswim.

oh well, I now know I am doing the right thing, THE RIGHT WAY. I need to grow as a person, and by being bitter and resentful, I am not doing that. I can change my mind about taking him back, but what is the point in doing so in the way I WAS doing it?

Lilyloo · 05/09/2008 19:58

MHIS hoe did dd's hosp apt go ? Any helpful hints on getting her to increase solids ?

Baffy · 05/09/2008 20:03

Hi guys

No time for full catch up just to say Dior you're doing great and Ratbunny, I know it's hard but you're doing so well and HW's advice is brilliant. MHIS I hope you're ok too?

I had a nice little break away last night with ds and am feeling much much better

You'd be proud of me!

In the background though I'm really disturbed by what's going on and could do with a fresh perspective. H hasn't gone back to OW since I've walked away. Quite the opposite in fact. He's made it clear to her he wants to be with me, and if he can't he wants to be alone.

OW has been in touch with me. (How did you know that was coming!!) She's clearly very distressed. She said she wants me and H to take the baby. Then various ramblings about wanting to harm herself and harm the baby. That she got pregnant to keep H and prove her love, and now she hasn't got him she doesn't want it. She even said she hates the baby in one text.

Ok all of your instincts will tell you to say 'Baffy, stay well away, this is NOT your problem and there is nothing you can do'. Which I 100% agree with.

But you know me. I see a young vulnerable girl who is scared to death. Pregnant to a married man who's rejected her, no family support network, no money, and pretty much, the way things stand, no future.

Do I just continue to ignore the messages? That's what I think I should do.

It's killing me though. I don't know what to do for the best. She's clearly unstable. She's reaching out to the WIFE of the man she's had an affair with for support! How desperate must she be to do that??

What do you think?

Baffy · 05/09/2008 20:06

And if you do think I should acknowledge the texts, or at least say something, what should it be??

I don't hate her anymore. I don't really care what she's done to me in the past. It's been and gone. To watch another human being in such distress is tearing me apart

Lilyloo · 05/09/2008 20:07

I think and sorry for this but she is using you!
She is playing on your wonderful ability to support others.
She can't get at h so she is playing her games trying to get at him through you.
This baby is her trump card and she knows that.
For your sanity , not hers , h or baby i would keep well away!
Sorry if that wasn't what you wanted to hear!

Lilyloo · 05/09/2008 20:09

Nothing it's a game that she is loosing and the sooner she wakes up and realises that she is responsible for this situation the better it will be for her and the baby she can't be looked after and act like a child when she is playing at being an adult.

Dior · 05/09/2008 20:12

Message withdrawn

GrabShellDude · 05/09/2008 20:22

Baffy, no, no, no. Do not get dragged back into their games. Let H sort this one out. She knows that you will let him know what is happening. And if you dont, she will.

Then the whole circle will start again.

Dior · 05/09/2008 20:24

Message withdrawn

Lilyloo · 05/09/2008 20:28

Baffy you know you really are a very special person who absolutely doesn't deserve any of this

Baffy · 05/09/2008 20:34

Thank you all

I have just spoken to H who I think should be responsible for dealing with this first and foremost.

I'm genuinely concerned. I have seen her 'stunts' before, but this feels different. I don't want any part in this I really don't. But knowing that she has attempted to kill herself before, she is more than capable of carrying this through.

Just had a text off a very wise friend though who has given me some good advice about it all. I know I need to think very carefully.

I don't know why I feel compassion for her. I know she got pregnant to try and keep a MY huband! She got pleasure from hurting me just to get at him! But at the same time, knowing that she is truly reaping what she has sown, doesn't give me any satisfaction either. Far from it.

There could never be a happy outcome to this could there

Dior · 05/09/2008 20:39

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