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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

Going round in circles - how do I move this on before I lose my mind???

207 replies

NotSureHowMuchMoreICanTake · 11/01/2010 11:41

I've posted before as "regulary overwhelmed" and "evenboringmyselfnow". I keep thinking I am getting somewhere but then get stuck. Hoping I can get some support on here to help me make sense of it all and get the strength to do what i need to do.

Me and H have been together 16 years, have two DDs 7 and 4. There have been ups and downs over the years. He never wanted kids/marriage I did. We discussed a lot. I said I was going to have kids with or without him and did he want to hang around - he did. We had them. Things have been very up and down since. He is a big drinker (think c 100 units a week on a bad week, maybe 70-80 on a good, trying not to drink now for Jan and miserable as can be). I used to be but aren't now, apart from erratically and I don't much like getting drunk anymore - it makes me depressed and disappointed in myself.

We went for one round of counselling about 18 months ago. I've suffered really bad depression last 3 or so years and GP referred us for counselling in the hope it might help us address some issues I thought might be contributing to the depression. It wasn't a great success. He is very intellectual and a great talker and I think bamboozled poor counseller. He would just talk and talk and talk in our sessions abd they were very non-directed. Outside the sessions he wouldn't engage at all except one evening when he got very drnk and told me about minor fling he had had (the words "meteorological accident" might ring bells for anyone who read my previous threads) and about feeling he wanted to have sex with other people. I've never quite gotten to the bottom of wnether he really does, or whether that's just a fantasy but it was pretty hirtful at the time. Especially as he's been pretty off sex with me for ages and despite all the efforts I've made (date nights, sexy lingerie, you name it) that hasn't much changed.

Anyway...to the present...since September last we have been SUSR (Separated Under Same Roof). I've been doing my thing - he's been doing his. It's been ok. He seems happy enough with arrangement, head still firmly in sand about future, doesn't want to talk about it, doesn't seem to want to think about it. Meanwhile I am in psychotherapy trying to figure myself out. Spoke to GP last week and she said she would be happy to try to support him with teh alcohol issues. I told him this and I could have sworn he said he'd go and see her but then yesterday he told me that was just my advice and he might not. We also agreed (I thought) last week that he would go and stay with some frineds from end of this month so that he would be forced to take his head out of the sand but again now he tells me that was my idea and he might not.

I don't know whether am coming or going. I don't know whether I want us to try to work on it more or whether it's just futile. The sensible part of me says its futi;e, if he hasn't faced up to it after 5 months separated he is not going to. His levels of disengagement are exstraordinary. But I feel the weight of all teh decision making is on me, and I resent that very much. I get angry with him about it and then just passive. Over xmas there was a real danger if he had shown willing that I would have fallen into bed with him and been back to square 1. He didn't show willing. I still like him a lot but am not sure I respect him anymore. I need some affection, physical and otherwise and oscillate between feeling really strong and sure I can move on and into better position to facilitate that, and feeling total despair and worrry about thefuture and whether am making right decisions.

Meanwhile colleague at work fancies me and is very affectuonate etc but is married. I love the affection from him but don't want to go down that route.

Oh can soemone talk sense into me and help me work out a plan.

Sorry about length and typos - rushing out to collect a child. Back soon

OP posts:
PinkFluffyslippers · 23/01/2010 08:36

Well done for getting over the first hurdle.
Big hugs
PFS

LoverOfGreenTea · 23/01/2010 09:46

Message withdrawn

blinks · 23/01/2010 10:25

exactly- don't get drawn in... that's when things get shady and it becomes harder to make clear decisions.

he does have a drink problem. that's non-negotiable. my husband had i would say LESS of a drink problem but it still had a detrimental affect on his life and relationships.

he's just not ready to admit it and deal with it but THAT'S HIS PROBLEM. you've done all you can do. staying would only prolong it and make you and eventually your children unhappy.

the balls in his court now. you need to watch out now that you don't get drawn back in on false promises. my parents split up several times due to his drinking and kept getting back together when he said he's change. he eventually did....... twenty years later.

witnessing his worsening drunken antics (police/pissing himself/vomiting for an hour every morning/drunk driving) was traumatic and frightening. you're doing the right thing by protecting them from that.

detachment with love. he's an adult who makes his own decisions. don't play the game.

Snorbs · 23/01/2010 12:06

Ah, I didn't realise it was you when I posted on your other thread.

It's sad that it's come to this but, as you say, there is an inevitability about this kind of thing. You should be proud of yourself for how you conducted the conversation. I also understand the feelings you're experiencing - you know that, no matter what else, things are going to be different now rather than the same old grind.

Best wishes to you and your DCs.

ItsGraceAgain · 23/01/2010 12:39

Hiya
< Sort of sad for what never was >
What I should have said, but you did it better!

Hope this weekend works out well for you.

LoverOfGreenTea · 23/01/2010 17:25

Message withdrawn

ItsGraceAgain · 23/01/2010 17:55

Awww, bless, GreenTea!

Well, now it's real and the hardest part is done. Put your feet up, have some chocolate!

You anger's 100% understandable. The silly sod won't even contemplate losing the drink in favour of his wife & kids. I imagine you'll be feeling quite a bit of that anger (and disappointment) over the coming weeks, so please see if you can put it to good use. Is he on side with you over making sure your DCs don't imagine it's their fault?

blinks · 23/01/2010 19:31

i'm sure your kid's emotional upset has taken precedence but you need to know that you should be proud of yourself.

SOOOOOOOOOOO many people lack the strength to do what you've done and you need a hearty slap on the back.

at the end of the day, you've done the right thing and although it might not feel like it just now, you're doing him a MASSIVE favour.

unfortunately the nature of addiction means that it's very common for the addict, when faced with a choice between changing/losing the addiction and your family, choose the addiction.

in order to make that choice they will generally paint the picture that you are the one who is being unreasonable/exaggerating etc in an attempt to avoid the truth. it's a daunting and frightening thing to confront addiction but keeping him at a distance will make it more likely that he'll reach a point where he's ready to change.

in the meantime, do things that make you feel good so you don't get dragged down.

leftorright · 23/01/2010 19:33

Hi Green Tea - haven't posted for a while but have been watching and thinking of you. Firstly, huge congratulations in sticking to your ultimatum. I too kept hoping that this woudl be the one to snap him into shaping up, but like your DH mine ultimately chose booze over us. He has been officially moved out for about a month and I have been all over the place really. Mostly I am very sad that he just can't be arsed to try harder and that he is going to miss out on his amazing kids just because he loves beer more. However, the household is much calmer and I am definitely happier in most ways and have far less anger, and therefore fewer rages at the children. I don't have the constant internal dialogue about what he should be doing/saying etc.

This is the hardest part as once they are out of the daily routine you will get more clarity. I love reading your posts as you have so much affection for DH as I do but there comes a point were you have to step away from the circus. Maybe both men will realise what they are losing, but at the moment I feel that my DH is kind of relieved not to have the responsibility and is maintaining a charade of this being what he wanted. However, today when he collected kids he smelt of beer and all that anxiety and anger came flooding back....

Well done for sticking to your guns, that is the hardest bit. Make some nice plans for the next few weeks and try and keep busy-ish with the kids so that they see that life goes on and can still be fun and normal. Be good to yourself.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 24/01/2010 08:28

loverofgreentea,

I would echo the fact that so many people do not have the strength to do what you have done so you should be congratulated for that. Your children will thank you one day for being there for them.

As I wrote to you before there are no guarantees here re alcoholism. Your H could well go onto lose everything but still choose the drink ultimately. Infact this is what he has done here.

You are not responsible for him and never have been.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 24/01/2010 08:31

Hi MIFLAW

If you are still reading this thread could you look also at the one on these Relationship pages entitled "Hen Night Hell". I appreciate the title would not necessarily be to your interest but it is about far more than the lady's problems with attending her friend's wedding. It is also about her H's alcoholism.

TIA

MIFLAW · 24/01/2010 17:02

Will do toight.

Toomanyquestions · 24/01/2010 19:45

Well done, I admire you!

EldritchCleaver · 25/01/2010 17:26

Hello LGT
I don't expect you will feel like being congratulated but you have shown great fortitude. I really hope things do get better for you now and everyday life is easier. Please do not for one moment, even secretly, feel guilty or that you have been harsh. I rather suspect you will all be better off (including your DH) now this very difficult decision has been taken.

LoverOfGreenTea · 26/01/2010 08:16

Message withdrawn

AnyFucker · 26/01/2010 08:29

you are to be congratulated on your strength of mind (if congratulations is the right word...)

you know how long this was coming...he is unreasonable to say you have forced it along too quickly

errmm, nice to think you want to have some fun...but won't that really muddy the waters just at the moment ??

I don't want to put a dampener on your new-found lightness of spirit, but I would prescribe girly nights out with lots of man-bashing on the menu...not jumping straight into more potentially incendiary messing about with blokes

you just don't seem the type to have "fun" without getting in a bit too deep...and how will it look to DH ?

please, stay away from men for a little while...that is all (sermon over )

LoverOfGreenTea · 26/01/2010 08:40

Message withdrawn

AnyFucker · 26/01/2010 09:06

< folds arms >

< suspicious glare >

Anniegetyourgun · 26/01/2010 09:11

You do realise that if you get involved with someone else soon after H moves out, he'll have the perfect excuse to ignore everything you said about problem drinking? "It was just an excuse, she wanted me out of the way so she could get together with somebody else". You can hear him saying it to his boozy mate, can't you? He may go on to add "She really had me going for a while, I even gave up drink for three weeks because I thought we had a chance of saving our marriage, now I feel such a fool... hmm, it's empty, my round I think".

LoverOfGreenTea · 26/01/2010 09:25

Message withdrawn

AnyFucker · 26/01/2010 09:35

annie, although I really feel that greeny shouldn't be thinking yet of dating other men, I don't go along with the "it might make him drink again..."

I am just a bit confused greeny..I thought that you wanted your DH to sort his act out so you could get your relationship back on track

did I misread that ? 'Cos jumping straight into dating other blokes ain't going to be very helpful for that

however...if you are sure your marriage is over...then go for it, it doesn't matter what he thinks. But, there does seem to be affection for him in your posts, so this just seems a bit un-necessarily cruel IYSWIM...talk about kicking a bloke when he is down....

your choice at the end of the day, but I have an awful feeling it will massively complicate things, and your state of mind after all this wrangling is not putting you in the best frame of mind to make sure the next bloke you pick for "fun" is going to be a good'un

< frowns over pince-nez >

LoverOfGreenTea · 26/01/2010 09:40

Message withdrawn

Anniegetyourgun · 26/01/2010 09:44

Fair point; disengagement is good. slinks off

LoverOfGreenTea · 26/01/2010 09:57

Message withdrawn

Lemonylemon · 26/01/2010 12:20

Greeny well done. You've got over the hardest hurdle.

However, I would third or fourth the comments about dating so soon. In my opinion, and it is just my opinion, you need to get yourself some headspace and some life space before muddying the waters with dating.

(As I'm not wearing my glasses at the moment, I can only give you a stern look, without looking over my glasses....)

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