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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

Trying to understand

39 replies

tryingtounderstand · 27/03/2010 12:41

I am trying to understand why my H was unfaithfull. Is there truth in the belief that if a man wanders it is because he is not getting something he needs from the marriage? My H was not lacking for anything. It was the other way around. He was very selfish and immature but I had learned to let that go. He suffered from very low self esteem. He was also a bully when he didn't get his own way.

I often thought of leaving him because of his selfish ways but I worked very hard to accept him as he was. When I discovered he was unfaithfull it was like something inside of me died. On the outside I am getting on with things but inside I just have this awful grief and pain. Despite his selfish ways I really thought we had a close connection and would never have believed him capable of doing the stuff he did.

The hardest thing of all perhaps is that he has never given me any answers or discussed this with me at all. When I confronted him he turned into a monster and since then has treated me like I am an evil bit*h for what I've done to him. I just cant understand any of it and am finding it really hard to accept. How do I let it go. I cant even feel any anger towards him because I just feel so broken by it all.

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tryingtounderstand · 27/03/2010 17:39

Thanks counting, that's exactly how I feel. As if I was hit by a bus. The old me would have most likely tried to fix it by trying to get him to change but most likely would never have forgiven him. The new me just told him to leave.

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AnyFucker · 27/03/2010 17:42

he hates you because you refuse to be a doormat

imagine how your life would be if you allowed him to continue treating you like that ?

you should be proud of yourself

who gives a shit what he thinks ?

tryingtounderstand · 27/03/2010 17:44

Thanks Anyfucker. I will rise again. I'm going to do my best now to get the sleeping and eating sorted.

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AnyFucker · 27/03/2010 17:48

hey, why don't don't ya namechange ?

LazarusRisesAgain

PhoenixFromTheAshes

that kinda thing

seriously, I admire you

tryingtounderstand · 27/03/2010 17:52

Thanks again anyfucker. I'm a regular but wanted to namechange for this as I'm very raw right now. I am very strong and will come through this in time. I guess I've got to stop looking for answers and just get on with healing.

Thank to everyone who replied. You've really helped me today.

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AnyFucker · 27/03/2010 17:56

ok, love

I probably know you under another name then

I always respond as if I've never responded before, or as if I have no previous knowledge of a person

tryingtounderstand · 27/03/2010 18:02

We've never posted to each other before but I've often enjoyed your no nonsense approach to others.

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sowhathappensnow · 27/03/2010 18:35

TTU I know how you feel. My husband has left me for OW and tells me he hates me and never wants to see me or DCs ever again. I'm left wondering what the hell I did wrong, nothing as far as I can see other than love him wholeheartedly for many years. I gave him many chances to give our relationship another go. Not having answers is hard.

AnyFucker · 27/03/2010 18:42

thanks x

tryingtounderstand · 27/03/2010 18:58

Sowhat, I am so sorry to hear you are also going through this. Life will improve for us both in time.

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WhenwillIfeelnormal · 27/03/2010 22:00

OP - It must be really so difficult not having the sort of closure you need. I really sympathise with that and think it would have made me feel like you. However, I really think it would help you if you did some reading about affairs and their causes, but please be judicious about what you read, as there is so much nonsense peddled about infidelity.

First of all, no - affairs are very often not about an attempt to get things that are "missing" from the marriage. That is one of the biggest myths of all. In fact, people who have affairs are often the most over-benefitted ones in their primary relationships - they actually take far more than they give. An affair is yet another example of them taking something extra. It is no surprise whatsoever therefore to read that your exH was always selfish and immature.

Secondly, the affair was not about you at all, or even your marriage. Infidelity is after all a pretty extreme and unstraightforward way of expressing dissatisfaction with a person or the relationship. If your exH is now demonising you or your marriage, tell yourself calmly that he had an adult choice that he neglected. He could have told you at any time that he had difficulties with you as a person or with your marriage, but he didn't do that at all - instead, he deceived you and had an affair.

The behaviour you are seeing now is merely guilt transference. Instead of holding a mirror up to his own flaws as a person, he seeks to justify his behaviour by pretending that it was your behaviour that led him to do this.

Keep telling yourself that this is not real - and try to see his "defence" logically, always asking yourself how an emotionally intelligent adult would respond to problems in a marriage, feelings of low self esteem, the proposition of an affair and finally being discovered having had an affair. Do any of his responses fit? No, they don't. It's not how you would have reacted as an adult and so his take on this can be easily dissembled. His views and justifications are worthless.

In your shoes, the best way of looking at this is that you were always the better person. Unfortunately, you were married to someone who never really grew up emotionally. Not every man is like this though - and you will not choose a man like this again. You can hold your head up high that you behaved like an adult at all times.

The best way to treat him now is with an air of utter contempt. Don't ask him for reasons, just nurture yourself and any DCs you might have. Life will get better for you, but believe me, it will not get better for him. Emotionally retarded adults never really live happy lives.

tryingtounderstand · 27/03/2010 22:52

wwifn I was wondering would you ever see this thread and what you might say as I think you have great insight. Not having closure is what causes me to be tortured at times. I posted today to try and finally get closure for myself and I am really hoping it will help me to do that.

You are so right in your comment about the over benefitted one. I do understand that his behaviour now is to avoid looking at himself.

Where is gets complicated for me is that he would always have been more dependant on me than I was on him. Also he would have said how much he adored me, would never do anything to hurt me and was very happy in our marriage right up until the moment he was caught. He has not rewrote history as such by now saying the marriage wasn't good or saying anything bad about me. It's more that he hates me for destroying his life by ending the marriage. It's like it's my fault for ending the marriage and complete denial about his own actions.

I'm not fully sure I understand what you mean by your comment that infidelity is an extreme way of showing dissatisfaction with the marriage. Do you mean the infidelity was caused by something he was dissatisfied about in our marriage?

I do agree that he is emotionally retarded and I also believe if I ever have another relationship I will not make the same mistake again. The only thing I disagree with is treating him with the contempt he treats me with. I believe this would harm both me and dc's. I am trying to look at it that he didn't set out to cause this pain and see him as a victim really I suppose. I believe I have a chance of happiness again but I'm not really sure he ever will.

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WhenwillIfeelnormal · 28/03/2010 00:15

"I'm not fully sure I understand what you mean by your comment that infidelity is an extreme way of showing dissatisfaction with the marriage. Do you mean the infidelity was caused by something he was dissatisfied about in our marriage?"

No, not at all. I don't think he was dissatisfied with your marriage at all. I was assuming that he was now somehow justifying his affair by saying he had been unhappy and I was pointing out that if that is his take, he had other options (like talking to you) instead of the extreme choice of infidelity.

Now you've said more, I feel even more strongly that this is just blame transference. Perhaps he needs reminding that adultery is completely acceptable grounds for divorce and that there is no legal or societal expectation that a marriage will continue after its discovery.

He is to blame for this, not you.

I agree you need to have a good co-parent relationship with him in the long term, but I think you might be expecting too much of yourself to feel sorry for him and see him as a victim when he is having the brass cheek to blame you for ending the marriage.

He needs to take full personal responsibility for this - and I want you to try what is a really useful assertiveness technique - the scratched record. Every time he blames you - just say "No, you chose to end the marriage when you were unfaithful."
And keep saying it, over and over again.

tryingtounderstand · 28/03/2010 12:18

Thanks wwifn. I have already filed for divorce. I know the blame transference is his attempt to avoid personal responsibility. He has made out he is the victim in this.

The infidelity was sexual rather than emotional. More of a thrill seek, ego booster. I think he is really broken about the marriage breaking up but just can't deal with it. It makes it easier to turn it into a fight and blame me.

I will use the scratched record technique even if it's only in my head at times.

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