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Q: Emotional Abuse? Pickin up the pieces?
asked by: sweethome220 on May 24th, 2009
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Okay. Hello all. I am new and this is my first time ever reaching out to complete strangers but I am at a complete loss and have no idea what to do or where to go. i am 31 years old. When I was 21 I met this guy at a bar and we chatted. We went out for a couple of dates and weren't really into each other, he is 11 years older than I so at the time 32. We parted mutually, no interest. I was young and free, he thought I was flakey. Then 5 years later we met again, after 5 years with zero contact, no emails no phone calls, nothing. Just randomly at a different bar 14 states away. We had both been living in the same area for the past 1 year and instantly fell in love. The first year was good. Okay that is not completely true. We had been dating for about 2 months and there was no sex. I was not sure why and asked, I wondered if he had a wife on the side or something but no. Eventually we did have sex but I thought it was odd he had very little interest. I felt like our story was straight out of a movie, I was smitten and he was everything I ever wanted. I fell a lot harder than he did and wanted to live with him forever. I was 25, he was 36. About 6 months into our relationship I sat him down and had a conversation with him about the way he talked to me. I felt he was always talking "down" to me and it made me feel inadequate to him, worthless, and not good enough. That was only the beginning. We have been having that exact same conversation for the past 6 years. It never stopped, it all just got really bad. His main complaint with me was that I was constantly threatening to leave him and the relationship. I think internally I threatened because deep down I knew that I should leave, that I deserved more. But I didnt leave. I stayed. A year into our relationship, he lost his job and was forced to move 3 states away but still within driving distance, abt 3 hours. We were having more and more issues, I felt he wasn't committing to me, he wasn't open and intimate. The sex ended about a year after it started. We weren't getting along and having fun, I was dealing with some anxiety issues, which I now wonder if weren't caused by my situation. Anyhow, we were doing the long distance thing where we would spend weekends together, each of us driving every other weekend. I was also put off in the beginning by the fact that he didnt introduce me to any of his friends or family, I didnt meet his mother for the first 18 months of our relationship. His relationship with his mother is very odd. She is constantly begging for him to spend time with her, call her, be a part of her life. Kinda like me. Constantly begging. So while we are living apart, 2 years into our relationship I had a 2 week affair. Purely sexual but I am a girl who NEEDS sex. I didn't tell him about it and picked someone who had a girlfriend (i know its bad, but I am going to be straight up honest about my wrongs too) so that it could be purely sexual. it was and its been long over. Meanwhile, he was in Connecticut having a full blown out 9 month relationship with another woman. She had no idea of me and finally one night while looking thru his phone, jotted down my number. She called me and we all three met face to face. He denied the exact nature of his relationship with her and convinced me that he wanted to be with me and only me. I personally felt guilty for what I'd done so I opened up and offered my faults. I told him what I had done and in my head thought tit for tat. We cancelled each other out so we can rebuild and we will prevail. I love the man. He is my everything, the problem I think is that I have never been his everything and I so desperately want that so I stay. Thinking if I change this or that or do this or that.. I will wake up one day and be his everything. We vowed to never speak to these people again and I was going to move to where he was. So we move in together. Nothing really changes, we fight and I cry and I beg for his attention, affection, sex, understanding, depth. I beg and beg and beg. Like a dog. We spent 18 months completely celibate but I kept at it. I continued to try to get this man to love me. During this time I am also getting depressed. I have really bad thoughts of myself, suicidal. I feel ugly everyday and unlovable. Worthless, completely worthless. I don't feel good enough. I constantly tell him how I am feeling and what I need and he changes that into "you are demeaning me and cutting me down and verbally abusing me. you talk to me like crap, you are mean to me. you are always putting me down." I honestly do not feel like I am. I feel like I am expressing my needs. The only things I say to him are "you are not here for me, you don't love me, we dont have sex. etc etc etc." He claims I am abusing him. Maybe I could get some input here. I do threaten to leave often. So we go to 3 different therapists and no one seems to be able to help the situation. Anyhow, so after 2 years of this, I meet this guy. Nice guy. Understanding, open, and gives me what I need. Tells me how great I am, how beautiful, how smart. Purely. I use this as a catalyst to leave the relationship and move out. I get a place of my own and he starts therapy on his own where he discovers he has been depressed the past 2 years and has all these realizations and he wants to be with me, marry me, have children, he will treat me right...he promises. So I am seeing this new guy quite often and he has me gps tracked on my car, checking my emails, phone records, keeping dibs on everything I am doing. I am in turmoil. He tells me how horrible I am that I started seeing new guy while I was living with him and lied about it. Which is also true. I did lie and cover up the times that I saw new guy. Anyhow, so we decided to "work it out". Meanwhile for the previous 7 months I find out that he has been back seeing THE SAME girl (yes this is where I know I should be committed) again. AGAIN. So what do I do? I get on a plane and fly out to Vegas to see him cuz that is where he is when I find out. We spend 2 weeks doing nothing but having sex and fun. We are going to forgive it all again, put new guy and 2nd time with girl to the side and get engaged, move to a new city and all is going to be paradise. So, its been 6 weeks in paradise. He has taken my ring off my finger 2x and I have taken it off once. I am not wearing it now. He has ended our engagement. We have had sex 1 time since Vegas. We made each other alot of promises when we made this step, how things were going to be different, we were going to build the best life. A clean slate. Fresh new start. No one but us 2. He is still cold and distant all the time. I constantly beg for attention, love, understanding, sex. etc. etc. I now threaten to kick him out cuz he is not on the lease so I threaten to call the cops and have him removed. I also broke my promise and spoke to new guy via telephone and email. After one month of not seeing any progress or change, I took his call (i didnt take his calls or emails at all previously). After one month of the same fights the constant battling the no sex I was desperate to hear something nice, so I called. I know it wasn't right and I know I broke my promise. He is now saying that he is going to move out and find a roommate. My struggle is that I love him and I can't get out of this cycle. I may have abandonment issues I don't know. I may be addicted to him or the relationship or something but I can't cut the ties. I love him and I still think there is something I can do to make things right. I feel its half by fault even though I have put my entire heart and soul in this relationship and would marry him tomorrow. still. Should we go to therapy here and try to get past the issues we can't seem to get past. I am now 32 he is 43. I want to have children and I know this sounds crazy but I dont want to live my life without him. Is it possible to get past all this? Is is possible to die of a broken heart? I know after reading this you're probably like....how can she even think about fixing this again but I am. I am thinking still.....how can I get this man to love me? Love me the way that I deserve to be loved. Just like that very first conversation we had in month 6.....6 years later I am still asking the very same question. I feel like a fool. I have become that couple that make up and break up and make up and break up and the very reason they're together is the exact reason they shouldn't be (meg ryan...when a man loves a woman). That is not how I want this life to go. I know in my head but for some reason my heart will not allow me to take action and I don't know where to go for support. I looked up support groups but this online thing is all that came up. I don't really have the money right now to see another therapist but I need help. My friends all think I am sick and scared and need to grow up. They are sick of always hearing about the fights, the crying, the why can't I leave him/s. They are fed up too. Any suggestions? I am sorry its so long.
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rudderless
replied on May 25th, 2009
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Ouch
Since you were so kind to give me insight I feel I must also offer you some as best I can. What is it about this person that attracts you? It sounds as if it isn't the sex, it sounds as if he doesn't validate you, and it sounds as if he doesn't respect you. Can you think of one CONSISTENT thing that he does right? If that list is short as I think it is then I think you know what to do. You have friends who are obviously aware of the situation and you have someone who is willing to try and support you that you have feelings for too. You need to find the strength to take the right steps, you need to understand that despite his promises that he's going to continue to do these things. You need to believe it and you need to get away. Do it now before there are children in the picture. Do it before your friends can no longer stand to be there to support you and before your new friend goes away broken hearted as I am close to doing here.

If he truly cared he wouldn't be seeing other women, think how the other woman must have felt when the three of you met and he denied her. How will you feel next time when it's him denying you? What happens when something "better" comes along and you're kicked to the curb? Do not wait to find out, you are young yet with a life ahead of you, why are you wasting it on someone who abuses you?

Lastly read the book that Lundy Bancroft wrote about angry men - "Why does he do that: inside the minds of angry and controlling men".

Lundy Bancroft's book is a roadmap to these kinds of people. In my situation the things he said were so true it was frightening. I am not sure it matches your situation so completely but I would be surprised if he doesn't also nail some of the things you are going through as well. It is not a hard read IMO and it is a cheap book, I'd buy it for you if I could. No one should be abused and made to feel small or insignificant - please do not allow it to continue to happen to you.

P.S. Stay in touch here. While this board doesn't seem very active it certainly seems to be the right place to discuss this. You are not alone out there, you have someone waiting who loves you and wishes to help, I feel that man's pain - go to him.
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ioka
replied on May 25th, 2009
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what are you waiting for.
hello and welcome to the forum. my my honey what are you hanging about with hopes of a fairy tale dream that is surely gonna end in sadness.
i agree with every word ruderless said and i can tell you its very seldom there is a knight in shining armour waiting the other end.
after what i came through personally with my other half i can tell you i am worried to get involved with any man again because i feel damaged goods. you are so lucky this man loves you enough to pick up your broken heart and show you true love.
he ain,t never gonna change and never will and sometimes im glad to suffer the feelings of loneliness than be with a man who abused me.
if i were you i would be out of there like an olympic runner and grab the wonderful man waiting for you with open arms and don,t ever let him go.
i know its hard when control has had hold of you for so long but he will continue to hurt people for the rest of his life.
if not you then the next person and whoever after that you have the opportunity to change all that and not face it alone.
i wish you all the luck in the world and i hope the next time we hear from you its to support you and your new love all we can.
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ServiceU
replied on May 25th, 2009
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you said why cant you make him love you. you went 18 months without having sex. i was thinking who is he sleeping with.
i want to know how was this guy raised.
from all the times you've broken up with him, did you get anything different from him. no!

have you heard that sang "hurt me once, shame on you do it again shame on me".
you get back with him, he will waste our time, hurt you, cheat on you, be distant, and put you down. he clearly doesnt know how to treat you or make you happy.
i did the same thing with my ex. we just didnt get a long, i loved him more than he loved me, i was the glue. and after fives years and a broken heart, i felt like i wasted 5 years with him.
dump this guy and find someone that really can make you happy. this old guy is stuck in his ways, and you cant change him.
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specialmom12
replied on June 18th, 2009
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Healthy Relationship
I am no expert, but I have lived a life similar to yours. I have lived through the verbal and emotional abuse you describe. I have lived through 2 failed marriages and have finally got to the place where I value myslef as a human being. I am 40 years old today, June 18. Today is a wonderful day because I left the men who did not treat me right. I am in college and love my job. I have a wonderful little boy that I adore. Life is good and can be even better. Realize that you are worth so much and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. I have asked myself why I had to live through all of this tragedy. I am so much wiser and stronger than I could have ever imagined. Life is a lesson, I know you have heard that one before... but it is. The lesson you want to learn can be a good one or one that makes you angry and miserable. I will also tell you that there is not one man who is going to fit your every need, but there are good men out there. Not everyone in this world is going to hurt you. Please remember that... one last thing, please get therapy, and heal yourself. Therapy can be one way of fixing and changing your life. Good luck and remember that we all have had bad boyfriends and husbands, but we can choose to leave and not make the same mistakes again.
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ServiceU
replied on June 18th, 2009
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specialmom12,
i broke up with my monster boyfriend 2 years ago on my birthday. it was the happiest day of my life, because i moved from philly to jacksonville, fl. he was hurt but i couldnt stop smiling as i looked at the palm trees. my son and i had this beautiful hotel room and a nice swimming pool. i was even infatuated with all the lizards that would run and hide in the grass.
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