You are here

Feels like we are at a breaking point

ITB2012's picture

Not sure if it will be a break-through, break-up, or break-down.

DH is beside himself with sadness and frustration. He's still upset about the goodnight/good morning stuff, which I have said here and there, but it seems really just a starting spot for arguing. I have not been mean or sarcastic, I have been friendly but my guard is up and I'm not touching sensitive topics (who knew that discussing politics would be the least volitale topic). We've even gone out to dinner.

He was beside himself the other night that he's so hurt and he's so sad because of me/us/our relationship. He escalated when I said "okay" or "alright" instead of defending myself or mollifying him. I wasn't mean. I did accidentally let a laugh slip out when he said something hypocritical (I don't remember what, but somewhere he brought up stuff from the past which I'm not supposed to do, could have been that). He jumped on that that I was laughing at him. I very, very calmly and matter-of-factly said that I've yelled and cried and talked and a lot else, maybe all I have left is laughter. He didn't know what to make of that so he went a new direction.

After some more time saying how he felt, he said that if he made me feel as badly as he feels right now that he's sorry. I said okay. He said more things and repeated that he's sorry. I said thank you. I just kept saying okay and not engaging. At one point he said he knows he's done stuff to me over the years. I asked what stuff he meant. I think he was expecting another okay. He paused and was thinking hard and came up with "respect." I said what about it. He said that he wasn't respecting me. Okay, I agree that's a category of things, and you said you knew of instances you hurt me, are there specific instances you remember not respecting me? He paused for quite a while and his face was moving, like it was painful or something. When he spoke again it was about something else I'd done and if I remember right, it was related to the skids. I said I didn't know how that related to what we were discussing, are we done with the previous discussion? Well, no. There's more, like accusing me of not even inviting him to watch TV with me---which I had just done the night before, but I don't remember all of it. I didn't respond to things except to say okay and one time when he pushed something too far and I mildy said "you know that's not true."

He said he thought that since I hadn't responded to his texts that perhaps I had moved out. I get that BM moved out on him without a word ahead of time. However, it felt to me like it was another way to bait me into getting emotional, and either become the bad guy or be expected to mollify him.

I wasn't mean, I wasn't short, but I was bland, pale, gray, and basically kindly listened to him. He got so frustrated he started sobbing all-out snot-sobs. I did hold him, I did tell him to breathe deeply (he was hyperventilating). I didn't take his emotions or go down the rabbit hole.

He has his first therapy session today.

Comments

2nd wives club's picture

if he made me feel as badly as he feels right now that he's sorry.

That *IF* is a very significant part of that comment. He's not owning up to anything, the way I'm reading it.

ITB2012's picture

I'm also supicious, based on how our previous conversations/arguments go, that it was bait to reel me into a fight.

tog redux's picture

*eye roll*   Well, call him a waaaaahm-bulance!  He's really playing the victim to the hilt, isn't he?

ITB2012's picture

but every time I go searching on the almighty internet for "how to handle x" I get hits for covert narcissism. I've started responding in ways suggested there so I think he's thrown off and more frustrated because he cannot push his bad feelings onto me.

advice.only2's picture

It sounds like he is at a breaking point, the ugly snot crying the poor pitiful me, the claiming you are going to leave just like BM did....hmmmm the common factor in these scenarios are in fact...DH!

I know counseling only works if you look at it like AA, you have to want to change, you have to take it one day at a time and you have to accept your responsibility in what you have done.

ITB2012's picture

recently I flipped out on DS. I was more upset than necessary for the situation.

The next time he came over he was obviously agitated but he immediately stated what he had done wrong in the situation, that he was sorry, and that he would not let it happen again. I said thank you, and that I also apologize, my reaction was over-the-top and I will watch myself in the future. And that was it. It took maybe two minutes. And it's not come up again, there's no weirdness, it's like it never happened. (He's really stepped up his game lately so he took to heart that he wasn't being responsible. And on my side I realized I had fallen back to mom-of-a-kid mode so I am doing mom-of-an-adult mode.)

I had forgotten how easy it could be to resolve an issue.

susanm's picture

Like Courtney Love said in "Doll Parts", "someday you will ache like I ache....."  Guess his day finally came.  Bummer.....   There is only so much someone can take before we just sort of shut off.  It is really a shame that he is not self-aware enough that he can not look back on his own behavior and see where he has made mistakes beyond a vague "I did not give you respect."  Gee, way to be introspective, dude!   LOL