confuseddad333
New
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 4
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someone please tell me if im way out in left field. my wife of 4 yrs is manipulative and controling,so i believe. just last weekend she threw a fit the other night when we were out with our 2 1/2 yr old son saying it was past his bed time at 8 pm (when he has stayed up past then many times for other situations) and we needed to go just as the lighted boat parade was starting...mind you weve been waiting for about 1 1/2 hrs for it to start and been pumping our son up for this for about 3 weeks. she says i am inconsiderate of his bedtime needs and her being uncomfortable (bc she is almost 8 mo pregnant) so she gets up and leaves, and of course bc my son wants to follow her....we end up leaving! the next morning, i dont kiss her goodbye or say i love you to her, as i goto work(fyi its just some of her own medicine...she use to always just storm out and leave without saying anything bc she was so pissed...like she was holding her "love" back from me. )anyway, later that day i get a txt msg on my phone saying she was leaving with our son and not to be suprised if they werent home when i got back from work. well long story short, the day goes by i turn my phone off, and needless to say she nor my son are home. i txt and call her and no reply...supposedly she stays at a hotel all night with my son and returned the next morning after i went to work. during all this she tells me how my 2 1/2 yr old son asks if i like him or not...thats bs, bc he doesnt even know that sort of thing. when i asked her why she was gone with our son all night, she says it was to protect him from my actions of shutting him out etc... ive never been physical with her nor have i ever thought of being physical with my son...he is the center of my universe! she has only left with him twice to only return the next morning, and not bc she is in fear for her/his life either...just an adult temper tantrum for attention... but she THREATENS at least a few times a week, which is nearly as bad. i dont want to live in fear of my son being gone one day when i come home, i dont feel its right i have to worry about these things. just last night again she threatened to fly to her parents house for the holidays...aparently couldnt find any tickets, but makes it out to seem that she is staying for the good of the family. my son is very smart, and is begining to pick up on these little things and im sure notices the tension in the air. any advice or support would be great. i dont feel like the man i used to be...happy! thank you in advance. C
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MommaMia
Platinum
Reged: 02/17/07
Posts: 378
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I think it was an overreaction on both of your parts. Yours for getting ticked about leaving and hers for staying at the hotel.
She is 8 months pregnant and highly hormonal and emotional. She wants and needs your support and that includes cutting her some slack during this difficult time. You should be going out of your way to be sure her needs are met- she is carrying your child! This does not excuse her from immature behavior.
What I see is a woman who is basically saying she needs to feel loved, accepted and supported. Her leaving for the hotel and saying she is leaving for Xmas is a test, to see how you feel about her. Turning off your phone and withholding affection sends the clear message that you don't give a flip about her.
I really suggest marriage counseling... this marriage can definitely be saved. Tell her everyday how much you love her and think she is beautiful. Do things for her, it is the small things that count (rub her feet, do a load of laundry, ask her how she is feeling and really listen). When you do this it will be natural for her to follow suit.
Good luck.
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gigi
Platinum
 
Reged: 11/06/06
Posts: 5191
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How long has she been threatening to leave a few times a week? Just while she was pregnant? Then it's worth it to keep trying. But if this is how she gets your attention for minor grievances, then she is wrecking her credibility for the big issues. And on top of that, you've got a woman who is not respecting your needs and is simply interested in her own comfort. When she's 8 months pregnant and struggling with a 2 & 1/2 year old on top of that, if you're not providing enough help with that struggle, her frustration is understandable, but if you're TRULY doing a full share of the housework, then she's unreasonable and this will nto change, will only get worse the longer you stay.
The only way to tell the difference, to tell whether this is just a pregnancy hormonal thing or whether it's a selfish and hystrionic personality where this behavior has set the stage for the ongoing relationahip... well, you'll need to go to couples' counseling and see if you agree with the problems that she describes under a more controlled environment (the safety of a therapist's office rather than the discomfort of a public event that you've gone to & waited for and where SOMEONE, whether it's JUST her or everyone, is getting annoyed)... the therapist will help you put your problems into words that SHE can understand, and will help her put her problems in to words that YOU can understand, and will hopefully help you both find a solution for them if one exists.
If she comes up with an excuse tht it's all about the pregnancy & you don't agree, then it's safe in the counselor's office to speak up & explain that so that your perception of things can be reviewed...
You might be surprised that she has more complaints than just what you've heard from her, or that she thinks you're not pulling your weight in teh household & it would be something as simple as dressing your son in the morning before you go to work rather than leaving that all up to her...
Sometimes, it's simple... habits that need changing. Sometimes it's bigger than that, but you won't know unless you do something other than listen to her hystrionics, watch her walk out from time to time, beg her to come home, and never deal with the problem that is CAUSING the hystrionics.
Good luck.
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confuseddad333
New
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 4
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Ill try to answer all your questions to give you a better picture. she has threatened and done it many times since ive known her, only once before has she actually left with our 1yr old son (at that time). she actually pulled him out of bed at midnight bc she and i were arguing about something, she/they ended up missing their flight out of state for a family get together(i made it after pushing it back while waiting for her). so no, not all instances were while pregnant, just the recent 8 months has she been pregnant and still acting this way. i have come to just go along with her rants and raves about leaving bc she rarely ever does and then is back the next day...its still bs. as for our son, i care for him 100% of the time that i can, which is more than 50% of the time, if that makes sense. either way, i pull my share plus some of the load. i usually keep him on my days off while she is at work, yet like today i had to work and she was off, she took him to preschool. i dont quite understand that one. i work a typical police schedule. i get up at 4 am and am home as late as 7 pm. so its hard for me to dress and drive him to preschool on the mornings i have to work, but when i dont work, i do drive him or just keep him with me and we play and hang out all day.up until a month or so ago, i did all the outside chores, the dishes, clothes, cleaning bathrooms, the dog, bathe our son every night, tuck him in etc...dinner(when i am home to make it)pick our son up from school...you name it, i did it. bc im a neat and clean freak about the house, until i felt unappreciated about it all, now i let it sit until she does it...and that is a while. hell,i went in later today and was kinda running almost late, and still dressed my son at his request...why bc hes my son and if i can do something for or with him, i will, even if i only have a few seconds to do it! weve been to counseling, she thought everything was all my fault, the counselor actually said in so many words it was more how she mistreated me and didnt show me enought attention etc...i told her earlier this week i wanted to see a counselor by myself while she did the same then we could figure ourselves out first then go together, she said marraige counseling is for couples, not individuals...that was her way of saying no. i understand she is pregnant, but my mother had 4, ive got friends who are pregnant, our first son, she was okay. millions of women are pregnant every day, does that mean there are millions of misserable husbands out there too? i dont think so. i support her the best i can knowing and feeling the way i do, but i really feel like its a one way street, and she gives way only when its convinient to her, or theres something in it for her. just this week she has trown an adult tantrum in public, left home with our son, come back, threatened to buy tickets to fly home for christmas, and tried to talk about our problems(this is funny, this is how she opened the conversation) as she came into the tv room after my son was asleep "what do you have to say for yourself?" needless to say, that conversation didnt go off to well. anyway, nothing was resolved, but now she seems to think everything is alright, like nothing ever happened. she has always acted like a new day meant there was never an argument or conflict the day before. i guess thats positive outlook, but nothing ever gets accomplished that way. she could be calling me every name in the book tonight, and 99 out of 100 times, she will wake in the morning and act like nothing ever happend talking all nice and cute and asking for favors and help with this that and the other. it can be quite confusing... ...and please dont get me started on the issue of sex! again, thanks for the feedback.
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MommaMia
Platinum
Reged: 02/17/07
Posts: 378
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is she bipolar? History of mental illness?
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confuseddad333
New
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 4
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not that i know of, but ive had my suspicions. bipolar, borderline personality dis, controling, sociopath, something, im not a doctor so i dont know...i told her she needs to talk to someone to see if there is something that needs to be done...she just blew me off. as usual. but hey,
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Sarah1014
Platinum
 
Reged: 04/12/07
Posts: 2363
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I was married to a borderline for 13 years and it's definitely confusing. It actually made me physically ill for half the marriage. I even sought care at the mayo clinic. Now I'm fine. Go figure.
That is some crazy shit you're experiencing.
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scbeck
Platinum
 
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 918
Loc: New Brunswick Canada
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Reading your life is like looking in a mirror. My husband of 13 years just finally left us( me and my daughter. He called me from NF Candada where he had gone to to tell me he was in love with someone else and he wanted a divorce. Now he is angry at me for everything that he percieved went wrong in our marriage and is threatening to leave us without support. I have had to get proactive and get to a lawyer immediately. My husband was in Bosnia for two tours the second while I was pregnant with our daughter. During that time he was taken prisoner and tortured. Two years after returning to Canada he was involved in a military accident where he sustained a head injury and was left disabled. I spent most of my marriage looking after an angry , paranoid and very demanding man with the mind of a 12 year old. I made excuses for his unreasonable outbursts and stayed in the name of vows. I knew I was not married to the same man but I stilled loved the man he was and every once in awhile I would get a glimpse of that man I loved. Unfortunately I became more and more withdrawn in an attempt to protect myself and I exposed my daughter to behaviour that no child should ever have to endure. Only you can decide what is right for you but do what you have to to give your son a picture of what a functional relationship is and don't forget to look after yourself because you won't be able to be there for him if you are too busy trying to deflect the irrational behaviour all the time.
-------------------- This is the first day of the rest of my life. Or maybe tomorrow will be.
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berserker1
New
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 4
Loc: Baltimore, MD
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dont be fooled. pregnancy or not, man...thats emotional abuse. i dealt with tha kinda shit for 3 years. luckily, she never got pregnant. she would however, go off over the dumbest things. and i was usually beaten senseless. (she ballooned to about 450, some glandular thing according to the doctor)so she had the weight over me. never one time did i hit back...i wasn't that stupid. but i did throw a few things at her, cus she threw em at me. she would go all day, sometimes, all week, like something was wrong. but wouldn't tell me. when i would finally get her to talk, she would go on about things that usually i had no control over, like the time she was molested by her dad when she was 10. i learned early on, to stay away and keep distance. hell, one time, she started an attitude about the time i spend with my guitar. at that time, i was hardly playing anymore. i would play on some saturdays, if that. i mean, this [censored] WENT OFF. 'you'd rather play that geeeetar, than be with me' but my answer to that, was, 'Dawns' with ya!' (Dawn is her sister, and always deeply implanted in her fat ass...) that started a riot. after dawn left, we got into it. she went to dawns' house for the night, and me and Bo the wonder mutt had a wonderful night watching tv and playing ps2, without fat ass being there. she would start shit, just to start shit, man. watch yer ass.
-------------------- STRENGTH, DETERMINATION, MERCILESS, FOREVER.
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opn4bzns
New
Reged: 10/19/07
Posts: 5
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Your wife sounds Bi-Polar. Has she been checked for this? I have 39 years experience living with a bi-polar wife and a son in his 30's who inherited this terrible malady. A joy to be with at times and then complaining about everyone and everything. The last 15 years have been the worst and I think are the reason I now have an anxiety disorder and disability from the daily screaming and griping. Last October she filed divorce papers on me for irreconcilable differences. I was crushed and didn't see it coming. We have a lovely home, no bills, and she has never been checked for bi-polar, but I know after seeing my son, she has it. Beg your wife to get checked. These terrible mood swings can be somewhat controlled with drugs like prozac. Good luck.
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