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My marriage is in jeopardy. VERY confused...this is long, sorry. Need advice :(


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HI, I'm really confused. I've been with my husband for 8 years, married 5. Over the past few years, he has drunkenly told me that he is not in love with me. The first was when he moved away for a serving job in a high tourist area. I have different views on how a relationship should be. I never married him with the intention that he would want to move away from me for any reason and it makes me feel unwanted in the first place. After time went by, things settled down. We never broke up and went back to being generally happy. I have major trust issues. I was adopted and also have abandonment issues. He comes from a broken home. We do not have any children, just 2 dogs who we love with all of our heart. The second time was when we were back home. I obviously didn't feel loved after hearing it the first time and that came up a lot and made me insecure. The only things we have ever fought about are money and me being jealous and weary of his intentions at work. He is a sever and has worked with a multitude of women. He has never been unfaithful to my knowledge. We pressed on, we were going to go to counseling and he even bought me two relationship books for Christmas. One for him and one for me and a little card game for lovers. We never read the books, never went to counseling.

 

The third time was recent. He had an opportunity to go out of state to open a restaurant for the company he works for. At first, I was super supportive, then the jealousy and insecurity set it. When he got the list of trainers, I questioned every female and wanted to know if he had hung out with them any, etc. I know I should have stopped myself from doing this but I really just couldn't! He ended up talking to me for a long time on the phone. He said he was there to work, and make a better life for us. He said this was a step in the right direction for him to become a manager which is what he and I both want. He told me he would never be unfaithful to me and he loved me. After this conversation, I made it a point to be strong and not bring up any part of my jealousy again. He called me 3 times a day while gone, I sent him racy pics, we skyped, it was nice. He even called me the day before he came home to tell me how proud he was of me for trusting him the rest of the trip.

 

The second day back from the trip, he was drunk and told me AGAIN that he wasn't in love with me. He said he was serious (like times before). This time he wasn't happy and he thought all we did was fight and he thought it would be better if we just ended it. (again) I cried and cried (like i did before). He also told me that I pushed him away and had accused him of cheating so many times that he went out to the bar with another woman. He said nothing happened but exclaimed "I learned about someone who wasn't you." I was devastated. The next morning I went to work. I came home and he was taking a nap in bed. I tried to wake him up to see if we were going to talk about what had happened last night. He seemed angry, saying that he stood by what he said and I cried again. He said he wanted to leave me, the house (he loves the house), and the dogs (he loves the dogs) and start over. After all of that, he never left and when I said I was going to he said that I didn't have to. So here I am. He slept next to me in bed last night, still is calling me pet names (the nicknames he gave me) but hasn't said I love you. We went to lunch today and he wanted to know what I was thinking. I told him, it's not up to me. I wanted to know if he was just trying to push me away so far so I would end it and he wouldn't have to. He said he wasn't and he just didn't want to spend the next 30 years of our lives fighting. I asked him if he thought married people didn't fight and he said No. I told him to explain to me how one day we were as happy as can be and the next couple of days he wanted to end it. I brought up the books and said I wanted him to read them ( I had started to before he came back from his trip) he agreed to it. He said I should go to counseling for my abandonment issues. I told him I would but thought he should go to because he has issues from his past. We both agreed and he wanted me to set it up right away. I just need to know if I am fighting a losing battle? Does he really not love me? Should I move on. I love him with all of my heart and I know he loves me too. Any advice would be great as I feel that I am in the most confusing situation of my life.

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Try the counseling. If it doesn't work with counseling. You can't say you didn't try.

 

I hope the counseling works. Sounds like he loves you and it must be really hard being apart. He needs to get help with the drinking. He shouldn't hurt the ones he loves while being drunk. Two drinks max IMO.

 

Good luck.

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People can love another person but not be in love, if thaf makes sense

 

Sadly in life we can fall out of love and drift apart. Or our actions can push people away. The key is understanding and good communication in that over the many years you've Been together you'd think you'd have worked one another out, what each of you like or don't like and what you need to avoid.

 

Being possessive can be a turn off, as can constant distrust in your other half

 

Alcohol added to the mix Won't help. People say things then say 'I only said it because I was drunk', bearing in mind alcohol only brings down your walls and it's not an excuse for behaviours. He may have meant what he said the alcohol helped him say it.

 

Had he been unfaithful in the past?

 

I think you'd benefit from relationship counselling as well as alcohol education for him

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You should both definitely see a marriage counselor. While drunk feelings definitely aren't necessarily indicative of one's sober honest feelings, this isn't something you gloss over.

 

But if I'm to assume, it really does sound like all the questioning and accusing has driven him to permanently lose his feelings for you and he's struggling with simply letting go.

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Go to therapy by yourself. The drinking, the divorce threats, repeatedly saying he doesn't love you and the distrust/jealousy is beyond reading books together.

 

You need to determine why this has been so toxic on your own. Stop looking to him for answers.

 

Pull back. Start a self improvement plan. Get in shape, update your image hair clothes. Just do it no explanations. Get busy. Join clubs or groups, volunteer, go out with friends and see family more.

 

Stop waking him up to argue and confront. Never talk to a drunk. Stop begging crying asking pleading and acting like a victim. Stop implying he's being a jerk because he comes form a broken home. Get professional help for yourself. Consult an attorney about options in the event of divorce, since he keeps threatening that. Do this alone and confidentially.

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I think your jealousy streak has hurt the marriage and has pushed him away. He is tired of being accused of cheating all the time, like he said. I agree with the others and go to counseling for your abandonment issues and also when you are in process for awhile, go to marriage counseling. you may not feel you can control your emotions, but you can control your tongue. You can control the words you say scrutinizing every woman he works with age 16 to 94. People with abandonment issues sometimes only seem happy when they get prove that people continue to abandon them.

 

He may very well really love you - but can't live with you - and doesn't feel "in love" with someone who picks fights while he is sleeping. Get this straightened out because if not with him, the issue will just keep following you forever

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Thanks everyone, I am definitely going to seek counseling for my issues. I hope the feelings aren't so far gone that we cannot get them back. We will also do marriage counseling. I will do everything to hold back any negative comments, show any jealousy and nag/pick fights in the meantime. I really don't want to lose him.

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He has never been unfaithful to me. He was unfaithful in his last relationship. He is a social butterfly...always making new friends. I worry about the alcohol and environment of his job all the time. He tells me that he would never cheat on me, he would always be honest. I'm going to go to counseling. I hope that since he hasn't left and is still communicating with me, I haven't pushed him too far. Thanks for your response.

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