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Author Topic: MLC Monster When he no longer sees us as a couple

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MLC Monster Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#20: June 14, 2010, 05:18:51 PM
OW is planning a surprise 40th for my H this weekend.  Lots of drinking, a live band, fun, fun, FUN (along with their newborn daughter) and STILL I keep thinking, "Wait a minute.  Why am I not invited to the party?"  Guess it's figurative as well as literal.  My H has his own home, a new baby; still I don't feel single or divorced and yet he views me as the mother of his children.  Period.  So hard to get this through my thick skull.  Glad I'm not the only one. 
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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#21: June 14, 2010, 06:14:10 PM
Oh, that hurts. I'm so sorry WM.
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Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.  ~Mark Twain

Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast.  ~Marlene Dietrich

The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.  ~Ghandi

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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#23: June 15, 2010, 01:31:57 PM
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This I am sure  of! Very typical MLC!

In a way, yes, and in a way, no....my husband didn't see me as his "mother" I was the total OPPOSITE of his mother...in essence, my husband married his sister who raised him...I was very much like his sister in personality.

His mother on the other hand had abandoned him to his sister who raised my husband.  His Mother was VERY controlling, conniving, manipulating, and just plain out mean.

Enter OW, as my husband was repeating an area of his life where he'd never broken the cord with his mom...and his mom was already gone, so OW was her.... and, though it didn't look like it, he tried to protect me as he was trying to end the affair, and things got out of hand, resulting in the EA going to a PA.

He'd not told her he was married, he'd taken his wedding band off when he left home, then putting it back on when he came home, but I didn't know that until later on.

Now, I was NOT shown OW UNTIL the EA went PA....and when I asked questions, I got answers I did NOT like at all.   Apparently, the friendship had just been that, a friendship where she made him feel "special"....she was different, just as HE was different...and say what you will, but I understood that he never meant for it to go as far as it did, but it did.  When I "turned back" after I busted him in internet porn; it didn't take him long to figure that I DID love him, and something happened to begin his "awakening".....he and I were both raised that you didn't mess with married people, and so he thought that when he told her he was married, she would "dump" him...and it didn't happen...he wasn't dealing with a "nice" lady...he was dealing with a nut, who proceeded to get his home number, and try to call me...in the hopes that I would throw him out, because she was in "luv" with him, and wanted to keep him..

I further understood, that he treated her much the same way he treated me; only the disrespect for her was worse than it had ever been for me.....he didn't talk to her about anything, just kept her attention on him....the selfishness was something else.  Heck, they were BOTH selfish.
He did things to her that he has NEVER done to me...that was all I was told, I wasn't shown what they were, and I'm not sure I would have wanted to know....I was so frightened as I was going through the showing that I never asked about that.

Things started falling apart, and taking advantage of his hormones all out of control she "tricked" him into bed with her...three times and the signs fell ALL three times...things were getting worse at home, as I was going all to pieces myself...and though on the surface he was making fun of me, it was tearing him apart.  Yet, the affair was an addiction, and she kept pestering him...when she got him into bed and thought she'd "won" she started showing her true colors which drove him BACK toward me, as he did not want this..he was coming back, so to speak, and though he'd been drawn to her because of her ways, as time went on, he realized he did NOT love her, he loved me, and couldn't rid himself of me....I don't know if that was good or bad...but it doesn't matter.  He was also realizing he was in over his head, and as he began to see her in a different light, he found he was staying on edge most of the time.......not fairly calm like it had been with me; and he wanted his life back with me, but didn't know how he was going to do it.

The straw that broke the camel's back was when he told her to leave him alone, he wanted to work on his marriage, and she cursed me....and for him, that was IT...it was one thing when she piled abuse upon him, but he'd already told her to leave me alone, I was innocent in this, and therefore was to be left alone......that final confrontation pushed him off the edge, and he told her NEVER to call him again....she continued for awhile, then stopped.

In that process, she "purged" herself of him and the affair; which was WHY she did not know him when he called three months AFTER the affair finished.  I would have to explain purging...I did it and as result, my memories are not what they were....it is necessary for healing, but only occurs when you are ready to do so; AFTER processing what has happened to you.

The bottom line was that OW was his "mother" and he broke the cord that had bound him to his mother.....this is but one example of how OW/OM/OP is used to "relive" something unfinished in their lives.

You MUST be careful that your husband does NOT view you as his mother in ANY way....it's not good when that happens....be his friend, be his lover, be anything but his mother.....

Even though my husband did what he did with OW, I had to be VERY careful that I was NEVER viewed as his mother...I remember him saying at one point we had to become friends first, and then if we got that far, we would become lovers.....I did this wrong, ladies, I told him a couple of days afterward, that "Friends don't do these things to each other."....and watched him crawl deep within his cave...that was a few weeks before I totally "got it", and started changing.

At first he was suspicious, but consistency was key to him beginning to come around more toward me....and it was like dealing with wild kittens...I got scratched a few times, but after awhile, he started forward in a more positive way, more receptive to my friendship...but it took time to bring this all around.

And that doesn't mean that I did it right ALL of the time, I didn't...I made mistakes, causing both to fall backward, and then had to endure consequences for my actions/words within a situation...and ride it all out once again, coming back around the circle to the spot where I'd made the mistake.

Round and round we went. :)



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There is hope as long as you love your MLC spouse, and, are willing to learn the  life's lessons that are set before you as a result of this crisis.

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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#24: June 15, 2010, 03:15:11 PM
goodness -- I used that line about friends not doing things like this to each other too.  At the time I thought I was doing the right thing; now I see how that didn't improve matters any....  That was shortly before his confession letter. 

The bit about seeing me as his mother is also something to watch out for.  I think there is some of that in my H -- because of our situation with the children I did become very much the devoted (and panicked) mama first; that obviously didn't help anything.  And as he began behaving in a more immature manner I'm sure I responded in a way that must have seemed parental. 

I think I've knocked that one on the head, but it's another tightrope to walk.

It probably doesn't help that he was his mother's favorite, and she is now very ill with a degenerative illness and isn't able to be a mother any more. 
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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#25: June 15, 2010, 05:22:01 PM
I can relate to so much of this. H says our marriage ended the day I filed for divorce. He feels he is free to do as he pleases because he is done with me. Nevermind the first time we divorced he wore his ring until he received the papers in the mail that it was final. This time around we haven't signed anything, no court, nothing.

Last winter H compared me to his mother. Said that when I said something that didn't make sense or was emotional it made him feel like he had to protect himself from me. I could hurt him with my being emotional. His mother would get beat up and kicked out of the house and H would beg her to stay out and she would go back. If you show emotions you are not "stable" in his mind and need protected from. Not sure what I can do to change this.
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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#26: June 15, 2010, 05:27:48 PM
HB, I think in your case he married someone opposite of his mother on purpose.
I think I did the same thing also. And my wife married someone opposite her father.
However now in crisis mode she wants to compare me to him.

So maybe it depends on the R with mother or father.
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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#27: June 15, 2010, 05:56:16 PM
rdy2lv,

WOW.  So true here also that emotions are "irrational" and "negative".  H sees things all good or all bad.  Others are either on his side or against him.   :-\
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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#28: June 15, 2010, 06:27:28 PM
Writingmom,

Sounds like your H is like mine on that one. It is black or white - that is it. I told him years ago that there is a grey area too and I want to live in it. He also recently told me that he didn't want to be with anyone because he couldn't deal with anyone else's emotions. He was having enough trouble with his own.
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Re: When he no longer sees us as a couple
#29: June 16, 2010, 03:45:07 PM
Quote
HB, I think in your case he married someone opposite of his mother on purpose.
I think I did the same thing also. And my wife married someone opposite her father.
However now in crisis mode she wants to compare me to him.

So maybe it depends on the R with mother or father.

You're absolutely right, OP.  Your wife is looking for someone "familiar", in short, trying to "turn" you into her dad, but failing, because you are NOTHING like her dad...and you know you cannot fall for this as it would NOT work; so you have to stand your ground firmly; continuing the path you are on at this time.  That in part is what triggered the episode you two had.

I seriously doubt my husband married the opposite of his mother on purpose, OP.....he wouldn't have known what he was doing at 22 years old...believe it or not, my looks drew him, initially, but my heart was what kept him....he was shallow and selfish, even at that time, and I didn't see that clearly until I saw him in true reality as I took my journey to become what I became; a more mature and balanced person..well, I don't know about the balanced part, LOL!!  I fell OFF the tightrope more than I walked it, LOL!!

I know he said while within the crisis that he'd known I was the ONE the very first time he met me, and he didn't even know me, yet! :)  I was his first love; he'd told me this, also.  Sounds sappy, I guess, but coming from a man who still does NOT compliment me or encourage me in ANY way, this was something.

If I didn't encourage myself, I sure wouldn't have any of that from him...do not know why he is that way, but he is..haven't experienced ANY change in that direction yet.  It's ok, though, I accept him for what he is, and have learned to live with lack of compliments, encouragement....that was my dad's way, too.  I would always take negative comments and turn them around into something positive....don't tell me I CAN'T..I'll show you I CAN was my motto, and still is.  I have to really get into something that's totally beyond my reach before I will admit defeat, and I've faced defeat many times, and just as many successes in my life. 

I don't let it bring me down, though...I just keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny. :)   

I'm so stubborn, it's unreal, and that has served me very well in my life....and it's been my downfall, too. :)

Ok, got something for you to figure out:

Now enter me playing "devil's advocate". :) 

Ok OP, how do you explain ME marrying someone who was just like my father in temperament?  :)  This explanation, I've just got to hear from you, to see what you think about it.  That might also explain why I didn't do what my husband did while I was within the transition, regardless of the fact I stayed clear of wrongdoing, knowing it was wrong.

I was ALREADY playing out my "replay" of my childhood with my HUSBAND, figuring that out while he was in his MLC! LOL!!  I will explain more after I hear your answer to my question.

I know the answer, but I want to hear what your thoughts...I don't have any "virtual" cookies, to give you for correct answers, but let's see if you can explain this to me. :)  You might have a viewpoint that I've never heard before, and it most likely would be right. :)

You're not going to hurt my feelings, so out with it. :)  And you probably won't be telling me things that I don't already know. :)

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Our marriage survived His MLC, with the help of the Lord.
I have learned that true strength is built through the trials we endure.
There is hope as long as you love your MLC spouse, and, are willing to learn the  life's lessons that are set before you as a result of this crisis.

 

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