Is it normal?

Anon Imperfect Mum

Is it normal?

My partner (together about a year) is always grouchy. He swears and raises his voice at inanimate objects (tv, phone, remote, dishes, chairs, car.. whatever isn’t working properly or is “in his way” or whatever..) It makes me really uncomfortable and in a way, scared at times. It loud and it’s just so angry. I’ve mentioned it to him so many times and how it makes me feel. He always says he’s not aiming it at me and there’s a big difference to if it was aimed at me.. but I kind of indirectly feel like it is “at” me sometimes. For example, he forgot his wallet when we were going to the Sports Club yesterday and when we got there and he realised, he shouted very loudly “omg are you f*ing serious!?” It echoed through the car park and people turned to look at what was happening. It was super embarrassing and I actually felt quite shaken up by it. He had a bit of a rant about it on the way back home and then we sat in silence until he had his wallet, at which point he got back into the car like nothing had happened and was happy as. I told him I was a little shocked by his reaction and that people had been looking at us in the car park and he said “yeah well it’s just a bit stupid that I need my license to get into a place when I’m clearly over 18.. at least I didn’t take it out on you”. When he gets annoyed with his phone or the tv or other pieces of technology, he will throw/slam phone, remote, small devices near me and say I need to “deal with it before he loses it”. Then I “deal with it” and he’s happy and lovey again. I’ve tried to end the relationship over it recently because I just hate the example it sets for the kids we each have (both have kids from previous relationships) but he says I’m giving up on what we have too easily and he didn’t think I was a quitter. I don’t know why but I always feel so crappy and low lately. We’ve had other issues here and there, nothing really major but even when I’ve raised those issues, he says I must just enjoy conflict because if that (issue at the time) is the worst I can say about him, he’s really not that bad and I need to stop being so confrontational and show him more love. My previous marriage of 6 years (5 years ago) was full of DV and this is nowhere near as bad as that but I’ve found myself feeling like I’m both trapped and overreacting at the same time :( is it just me? Am I expecting too much?

Editing to add, he went out to get something from his car this morning and my son followed and got in the back. I went to get my son and saw 5 longneck bottles of beer in the back and some random cans of other alcohol thrown around. (We normally don’t use his car at all when we go anywhere together, he uses his for work only). I asked him about it because we’ve previously discussed his excessive drinking a few times in the past, as he’s previously drunk to the point he’s slurring his words and stumbling around talking crap about me loving my exes more than him and how he wishes my kids were his biologically so my exes wouldn’t exist. He promised he would stop drinking because he acknowledged there was an issue and his dad was also an alcoholic, which he resents his dad for now.
I’ve told him I can’t do this anymore and he’s said the same things about being disappointed that I react to “small things” and I should know he doesn’t respond well to relationships when there’s not enough love shown to him. Unfortunately, he’s tested positive for covid and so did my son, so we are all isolating and I just feel like once the isolation period is over, he still won’t be going anywhere because he’s not respecting any of what I say, just twisting it constantly :( rentals are ridiculous at the moment and neither of us could afford to take this the current one on alone (Sydney. Another 5 months on lease). He also has no family or real friends (they’re interstate) so I sometimes feel like he’s also just staying for convenience.

Posted in:  Relationships & Marriage, Mental Health, Anxiety & Depression

16 Replies

Anon Imperfect Mum

I think you need to end it. Get rid of the stress and anxiety around you. He is cashing it and it sounds like he is on drugs or is just extremely uptight and needs medication. I wouldn’t have my kids around it and especially when he isn’t even their father. Get rid of him and stop Listening to him. Go and be free with your kids

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Causing

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Thank you for your reply. I do know I need to end it, I just end up questioning myself and then feel sorry for him. For the first 5ish months, he was the calmest, most patient person.. very different to my exes.. but then it was like a totally different person showed up one day and I don’t think anything has felt calm for me ever since :(

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Anon Imperfect Mum

He was obviously putting on a front for the first part, to win you over. Time tells and he can no longer hide who he is. Get out now while you can. Before you regret it and he gets worse. Also stop feeling sorry for him. There is nothing to feel sorry for. What about your kids? Think of them. They must have been through enough already and the same with you. Does he feel sorry for you and your kids? I think not. He knows your past and still acts like this. It sounds like it’s just him and you got to know the real him eventually. Get your calmness back. Ask him to leave and if he doesn’t, get tough and remove him with the help of the police.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Never question yourself. You can see clearly this is him. Please don’t let him make you question yourself ever.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Ok sure. We've probably all had our moments of being irrationally shitty with an inanimate object. It happens...
But when it's a consistent, everyday occurrence like this, when he doesn't even care that he's caused a scene and when he doesn't see his issue with his actions - that's a glaring sign that he has anger management problems.

Aggression is aggression, ultimately. It really doesn't matter that he's not directly aiming his anger at you, he's behaving aggressively and it leaves you frightened. That's not normal and it's not okay!

This sort of thing does tend to escalate as well. For now he might just be yelling at the remote but what happens if you can't "deal" with it in time before he "loses it"? Maybe the remote gets thrown at the wall or through the TV...
What happens the time after that? Maybe it gets thrown at you or one of the kids...

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Anon Imperfect Mum

:( I’ve actually said similar to him and he swears he would never do it but the general “vibe” I’ve been getting from him since I first thought “I need to end this” has me unsettled. He says it’s my “past f*witts who’ve abused me in the past who have ruined it for him”. That he is different but I’m convinced everyone is the same because of what I’ve been through.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

You know how you deserve to be treated and how you should be treated. You are right, you do need to end it. It’s got nothing to do with your exes, it’s him and his vibe and how is he as a person. Don’t let him use your exes as an excuse for his behaviour. It’s his way of manipulating you into thinking, there is nothing wrong when there absolutely is. Good for you, for being strong and posting this. It can’t be easy but you know in yourself he isn’t right and you have only been together a year. What will happen in another year. Don’t waste anymore time in this situation.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

This is my boyfriend at the moment! Only he's an alcoholic. When he's sober he's always angry even at the smallest things, just angry at life. Problem is now we live together. I didn't see it so much at first because when we stayed at each other's home he had Always been drinking. He has thrown his phone at me, remotes and a beer can. He said hed never hit me. He yells really loud too And swears and it scares me.
It's not you. Stop justifying why you should stay or you will be in my position. We have broken this past week and I have to move in to the spare room as there is a major housing crisis where I am and I can't go anywhere. So I'm dealing with childish behaviours yelling at the dogs or my son over nothing and just walking on egg shells in general.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

You have a son to protect. Why would you stay in this situation. Can’t you go and stay with family or find some where. This will only get worse. If a man threw a phone at me or did any of this, I would ring the police and have him charged! I don’t care if he had no where to go. I would have him removed and charged. I wouldn’t deserve it and certainly wouldn’t want my kid anywhere near this man. There are ways out. Ring 1800 respect and get some advice so you can get yourself and kid away from this man. He says he won’t hit you. Yer ok but throwing a beer can or remote at you is ok. Ts assault weather it’s a hit or not.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

It was over a year ago now that he threw things at me. It's worthless going to the police about something that happened so long ago. While I agree with you, yelling isn't a reason for calling police. No I don't have family or money to move and he is refusing to budge.
I didn't actually want this about me so no hard times please. I just wanted the OP to see that she is not wrong in her thoughts and to not end up in a situation like me.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

I completely understand sorry I thought this was current. Completely agree with you.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

It's an inability to deal with frustration and this is the unhealthy way it's expressed. I do the same, but I know I do and I try really hard not to.
Know this. Regardless of "issues", when you're done you're done. You don't need an excuse to end it, you don't need to explain yourself to him or anyone else. He doesn't have to be "that bad" compared to previous partners.
This relationship is not your happy place so fuck it off.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Oh, and part of my working on it is facing down my mental health issues.
I have high functioning anxiety. It doesn't stop me from doing what I need to do but I'm always in a heightened state of stress. I refused any treatment because I was afraid I'd end up a zombie, or unable to do my job. I bit the bullet and I'm now medicated for that and the change from that alone has been huge. Little things that once set me off aren't even a blip on my radar anymore.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Even if his behaviour doesn’t escalate, you will live the rest of your life on edge and an anxious wreck.
My ex BIL was like this. Lost his cool over the tiniest things. It was horrible being around him.
It took my sister years to recover because she stayed too long. The kids are still scared of him. He never escalated, but you never could trust that he wouldn’t.
Dump him.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

My ex was like this, I totally get the sense of anxiety it causes! Interestingly enough I eventually found out my ex was using meth, not saying your partner does, just interesting the connection to substance abuse!
Some women may find this normal or tolerable, but for me the outbursts were just not something I could happily live with even thought they wernt often directed at me.
Hopefully you find a resolution soon. When you do, perhaps use this as a learning experience, perhaps waiting a year of being with someone until you move in with them could prevent this sort of thing happening again.

All the best! X

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