My husband and I have been with our gf for six months. Before she moved in, he had been experiencing a major increase in his libido. Before we even met her, actually...
Prior to that, we'd been avg once every 10 days or so, if that. Partly, he's always had a lower sex drive. Partly, we spent two years trying to conceive (and failed). It definitely didn't help. Even *I* didn't want it that much with all that stress.
Anyway, I was elated when we had this sexual renaissance. We even went 17 days in a row at one point (before she lived here and often without her involvement even remotely).
Then she moved in. It was a rough transition, mostly because unbeknownst to us all, a medication I was taking for fibromyalgia was making me totally out of my mind crazy. It was six weeks before I'd figured out the problem and worked towards fixing it, and of course, I did damage in that time. I didn't mean to, but I did. Yet, oddly enough we all together were probably having more sex in that time than we have since I've been more mentally healthy.
Part of this is that our gf got a job and has to go to bed pretty early. Sex on weeknights just doesn't happen for all three of us. However, each of us has alone time with her one night a week, and individually have had sex with her during that time. It's always sort of hard for me... as the one with the highest libido, they know that they still have a pretty damn good shot with me, even if I've had sex with one of them that night. With either of them, the chance of me having sex later that night is nil. So, while I want them to have the right to choose to be alone, I struggle with feeling like it's a choice to not ALL be together... I know I want alone sex with each of them, and expect them to want it with each other. That's not the problem. Furthermore, I don't want to be taken for granted as a sure thing (though I absolutely am)... I want the right to choose one of them during alone time and say no to the other later that night.
Okay... so that's the basic (very basic, admittedly) background. He and I have struggled with libido issues in the past... I eventually learned to not take that personally. Then this year, it improved a LOT. Then our gf moved in.
Now, the challenges are as follows:
1) He doesn't like having sex at night in the guestroom downstairs because getting up afterwards is annoying and inconvenient.
2) She goes to bed so early that sex at night has become virtually impossible. She has narcolepsy, so sleep is essential for her... though she's told us to just go ahead, at least on a weeknight, we are not willing to risk it.
3) I am learning to cope with not seeing as them choosing to not be with me when they have sex during alone time. I rationally accept and see this as true, but emotionally I still struggle, and alone time for them is a big stressor for me wondering "will they or won't they?" It's not even so much about if they do... the not knowing if they will seems to be the big issue. If I pretty much know they will or know they won't, I'm far less stressed while they have alone time.
Okay... so with the basics in place, here's the current issue.
In the past five weeks or so, my husband and I have had alone sex maybe four times. One of those times was on a Friday night when she wasn't interested and we were in the bedroom upstairs while she did something at her desk. It's been eleven days since we were last together. That night, it was surrounded by drama - very unexpected drama. She and I had scheduled alone time, and he and I unexpectedly had sex. She was really upset about it - which shocked us both, but then this was coming off a fairly major drama the night before (too long to go into here). The bottom line is that she felt as though I was saying she wasn't good enough, that I had to have him, too. I was so still wanting her, and we talked that out and things are better.
Last week, they had sex during alone time. He and I spend time alone on the two days I don't work and I get out of work over two hours before her, and he and I have two hours or more before she gets home most nights.
Tonight, they had sex during alone time. It was totally unexpected, by all three of us, as she has thrush so her mouth is totally off limits for everything. I had been hoping I might have a chance tonight, which was foolish for me to think because he and I haven't had sex at night in over a month. So, the odds weren't good regardless of them being together. I was stupid to get my hopes up. I know that I need to assume they will have sex during alone time and that it means I won't get sex with either of them later that night. That's their right. It's their time, and if that's what they do with it, that's their choice. So, I was foolish and stupid to get my hopes up for at least two reasons.
But the problem is, at least in part, that he's had sex with her twice in the past week, and finished with her the last time the three of us were together. So, there's a part of me that sees him desiring her, but not me.
But I'm not blaming her. It's not even about her, at the end of the day. I don't care if he wants her. I just also want him to want me. If he hadn't had sex at all in that time, it wouldn't have mattered so much... then I could just think his low sex drive was returning. But he HAS, and so what else am I to feel?
I feel undesirable and unwanted. Everything else is fine. But this is a major source of emotional distress for me. I even found myself researching ways to lower libido, because the rejection is just so hard... and when you have the highest sex drive, you're always the one who is rejected.
I don't know why he doesn't want me. He'd say he does. Okay, so why he doesn't want me more, then. I think, sometimes, that my damn sex drive means that because I'm ALWAYS attainable, I get taken for granted and I'm less appealing. He can have me any night of the week. With her, his best shot is during that alone time.
Since I recently started to work part-time, he and I will now also have scheduled alone time. Which is nice because I'm pretty sure it's the only shot in hell I have of having sex with my husband anymore... and frankly, because our alone time will be when she's still at work, I'm not even sure the situation will lend itself to sex. Meaning, when they're alone, they often go downstairs to the spare room (yeah, the same one he doesn't have sex with me in at night). Whether to talk or play a game, it lends itself to sex.
If we're in the dining room, that may not happen. I'm tired of initiating and getting turned down. It hurts.
The worst part is, I can't talk to him about any of this. I *had* to talk to her (left out the part about feeling like he wants her but not me, though the sex would make that obvious anyway) because she caught me crying after I found out they had alone time sex, and I needed her to understand I wasn't hurt or angry or upset by that... I was mad at myself for putting myself in a position to be hurt. But that's on me, not them.
I can't talk to him for two reasons... one is he recently asked me to not talk to him about things he can't fix. Well, he sure as hell can't fix this. Beyond that, what does it accomplish? I can't make him want me more. I don't have any magical "make them want Kari" pixie dust lying around (if you have some, please send it). If I tell him, it may even serve to make the problem worse... because he may feel less inclined to have sex since it's a source of stress and drama. Furthermore, the last thing I want is "pity sex."
So... since lowering my libido is apparently impossible, what am I to do? How do I learn to cope with this without seeing it as him wanting her and not me? How do I learn to handle their alone time sex without it feeling like they're choosing to not be with me (especially when that's sort of what they ARE choosing - so I guess it's more, how do I become okay with that choice)?
It's SO hard to not be able to talk to him. Whenever I've had these sorts of emotional issues to sort out, I've been able to use him as a sounding board. But now the issues directly involve him, and he's a fixer. It hurts him to know he's hurt me - even unintentionally, and I don't see how telling him about this solves the problem. But he's been my best friend for 10 years... and I've told him pretty much everything in that time, so learning to parse my thoughts is a big challenge. It's somewhat easier with her... and all she's asked is that I not make her feel responsible for these sorts of things (hence the not telling her I feel like he's wanting her more than me, even though I'm sure that's what she thinks because, well... the recent evidence supports that). And in this case, I was able to keep my emotions controlled enough to tell her what the real issue was - so she wouldn't think it was me reverting to crazy and being upset that they had sex alone. That's actually never really made me crazy, except in the not knowing if they will or won't way... and initially it was very awkward for me afterwards... I mean, he's my husband and we never planned to be in a triad, and well... he'd just had sex with someone who wasn't me, and it wasn't even that I was jealous or hurt. It was just so WEIRD. But even that is fading, now that she's been here over three months.
So now it's just... what to do about feeling unwanted? She's done a lot to ensure I don't feel that way, but she's a girl and I think she gets it more than he does. No offense to any guys reading... but my husband's very logical and rational (except when he's not - I think he's like a dragon - thick skinned, but there are some sore spots). But when he's not, he rarely sees that, haha.
Okay... vent over. Constructive thoughts welcomed. Go.
~Kari
Prior to that, we'd been avg once every 10 days or so, if that. Partly, he's always had a lower sex drive. Partly, we spent two years trying to conceive (and failed). It definitely didn't help. Even *I* didn't want it that much with all that stress.
Anyway, I was elated when we had this sexual renaissance. We even went 17 days in a row at one point (before she lived here and often without her involvement even remotely).
Then she moved in. It was a rough transition, mostly because unbeknownst to us all, a medication I was taking for fibromyalgia was making me totally out of my mind crazy. It was six weeks before I'd figured out the problem and worked towards fixing it, and of course, I did damage in that time. I didn't mean to, but I did. Yet, oddly enough we all together were probably having more sex in that time than we have since I've been more mentally healthy.
Part of this is that our gf got a job and has to go to bed pretty early. Sex on weeknights just doesn't happen for all three of us. However, each of us has alone time with her one night a week, and individually have had sex with her during that time. It's always sort of hard for me... as the one with the highest libido, they know that they still have a pretty damn good shot with me, even if I've had sex with one of them that night. With either of them, the chance of me having sex later that night is nil. So, while I want them to have the right to choose to be alone, I struggle with feeling like it's a choice to not ALL be together... I know I want alone sex with each of them, and expect them to want it with each other. That's not the problem. Furthermore, I don't want to be taken for granted as a sure thing (though I absolutely am)... I want the right to choose one of them during alone time and say no to the other later that night.
Okay... so that's the basic (very basic, admittedly) background. He and I have struggled with libido issues in the past... I eventually learned to not take that personally. Then this year, it improved a LOT. Then our gf moved in.
Now, the challenges are as follows:
1) He doesn't like having sex at night in the guestroom downstairs because getting up afterwards is annoying and inconvenient.
2) She goes to bed so early that sex at night has become virtually impossible. She has narcolepsy, so sleep is essential for her... though she's told us to just go ahead, at least on a weeknight, we are not willing to risk it.
3) I am learning to cope with not seeing as them choosing to not be with me when they have sex during alone time. I rationally accept and see this as true, but emotionally I still struggle, and alone time for them is a big stressor for me wondering "will they or won't they?" It's not even so much about if they do... the not knowing if they will seems to be the big issue. If I pretty much know they will or know they won't, I'm far less stressed while they have alone time.
Okay... so with the basics in place, here's the current issue.
In the past five weeks or so, my husband and I have had alone sex maybe four times. One of those times was on a Friday night when she wasn't interested and we were in the bedroom upstairs while she did something at her desk. It's been eleven days since we were last together. That night, it was surrounded by drama - very unexpected drama. She and I had scheduled alone time, and he and I unexpectedly had sex. She was really upset about it - which shocked us both, but then this was coming off a fairly major drama the night before (too long to go into here). The bottom line is that she felt as though I was saying she wasn't good enough, that I had to have him, too. I was so still wanting her, and we talked that out and things are better.
Last week, they had sex during alone time. He and I spend time alone on the two days I don't work and I get out of work over two hours before her, and he and I have two hours or more before she gets home most nights.
Tonight, they had sex during alone time. It was totally unexpected, by all three of us, as she has thrush so her mouth is totally off limits for everything. I had been hoping I might have a chance tonight, which was foolish for me to think because he and I haven't had sex at night in over a month. So, the odds weren't good regardless of them being together. I was stupid to get my hopes up. I know that I need to assume they will have sex during alone time and that it means I won't get sex with either of them later that night. That's their right. It's their time, and if that's what they do with it, that's their choice. So, I was foolish and stupid to get my hopes up for at least two reasons.
But the problem is, at least in part, that he's had sex with her twice in the past week, and finished with her the last time the three of us were together. So, there's a part of me that sees him desiring her, but not me.
But I'm not blaming her. It's not even about her, at the end of the day. I don't care if he wants her. I just also want him to want me. If he hadn't had sex at all in that time, it wouldn't have mattered so much... then I could just think his low sex drive was returning. But he HAS, and so what else am I to feel?
I feel undesirable and unwanted. Everything else is fine. But this is a major source of emotional distress for me. I even found myself researching ways to lower libido, because the rejection is just so hard... and when you have the highest sex drive, you're always the one who is rejected.
I don't know why he doesn't want me. He'd say he does. Okay, so why he doesn't want me more, then. I think, sometimes, that my damn sex drive means that because I'm ALWAYS attainable, I get taken for granted and I'm less appealing. He can have me any night of the week. With her, his best shot is during that alone time.
Since I recently started to work part-time, he and I will now also have scheduled alone time. Which is nice because I'm pretty sure it's the only shot in hell I have of having sex with my husband anymore... and frankly, because our alone time will be when she's still at work, I'm not even sure the situation will lend itself to sex. Meaning, when they're alone, they often go downstairs to the spare room (yeah, the same one he doesn't have sex with me in at night). Whether to talk or play a game, it lends itself to sex.
If we're in the dining room, that may not happen. I'm tired of initiating and getting turned down. It hurts.
The worst part is, I can't talk to him about any of this. I *had* to talk to her (left out the part about feeling like he wants her but not me, though the sex would make that obvious anyway) because she caught me crying after I found out they had alone time sex, and I needed her to understand I wasn't hurt or angry or upset by that... I was mad at myself for putting myself in a position to be hurt. But that's on me, not them.
I can't talk to him for two reasons... one is he recently asked me to not talk to him about things he can't fix. Well, he sure as hell can't fix this. Beyond that, what does it accomplish? I can't make him want me more. I don't have any magical "make them want Kari" pixie dust lying around (if you have some, please send it). If I tell him, it may even serve to make the problem worse... because he may feel less inclined to have sex since it's a source of stress and drama. Furthermore, the last thing I want is "pity sex."
So... since lowering my libido is apparently impossible, what am I to do? How do I learn to cope with this without seeing it as him wanting her and not me? How do I learn to handle their alone time sex without it feeling like they're choosing to not be with me (especially when that's sort of what they ARE choosing - so I guess it's more, how do I become okay with that choice)?
It's SO hard to not be able to talk to him. Whenever I've had these sorts of emotional issues to sort out, I've been able to use him as a sounding board. But now the issues directly involve him, and he's a fixer. It hurts him to know he's hurt me - even unintentionally, and I don't see how telling him about this solves the problem. But he's been my best friend for 10 years... and I've told him pretty much everything in that time, so learning to parse my thoughts is a big challenge. It's somewhat easier with her... and all she's asked is that I not make her feel responsible for these sorts of things (hence the not telling her I feel like he's wanting her more than me, even though I'm sure that's what she thinks because, well... the recent evidence supports that). And in this case, I was able to keep my emotions controlled enough to tell her what the real issue was - so she wouldn't think it was me reverting to crazy and being upset that they had sex alone. That's actually never really made me crazy, except in the not knowing if they will or won't way... and initially it was very awkward for me afterwards... I mean, he's my husband and we never planned to be in a triad, and well... he'd just had sex with someone who wasn't me, and it wasn't even that I was jealous or hurt. It was just so WEIRD. But even that is fading, now that she's been here over three months.
So now it's just... what to do about feeling unwanted? She's done a lot to ensure I don't feel that way, but she's a girl and I think she gets it more than he does. No offense to any guys reading... but my husband's very logical and rational (except when he's not - I think he's like a dragon - thick skinned, but there are some sore spots). But when he's not, he rarely sees that, haha.
Okay... vent over. Constructive thoughts welcomed. Go.
~Kari