Empty feeling

KerrBear

New member
I feel so so empty. I spent the summer working full-time an hour away in one direction from home. I got away from my daughter and my husband and my life. I focused on working and only working. I would go home and I absolutely refused to have sex with my husband pretty much this entire time. Mostly because I was healing and the thought of being intimate with him made me sick to my stomach. But also because I was honestly exhausted with the fact that I still had to balance doing most of everything in the house (husband works crazy long hours) AND being a mom AND working/driving 10 hours. Yeah, there was a bit of resentment there. I'm sure he resented me a bit too. Our first poly situation, my awakening that I was poly, really rubbed the wrong way. But it brought a pimple to the surface that needed to be popped.

I quit my job because I knew my daughter could no longer handle being away from her mother for that long (she is only 4). But I also could no longer handle the drama of working in a small office where the two owners are having a "sexless relationship" and the woman in that outfit was incredibly threatened by me. I even got in trouble for having an innocent conversation about GMO's with my other boss. :(

I liked my job. I liked the money a lot. I liked feeling like I was an important part of this relationship (which means I was making money not that my husband has ever made me feel like I wasn't important). I want to work again but I can't until my daughter is in school. I know that now.

I have started feeling more in love with my husband again. I couldn't put into words for a long time what I was feeling. I finally did and there were tears but I rarely, rarely cry. Then it was like I could love him again and it's been good.

Now, while I was working I thought constantly about being in another relationship. Not that I wanted to leave my husband, but I wanted someone else and thought about it all the time.

I have a swinger friend who has been texting me, asking me how I am and whatever. I mostly just tell him the basics and the drama at work, ect. I am not sexually attracted to him although we have had sex a few times in the past while I was a swinger. I told him I'm poly and have no interest in casual sex anymore.

Still he asked me if my husband and I were going to the swinger camp. I told him that I would like to see him but I had no real interest in hanging out with a bunch of swingers and having to explain to them that I'm not going to have casual sex. Explaining that to my past partners there would be a difficult feat, plus we aren't drinkers and there is a lot of booze consumed there. We haven't found the 420 group yet, so we mostly just stick to ourselves, not wanting to mingle with the drunks. . .

I would have wanted my husband to go. He is still interested in casual sex, but I'm simply not. I want a relationship with another man.

My husband didn't like my first bf and I haven't talked to the ex at all really. His gf moved up here from Missouri and she wanted to hang out. So we invited them over and had a dinner and watched some TV. She is nice. Nothing happened. My ex kept trying to hug me but I wanted nothing to do with him really other than maybe fuck him but that's the extent of that emotion.

I haven't really been talking to any other guys. It's different when you're not approaching this as a swinger but as a relationship seeker and I'm not sure if my husband is ready or really willing to allow me to have a relationship, but I KNOW I don't want to be a swinger anymore. I KNOW that I want another relationship and I KNOW we both aren't going to be able to stay monogamous forever. . .

Not just because I know I'm going to fail at it but also my husband won't be able to do it for much longer. Right now, he's kept himself busy with working. It's like working endlessly makes sure you have no time to be interested in that part of us. I know how he's feeling because I did this over the summer to help me get over my ex and wanting to stay "monogamous" (that feels like a dirty word, by the way).

Plus, my husband is going to spend the slower months this winter working for the family of the woman he cheated on me with 5 years ago. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he starts doinking her again anyway. . .
 
No advice or thoughts?
 
I'm not sure what you're asking specifically. And I'm not sure you'll like my thoughts. But here they are.

You sound very sad. You sound like you're at a crossroads in your life, sure that you no longer want to be what, who, and where you were, but also not sure which way you want to go. Your writing sounds like I felt sometimes when I tried to see into the future and saw only a gray cloud.

My suggestions are:

Start doing some reading on faiths and philosophies. My gut feeling is that what you're really missing, and looking for, is a purpose in life. The bigger picture. Something bigger than yourself. Meaning. Do some reading. Take some quiet time to pray, meditate, or reflect.

Find an online 'bucket list' site. I used 43things.com in the wake of infidelity. It helped me reconnect with who *I* am, what *I* value, what *I* want to have to say for myself at the end of my days on earth.

Sorry if it sounds trite, but make a gratitude list. Find one good thing in each day. In the midst of infidelity, having a gratitude list, as corny as it may sound, helped me re-focus on the good and beauty in life, even in the midst of difficult times.

Take your focus off yourself for awhile and see what happens. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or a women's shelter. Sponsor a child through a program. It's an incredible thing to talk to these kids via letters, to hear from them and learn how they live, and realize what a difference you can make in this world.

My thoughts are that you're devoting an awful lot of energy and focus to FIX WHAT'S WRONG. Let go for a little bit. Quit worrying about finding a relationship, and take time to reconnect with what you really want to say for yourself at the end of your days, how you want to be remembered.
 
Feeling "empty" plus thinking "unstoppable doom" like

"I know I'm going to fail at it but also my husband won't be able to do it for much longer."
"My husband is going to spend the slower months this winter working for the family of the woman he cheated on me with 5 years ago. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he starts doinking her again anyway. . . "

Rather than asking your spouse things like...


"Could you be willing to talk to me at some point -- not necessarily this minute -- about Opening again in future but doing it in a better way?

"Could you be willing to skip working for this family and work elsewhere? Maybe talk about making a different plan while there's time to find a different job?"

...so you can get some of your needs met and get the ball rolling in a different way. It doesn't have to be "doom" stuff.

To me all that sounds like you are depressed. In poor spirit. :(

Continuing on that path, continuing to think unstoppable doom things and doing nothing to at leasy try to change things... that behavior does nothing to uplift you. So that you can be in better spirit. :(

Hard to give you advice when you do not state what your desired outcome is. Can't give you ideas for HOW to get there, if you do not know WHAT you want to end up with or achieve.

What DO you want? What would make life wonderful for you in the next few months? Other than you finding employment? (Because that in your story sounded fulfilling at least. I'd start there.)

Only you have those kinds of answers. What could you do, so you could feel uplifted? :eek:

Galagirl
 
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Like others have said....not really sure what you want advice on?
Do you want to stay married to your husband? do you want multiple partners, or just not your husband? Why are you worried about him having sex with an ex if you want to be poly?
Not sure what guidance to offer :)
 
No advice or thoughts?

What's your goal? If you don't know what the desired outcome of your current situation is, then I'd say start there.

What you've put up here is basically just a blog post about your misery. I get it, and sometimes that's necessary, but it doesn't really get us anywhere.
 
Hi KerrBear. Your post struck me as someone very STUCK inside themselves. Going in emotional circles...caught in a vicious cycle. Your feeding the cycle.

I'm going to take a hard and fast approach at this - all good intentioned.

Look at these quotes from your post:

I feel so so empty.
I focused on working and only working.
I would go home and I absolutely refused to have sex with my husband
I'm sure he resented me a bit too.
I thought constantly about being in another relationship.
I wanted someone else and thought about it all the time.
I'm not sure if my husband is ready or really willing to allow me to have a relationship
I KNOW we both aren't going to be able to stay monogamous forever. . .
I know I'm going to fail at it
my husband won't be able to do it for much longer.
I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he starts doinking her again anyway

These are the words you are using to describe how you feel about your LIFE! They detail how you are looking at YOUR life. The actions you take in your life are going to either FOLLOW those words or CONFLICT with those words. Either option is not looking good.

Here's a thought. Look at those quotes and think about the FUTURE you see for yourself with this being the way you describe your life.

Do you want that future?

What future DO you want for yourself?

What future would you want that would be of YOUR choosing?

Can you picture the future you want for you and your family?

What does a future of your choosing look like?

What kinds of things are going on in that future?

How do you want to look at your life in that future?

What kinds of actions can you take NOW to bring about that future of your choosing?

That is where you need to be.

1) Look at how you feel now
2) Look at the future that awaits you through feeling that way
3) Choose if that is the future you want, or is it another future?
4) Choose the future you want
5) Envision what that future looks like
6) Start taking the actions that are required to get there
7) Keep looking at your life to make sure it looks like a life that is headed toward the future of YOUR CHOOSING
8) Adjust along the way!

I feel for you stuck in that vicious cycle. WhatHappened said it best in their post about focusing on what you want for yourself....REFOCUS anywhere but on the stuff your focused on now.

Not sure if that's what you were looking for, but that's what I see available for you...happiness of your choosing.
 
Perhaps I am depressed. I have had depression my entire life but I've come a long, long way from what I was when I was younger. I can function now.

I want to love and trust my husband. Since he cheated on me, I haven't really been able to do this. So that's been 5 years now. I guess I do love him but sexually, I wasn't longing for him at all. I just wanted him to be around and I felt comfort in that.

I don't have an issue with my husband going with another lady, just I don't really like HER. This is because he cheated on me with her and she knew perfectly well that we were married and at the time NOT in an open relationship.

I have spoke to my husband about my concern about him working for her family. He said that he had thought about that too but that he just thought it would be a good job fit because it is right up the road and his hours would allow him to be home early so he can spend the evening with us. That right there is almost worth it because I really do miss him a lot.

We are so broke. It's not fair. My husband works tons of hours and we still can't make ends meet. I can't work full-time cause of my kids. I feel like a failure because I couldn't get the other job to work and I was trying so hard to make it work. And now all that extra responsibility is on my husband. :(

Sigh. I want stability. I want my husband to not have to work so many hours and still be able to pay the bills. I want to be more effective in my writing job so that I can make more money on that. I wish I was more motivated too, but lack of it might be because I'm down. I know that when I'm not working LESS gets done in my house than when I am.

In the future I dream of finally having a house that is big enough for us all and we're not so tight on money so we can go on fishing and camping trips with our kids. I eventually want to have another man in my life that I can go out and see from time to time without my husband getting uptight about him not being involved in every little thing regarding my relationship with this other person.

My hold up with even looking for another is because I don't want the drama my husband created with the last one. I never was difficult with him when he wanted to have casual sex with other women, I was the one who even went and found him the women for him per his request. . .

I guess I don't really have questions, only feelings and thoughts. I JUST found out I was poly and I want so much to explore that side of myself more. I feel like I'm shackled and I can't because of my husband and what happened last time.

When he cheated on me, I did so much changing in myself so I could accept that part of my husband. He didn't have to change at all but I had to change completely. It was not fair and yes, I have told my husband that this is what I feel happened. He then commenced to tell me that he would never go out and find someone else to love because it would hurt me too much but he doesn't understand that his infidelity crushed me but I know that men who cheat do so because they are not meant for monogamy, so I changed the rules of our relationship so many years ago.

It was fun while it lasted, but I don't WANT to be a swinger anymore. He doesn't want that. He wants to be a swinger only. I mean, when Beaner and his gf came over, he was so sexually charged even though nothing was going on. He told me he wanted so much to have us all in "one big ball" and have me be sexual with his gf. That is NOT me. I don't even like women in that way so I was honestly disgusted that he took an innocent fun night with friends and turned it into a sex thing. He doesn't understand me. I don't want to just mess around, I want to love that person.

As a swinger, it is fwb at the most but I don't want to settle for that anymore. I know my husband whats that, but why must I have to do the same thing as him? How is that really fair? How do I tell him that I'm an independent person and I want to have another relationship with someone?
 
You sound like your situation is happening to you and that you are completely incapable of doing anything about it. This is total bullshit, and completely a construct of your own mind.

I strongly encourage you to take responsibility for your life, stop keeping score, and stop playing the victim.

How do I tell him that I'm an independent person and I want to have another relationship with someone?

Tell him exactly that.
 
All of the shackles are self made.

Its hard to hear, I know, I have had to hear them.

But, Marcus is right.
You need to stop making excuses and blaming.
Start taking responsibility to make the necessary changes.

If you know you suffer from depression, what are you doing to manage it? You have listed several things that are common triggers for depressive episodes.

You haven't listed anything you are doing to care for and manage that aspect of your health, like exercize, socializing, therapy etc.

second, you want poly and not swinging. Ok. Don't swing and start making friends, get out and socialize. That will help with depression and the option of poly.
Talk honestly "I love my husband. I dont equate love with monogamy. I want loving relationships but having one doesnt mean one cant have another." and the like when meeting people.
You will naturally brin open minded closer with such honesty and people who arent open to those ideas will naturally migrate away. Which will result in you being surrounded by people who are more likely to be open to and supportive of the relationship style you want.

Do some therapy regarding your continued animosity about the cheating. You can not build a healthy future while continuing your current thought processes on the topic.

As a frame of reference: I cheated on dh with bf. we nearly divorced. That was an ongoing long term (nearly a decade) affair. Why? Because I loved them both and didnt know how to navigate it. Epic fail.
But through honest self exploration and responsibility we moved past that and have been openly poly the last 4 years (anniversary yesterday actually). We all live together.
DH had to let go of the hurt and anger of my affair and learn to accept the truth of it. I fucked up. That doesnt mean I or GG is a bad person. It means we fucked up. Moving on.

You need to move on as well. So he cheated. The agreements have now changed. Get over it. If you have the balls, go make peace with her. For all you know she may be a wonderful person who is able to support and understand your desire for poly-a person who epic failed before.
 
You sound like your situation is happening to you and that you are completely incapable of doing anything about it. This is total bullshit, and completely a construct of your own mind.

I strongly encourage you to take responsibility for your life, stop keeping score, and stop playing the victim.
.


I'm just trying to NOT create waves in my relationship. I don't like fighting with my husband. He is very passive aggressive so it's hard to be forceful without him twisting it around and turning the argument against me. I don't want to break his heart either. I feel like I'm just smearing feel-good juice over myself to appease him and his needs while ignoring my own.

I can just go and tell my husband that I'm just going to go ahead and have a relationship and hell with you, but that isn't solving ANY of the issues as to why I hesitate to have one. Then I'm dragging another person into a drama fest that is caused because I'm not "allowed" to have that person at all.

Or he will tell me he is okay with it but then become a major asshole about the whole thing and gets all emo on me and makes my life miserable.

So how do I get my husband to accept me for who I am without causing all the drama, passive aggressive bullshit that happened before with Beaner?
 
Sometimes you can't. Sometimes you need to accept that you're different and won't be able to change the person. You have to choose to live for Yourself and not him.
 
Broken trust is not something that can just be 'gotten over.' It doesn't sound to me like he's doing anything to rebuild that trust or make amends.

I spent a lot of time on an infidelity board, and the experts say it takes a minimum 2-1/2 to 5 years to repair the damage of an affair, and that is under absolute best possible conditions.

You don't have best possible conditions.

I think it's close to impossible to stay in a situation where you're being treated with disrespect, and feel perfectly happy with that.

My solution in a similar circumstance was to send my (now X) H to live in the basement and move on with my life. There was no way I was going to give and give and give to someone who treated me with such little respect in return. I absolutely could have been happy simply detaching and continuing to share a home and be married. But to try to continue a 'loving' or loving and trusting relationship with someone who was clearly not treating me with love? No. People are unhappy when they know they're being used, disrespected, and treated as a doormat with absolutely no value.

I'm sending you a PM.
 
So how do I get my husband to accept me for who I am without causing all the drama, passive aggressive bullshit that happened before with Beaner?

I know you think you are trying, but it just sounds like whining to me. Seriously, cowboy up and take some responsibility for your life... no one did this to you... you did it to yourself.

You will greatly benefit from doing some Google searches on standard topics: "building self esteem", "codependency", "letting go of baggage", and "how to build a resume and start my life over".
 
I know you think you are trying, but it just sounds like whining to me. Seriously, cowboy up and take some responsibility for your life... no one did this to you... you did it to yourself.

You will greatly benefit from doing some Google searches on standard topics: "building self esteem", "codependency", "letting go of baggage", and "how to build a resume and start my life over".

I have a very effective resume, thank you.

I think it's unrealistic for me to just "get over it" when nothing has really happened on his half to make anything better. I can only give so much of myself before I start to become resentful and angry, which I would really rather NOT do.

So instead of telling me to just "get over it" why not offer advice as to how I approach my husband on these issues in the best way possible that won't end up in a huge argument that won't solve anything?
 
I will always have depression. That will never change. I am not in a place where I can do nothing with myself because I have depression. I will always have cycles where I am more depressed than other times, that doesn't mean I'm not capable of having a meaningful, fulfilling relationship. Having depression doesn't make me an unstable or broken person. It's like a person with ADHD, I learn to deal with it and move on with my life which I have done.

Yes, I have hang-ups sometimes like everyone with a mental illness, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to handle myself or my "triggers" or "hot thoughts" which is the technical term. I was taught how to handle them when I had therapy years ago for my depression. It was so so so much worse at that time, I have come a HUGE way.
 
If you're going to be a sahm a good way (which I did for 8 months) is do child care in your home. We still struggled but it helped. I thought I'd never get a job & earlier this month I was offered one where my salary is more than what we (hubby & I) had been making monthly. My point is we were broke, had to live within our means, kept faith life would get better & it eventually did. Going forward we spend the same as before & save the extra.
 
If you're going to be a sahm a good way (which I did for 8 months) is do child care in your home. We still struggled but it helped. I thought I'd never get a job & earlier this month I was offered one where my salary is more than what we (hubby & I) had been making monthly. My point is we were broke, had to live within our means, kept faith life would get better & it eventually did. Going forward we spend the same as before & save the extra.

I would like to do that, but our place isn't big enough for more than one extra child, but I have other stay at home options.

I am a freelance writer currently but only make about $100 a month on that. I need to discover how to get more work and to become more efficient in writing articles.

I would so love to be able to save. Right now our electric, water, rent, and gas bill alone consumes the majority of our income. We barely have enough to eat.

My neighbors have an open wi-fi. It's the only reason why I have the internet, yet I depend on it for my job.
 
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Ok... here's some of your wants as best as I can make out. (I could be wrong.)

EMOTIONAL/MENTAL HEALTH:

  • I want to love and trust my husband.
  • I want to manage depression.
  • I want to become more assertive (?) and be able to just tell my husband that I don't want to swing? I prefer to poly?

FINANCIAL HEALTH
  • I want (financial) stability.
  • I want my husband to not have to work so many hours and still be able to pay the bills.
  • I want to be more effective in my writing job so that I can make more money on that.
  • we're not so tight on money so we can go on fishing and camping trips with our kids.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

  • A house that is big enough for us all.
  • A clean, orderly home where things get done (I assume cleaning? You seem to imply that more housework gets done when you are working than when you are not?)

SOCIAL HEALTH

  • DH not to date the cheating woman person.
  • For me to have another man in my life that I can go out and see from time to time without my husband getting uptight about him

COMPATABILITY ISSUES

  • DH wants to be a swinger
  • I want to be poly
  • I am ok (?) with DH swinging
  • DH is not ok with me being poly

I don't know if that helps you to look at it like a bullet list.

Could you get organized with housework since you are home? Pleasant surroundings could help uplift your mood?

How old are the children? How close to being in school? Because then that opens up possibilities for you to work during school hours.

What about birth control? I assume you don't want to have MORE kids at this time and be back in baby mode if you are close to the kids being in PreK or K already.

Galagirl
 
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