Is there ever a time when life is just normal?

tinylove

New member
Being so new to Poly it seems like all me and my husband do is talk and talk and talk and discuss and discuss every night. It seems like there is always something we have to go over or talk about and we never get to talk about everyday things anymore.

I feel like there are always conflicts,arguments or disagreements. Before we actively starting looking for people we had a normal couple lifestyle.

We would sit relax, have drink, talk about the kids and enjoy life. Now it seems like our life is upside down all the time. There is always something going on.

I have many many severe traumas from my past that are triggered by certain things. My husband knows this and we are not sure how to work through it.

Currently we have decided to not start any romantic relationships with anyone and only become friends with the people who we have already started talking with.

I have a lot of trust issues and like a few others have said as well ..It does not matter how many times he tells me he won't or doesn't want to leave me it still could happen in my mind.

I am dealing with a lot of fears that I do not know how to deal with. I have come to the conclusion that I do not know if I can be with anyone else sexually. It took me years before I could trust my husband enough to have meaningful sex with him. (this had nothing to do with him but from issues in my past)

To me the thought of being sexual with anyone makes me cringe. I am afraid my husband is going to fall in love with this new woman and want to have a sexual relationship with her. In my mind I won't be able to deal, cope or process this. The thought makes me not even want to touch my husband.

I am not sure if I can explain what I am feeling since no of you know what happened in my past.

I want to be able to tell my husband that I don't want to have any romantic relationships right now, I do not know how he feels about this though. I think so much will change once this happens between us and I am afraid that I won't want to have sex with him if he chooses to be sexual with this woman.

hoping someone can understand and maybe help me with ideas or experiences.
 
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Being so new to Poly it seems like all me and my husband do is talk and talk and talk and discuss and discuss every night. It seems like there is always something we have to go over or talk about and we never get to talk about everyday things anymore.

I feel like there are always conflicts,arguments or disagreements. Before we actively starting looking for people we had a normal couple lifestyle.

We would sit relax, have drink, talk about the kids and enjoy life. Now it seems like our life is upside down all the time. There is always something going on.

I have many many severe traumas from my past that are triggered by certain things. My husband knows this and we are not sure how to work through it.

Currently we have decided to not start any romantic relationships with anyone and only become friends with the people who we have already started talking with.

I have a lot of trust issues and like a few others have said as well ..It does not matter how many times he tells me he won't or doesn't want to leave me it still could happen in my mind.

I am dealing with a lot of fears that I do not know how to deal with. I have come to the conclusion that I do not know if I can be with anyone else sexually. It took me years before I could trust my husband enough to have meaningful sex with him. (this had nothing to do with him but from issues in my past)

To me the thought of being sexual with anyone makes me cringe. I am afraid my husband is going to fall in love with this new woman and want to have a sexual relationship with her. In my mind I won't be able to deal, cope or process this. The thought makes me not even want to touch my husband.

I am not sure if I can explain what I am feeling since no of you know what happened in my past.

I want to be able to tell my husband that I don't want to have any romantic relationships right now, I do not know how he feels about this though. I think so much will change once this happens between us and I am afraid that I won't want to have sex with him if he chooses to be sexual with this woman.

How did you come to poly? Did your husband bring you to it? Does anything about it appeal to you, or are you only doing it as an act of good faith for your marriage?
 
When we first got married we had a wonderful relationship with this women but she moved away and we both took different paths in our lives. For the past 10 years of our marriage we have been monogomous. Last year we decided we wanted a third to join us. We had trouble finding anyone and then decided to try finding people separately . We both found people and became friends with them right away. Of course this is when all the issues,conflicts and problems started. I thought that this was what I wanted but the more I realize it the more I think I just want more friends in my life and not new partners. But at the same time I have a lot of issues I have to deal with. So I think I am feeling overwhelmed and just do not want a relationship right now. Though i may in the future? I do believe that love is limitless I am just not sure how to deal with it at this moment.

We are done having children we have three. The person he met is 21 and wants children.

safe sex became an issue we have only been with each other and have no stds etc. this brought up fears for both of us.

etc. etc.
 
My wife and I discussed this the other day. Since life has become...more varied in the last 6 months she has started looking back and seeing our old life and asking the question "when will things go back to normal"...

I didn't and don't have an answer. I was never unhappy with our normal, but something always felt off. Sexually we were stalled (not in a rut as we are very adventurous lovers, we just kind of slowed to a crawl)...

emotionally I was burned out from helping her with health problems for 10 years. Everything to the outside person AND even us, seemed normal and awesome. We were that 10 year couple that still loved, dated and flirted openly. We had an awesome normal relationship....

We found a new partner (we have always been open) that we both fell for deeply. This opened up a whole new level of normal. Emotions flowing, re-awakened sex drive etc. While all the emotions sometimes hurt...they were also awesome. I look back on them with fondness in helping me wake up again. I look back at normal and cringe...I have never been "normal" how the hell did I let myself get that way anyways. I was stagnating in my normalcy.

What is abnormal about being significantly more open about my emotions, wants and needs. About discussing what hurts instead of hiding it. About discussing my insecurities instead of "manning" up every time. These are the things that make her uncomfortable because I talk a lot. I see the fire in her eyes again though, she is no longer normal either. She has gone back to that woman I debated with in a bar 10 years ago and at the end of the night decided we would go back to her place and try and break a bed...she has gone back to the woman who lusted and craved...

I don't have any suggestions for your normal or what you want. All I can do is share my perspective. Some days I look back at normal and think of how easy it was...but then I can look in the mirror and know I was burying something about myself to be "normal" (for me this has a little to do with poly...there is more involved than loving multiple people)

I don't know about your traumas, all I can do is say that you have your husband, you may find knowing your have him there will be an emotional pillar you can use to help you open up to someone knew. Knowing someone is there the help you and be your rock is empowering :)

We would sit relax, have drink, talk about the kids and enjoy life. Now it seems like our life is upside down all the time. There is always something going on.

This isn't really a poly thing. This happens to relationships regardless of the configuration. Maybe you need to set aside time where certain topics are off limits. Neutral space at a local pub you used to frequent where you don't discuss topics that aren't light.

:)
 
I agree that any relationship has problems . I think the problem is that we or I am always thinking about the things we need to talk about . It seems like everyday there is something new that comes up.

My husband also works all week long at least 8 hours a day this really leaves little time for us to talk. Weekends are mostly spent with the kids.

For the past few weeks we have litterally been staying up for hours disscussing things and it seems like we are only having mini break throughs.
 
hoping someone can understand and maybe help me with ideas or experiences.

I haven't read anything that others have said, but just wanted to tell you that I went through similar feelings as did my husband. We both had moments of cringing at the thought of anyone being with another and had endless nights of talking, endless crying and going over the same stuff again and again...

It seems a purge of all emotions and cultural expectations and understanding needs to happen in order to move forward and figure out common goals. To get at the root of what we were looking for and what the vision for our life would be needed to take time and talking about. We decided early on to just let that all have it's time and place and trust that whatever was to be would be.

Sure enough, like most things, there was an end to it all and now the talks are less frequent. We learned a lot about each other during that time. More than we ever would of otherwise. It was a huge gift to be able to have that time. It was hard work, but I wouldn't change it for the world. We have a way of understanding ourselves and each other that is invaluable.
 
Cajun and I were like this when we first started looking into Poly. I always had questions for him and wanted (needed) to know how he felt about something or what he thought about something to the point that every time we were alone, that seemed to be the only topic of conversation. This "problem" has calmed down quite a bit since then, not only because of the cease/pause of looking for another (ok, trying to get that other) but because after time, you realize that there aren't really any questions left unanswered at that point. I don't need to repeat questions with him.

If I might suggest, if you find that you keep thinking about certain things over and over, write them down somewhere safe. Sometimes what seems like the most important question at one moment, becomes something silly the next becuase you already know the answer yourself. Then you set aside time to talk about these things if they are still plaguing your mind.

I agree, finding somewhere or sometime to have the "normal" day to day things is a great idea.
 
Hey Tinylove,

Well - as you are discovering, when things are new it's easy for it to become almost all consuming. I think we all have experienced that. Think of learning anything new that you might have a lot of enthusiasm for.

When we hit those points now we recognize it and call "time out". We've learned that we don't want to let it consume us - it simply isn't worth it and actually can spoil it !

So we kind of back off for a while, deal with what we currently have in front of us - or even eliminate some of it (with apologies if needed) and just try to focus on each other more. Get some of that quiet, comfortable normalacy you speak of back in our life.

Maybe you can do this too ?

GS
 
The other posts offer some good perspectives.

The sexual aspect might be a place you could benefit from the insights of a good therapist? It sounds like there are unresolved traumas there which might be causing you pain and anxiety. An internet forum isn't the place to talk about those, but therapy is.

Personal growth is beautiful, and new relationships can be a wonderful catalyst for growth. But a person can't grow in a particular direction until they're ready -- it will only happen when it can happen. When the psychological path becomes open.

I'm a little concerned because what you write seems to carry lots of anxiety and dread associated with being sexually active. I might guess that if you force yourself into poly relationships without addressing that -- without opening the psychological path -- then you will have to suppress your fears and eventually they'll burst out in some potentially frightening and destructive way.

That's just guesswork on my part! I ain't no psychologist. Talk to a professional about this if you can. (Maybe you already have?) The right person can give you great insights into what is going on in your mind.

Good luck!
 
I didn't have time to read what everyone else has said so only skimmed through
but wanted to let you know that I can understand what you mean in regards to the issues around the past i have some very serious abuse in my past and it can be really difficult for me to trust someone sexually, it also leaves me with a whole load of issues, disoisation, attachment, fear or abandonment,

i have 2 partners, both of who are very patiant and understanding
when my first partner and myself decided to go poly it did turn our lifes upside down and it felt like its all we where talking about, however, few years down the line and life is pretty normal again, we have dinner, watch moives together and talk about everyday things as well as having time for other comunication around polyamory,

and more importantly I can see him go off to see his other girlfriend and feel truelly happy for him, i trust him completly that he loves me and that he loves her and that we are not in compitition, that took sometime to really sink it but it was possible

its taken me sometime to trust my newer partner around my abuse issues, but he is very patiant and i find its extreemly helpful to have another person to talk too and also to see that yes i can enjoy intamicy and sex with someone else and that i am worth being loved. Being poly has helped me grow and understand what my past has left me with now and put some of those feelings to rest, i have a long way to go, i still have a disosiative disorder and i prob always will but I can honestly say that im happy,

so i just wanted to let you know that it is possible, it just takes a bit of time,

Jools
 
Thanks!

Yes I am actually seeing a therapist for my past traumas.I have been seeing one for years. I do realize that a forum such as this is not a place to come and vent about my past.

We spoke last night and realized that right now is not a good time for me to start any romantic relationships until things open up for me.

So me and my husband have agreed that right now we will only have friendships and see what happens.

We have also decided to try and spend more time with each other other than just with the kids.
 
Everyone seems to have really sensible advice. We don't know what happened in your past, but intuitively I would say that you be careful with yourself and maybe try resolve that before moving into dynamics with other people...

In my case at least, I found that willingly putting myself in a situation with others, and opening myself up to that risk etc., brought up a lot of weaknesses, amplified them and made me look at them THEN AND THERE.

Polyamory has a way of poking a finger right into the things that hurt the most. In that sense I think it's an amazing way to grow and change as a person, but if you're not feeling grounded to begin with, maybe make that your priority...?

I think in time, this stuff gets easier, but with my SO's now ex-girlfriend, it never got easier, because it was never something she fundamentally wanted. And so it wasn't a constructive struggle towards something, but just her hurting herself.

I think you're wise to take it slow :)

Perhaps this could be an opportunity for you to heal some of those past hurts? :)
 
In our case there was an inordinate amount of talking to start with - lasted quite a few years, too. Things that hadn't been said needed to be said, and it was vitally important that things were understood, not just spoken. Lots of crises, lots of misinterpreted actions, often using a monogamous paradigm. Some talk was just to repair the damage that had been done by years of NOT talking.

But after a while things did calm down, and things got back to a more regular routine. There is still more talking about issues and trying to understand than there used to be, but I think that we see this as a positive, rather than a negative. We actually invest the time to make sure that the person we care about really gets what's going on, and that we get where they are.
 
I encourage you to continue with your therapy and maybe do some group work if you haven't done that. See if your therapist can suggest a weekend intensive if that would be appropriate for you. Even a week-long retreat where you can just focus on yourself.

I really feel for you.....I know about the intense and heart wrenching fear of losing your lover....your only lover; and how it seems that you will actually lose yourself in the process. And you would lose part of yourself if you lost him.....so the thing I would suggest is to spend time developing, and nurturing a part of yourself which is just for you.....a part of yourself which doesn't depend on anyone else. I have a part of myself that is just for me and that's where I go for comfort when I'm scared.
 
Interesting, Idealist...my GF told me once that only her father and her husband have been able to make her feel like everything is OK in her world, and that she would really like to be able to generate that feeling for herself. It's something we work on sometimes.

tinylove, I'm really happy to hear that you've been working with a therapist. I have someone I see every few years when I get blocked and can't understand why.
 
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