Trouble in Paradise
Dear Community,

Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.

If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.

Thank you.

Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.

Really lost and confused

I really don't know if my marriage can be fixed or not. I really just need some advice. I have been married since October 2011, but we have been dating for 6 years on and off. The sex was great the first two times we dated. Then this time he hasn't always wanted it but I dealt with it because I was getting it once a week. Well now i'm lucky to get it twice a month. When I ask him why he doesn't want to have sex he says he don't like it. That orgasms dont feel good anymore and that he would rather do things that are more enjoyable, like getting a back scratch. He says he just doesn't enjoy it. He says he will do it to make me happy but I can't have sex with him when he doesn't want it because then it isn't enjyable for me. We have been trying to have a child but that's impossible with little sex we have. Now everytime we talk we fight. He works 2nd shift and I work 1st so I only see him on Saturdays and sometimes in passing on his way out the door. He says he will go to the dr to try to fix his problem just to make me happy but if he's not what he wants what good is that doing? Plus he will not take any meds so what good is that? Do any of you have any advice or am I right and my marriage is over?

Re: Really lost and confused

  • You dated this guy casually and when you found out you were sexually incompatible --- that's what the problem is: you are sexually imcompatible --- you should have said goodbye right there and moved on.

    If sex is important to you, you should have found a guy who liked sex as much as you did.

    He says he doesn't like it.

    I have NEVER known of a normal man who says that he dislikes sex.

    And you are TTC on top of this (no pun intended):  STOP. You have a problematic marriage and you have had a problematic relationship for the past 6 years.

    You have a problematic marriage. it's problematic because of the discord with a sex issue: you want to have lots more sex and he's out to lunch on that one. Not good.

    And he says he will see a doc to fix his problem....JUST to make you happy???

    That sure is a comfort and wow, great. (note the sarcasm)

    ONLY if he has an organic problem (hormonal imbalance or thyroid problem) can a doc "fix" the problem --- but if he's got a problem where he is just not into sex, the Surgeon General and the entire population of doctors in these United States won't be able to "fix" sh!t.

    PLENTY could be happening here:

    He was never into sex: he could be asexual...or just not into sex with you.
               He could be gay and in the closet.

    He could be having an affair -- not likely, because this has been going on for 6 years but then ya never know; maybe there's been somebody in the wings that you don't know about -- a woman or a guy --- and there's been somebody all along and he's done a superb job of hiding his evidence.

    He's just not into sex WITH YOU.

    AND this problem has caused plenty of arguments and fights and the fights are going to keep happening. And he has NOT done anything to address the problem and work on it with you.

    That he has said he does not like sex and does not enjoy it would be big concern for me --- as it should be for you.

    What you can do:

    Give him a deadline to ante up in the bedroom and if he does not, see an attorney and file.  Life's too short to waste on somebody like this and to boot he's more or less emotionally blackmailing you and "offering" to get help "for you." This is bullshit --- and this isn't a partner who cares.

    I do not think counseling will help. This jerk's made up his mind what it is "he" wants.

    All I see here is anger on his part and who needs that???

    And while you are in the midst of filing:

    Get therapy.

    Your self esteem is about as low as his sex drive; you need to find out why you were willing to stay with this turkey as long as you did. As I said, the second you found out he was such a wimp in the bedroom, you should have found another boyfriend. GL.
  • This, from December of 2011:

    My husband and me have been married for a month and a half. Well everynight when we go too bed we always have a really passionate kiss before turning over adn going to sleep. Last night he made the comment that he can't wait til we are older so he can just give me a peck on the cheek and go to sleep. Then he said babe we have already been married over a month, it's not special anymore. I was hurt and upset. Should I be? How cn I get him to understand it is still special?


    Sis, are you kidding me?

    Really and truly: are you KIDDING me.

    Why did you even date this guy, let alone MARRY him???

    As I said, no doctor in the world can light a fire under this little twit and get him to get it up and put it where it belongs regularly.

    Don't think of conceiving with this jerk. He treats YOU like trash; you think he is father material??? Guess again.

  • Honestly, I'm afraid of divorce. I've been with him for so long, I don't know want tome alone but I'm also tired of the fighting. He just called me and wants to fix things but I think they are past that point.

  • imageRiggs1015:

    Honestly, I'm afraid of divorce. I've been with him for so long, I don't know want tome alone but I'm also tired of the fighting. He just called me and wants to fix things but I think they are past that point.



    Why are you afraid of divorce?

    is it because you can't face being alone? Because that's what I think is is.

    So you're going to put up with the mistreatment and bull instead?

    He's not going to fix anything. I guarantee you he is giving you lip service on this one too and in no time at all there'll be another fight.


  • I'm afraid of being alone and having to pay the the new house we just bought in october. We did just fight again bc he called me from work. When I told him he had to fix things like he has to want to kiss me and hold me he says he wants to but never thinks about it which is why I have to make him do those things.
  • imageRiggs1015:
    I'm afraid of being alone and having to pay the the new house we just bought in october. We did just fight again bc he called me from work. When I told him he had to fix things like he has to want to kiss me and hold me he says he wants to but never thinks about it which is why I have to make him do those things.


    My goodness.

    ALL of this is full of nothing but no respect for you.

    he has to THINK about kissing you???

    Honey, this isn't normal.

    And neither is this piece of work.

    Not NORMAL!

    you and he are married 15 months! He should still be passionate and arduous and hot as a fuse for you! And as well he should, after 6 years!

    At best, you and he should be having sex 2 times a week minimum; 3 would be great.... but I do not see that happening.

    He isn't normal and this entire marriage dynamic is not normal.

    He's not into sex with you.

    See an attorney; if you and he own the home together, you will not be stuck paying for the entire kit and kaboodle; it is co-owned if both your names are on the deed.

    Life is too short to have what's left of your self esteem pulverized into nothing by some jerk of a husband. 

    Trust your gut on this; put yourself first.

    In my opinion, this was a relationship that never was. For some reason, you pursued marriage with this guy -- I suspect you did it so as not to be alone and so you'd get a child out of it. Sorry, but you are alone, in asmuch as this guy has no accord for you at all... and as for the child part, forget it.

    Put yourself first.
  • Thank you for all the advice. It a big choice to make, I just want him to change.
  • imageRiggs1015:
    Thank you for all the advice. It a big choice to make, I just want him to change.


    He is what he is and he practically wore a Grand Canyon-sized sandwich board that said what he was, when you MET him.

    He isn't going to change.

    He wasn't a sexual kind of guy when you met him, he never will be one.

    i'd even go as far as to ask him if he is homosexual.

    Something isn't right here.  I don't know if you have any guy friends who you trust and who are willing to speak candidly about how they feel about sex, but I am most certain if you got a male point of view about this, you'd get quite an earful.

    They wouldn't mince words and they'd tell you there is NO such thing as a normal male who'd pass up sex in any size shape or form!

    If it turns out he is gay, you could have this sham of a marriage annulled in a civil court.

    And even if he is not gay, they used to call this kind of behavior "alienation of affection." In other words, he refuses to get busy and have sex with his wife. That too used to be grounds for divorce.

    And any clergy person would tell you that this isn't normal. I don't know if you are religious or spiritual but even still: the vow is "forsaking all others" and he sure broke that vow about a trillion times over.

    Stop referrring to intercourse as "it" or "got it."  This is a little childish and trite. It's also not referring to something by its proper term.
  • imageRiggs1015:
    I'm afraid of being alone and having to pay the the new house we just bought in october. We did just fight again bc he called me from work. When I told him he had to fix things like he has to want to kiss me and hold me he says he wants to but never thinks about it which is why I have to make him do those things.

    Sweetie, life is too short to be unhappy like this. Yes it is scary. But it will be worth it in the end. You want someone who can be a real partner to you and who truly loves you. Not constant fighting, and begging for affection. It costs him nothing to cuddle with you, to kiss you. He should want to do those things.  And there is a guy who will do those things. 

  • imageGolden42:

    imageRiggs1015:
    I'm afraid of being alone and having to pay the the new house we just bought in october. We did just fight again bc he called me from work. When I told him he had to fix things like he has to want to kiss me and hold me he says he wants to but never thinks about it which is why I have to make him do those things.

    Sweetie, life is too short to be unhappy like this. Yes it is scary. But it will be worth it in the end. You want someone who can be a real partner to you and who truly loves you. Not constant fighting, and begging for affection. It costs him nothing to cuddle with you, to kiss you. He should want to do those things.  And there is a guy who will do those things. 



    Yep -- get out there and find a guy who thinks you are hotter than Vesuvius erupting.:)

    The PP is exactly right: it costs nothing to be affectionate, to kiss you, to show affection out side of the bedroom.

    I am also wondering if your H was your firs and only boyfriend. Very likely it is -- you have nothing to compare your experience to -- if you did, you'd know that this guy's got rocks in his head and you'd have been history pretty quickly once you found out that he was not a sexual guy.

    Or if you did have other boyfriends other than this guy, could be you've had problems with them too in which case your now-H is an addition to a long line of problematic relationships/boyfriends.

    If he won't make good after a deadline -- give him a month -- file and get out of there. As I said life is too short to waste on a character like this. He'll chip away at the little that's there of your self esteem and you do not need that.

    He doesn't like sex?

    Just doesn't like the sex act itself?

    Or doesn't like sex with YOU?

    I am also wondering if you have a full account of exactly what his sex life was like with other women before you got into the picture. I'll bet that's quite the story.
  • For me the red flag here was that you've dated this guy multiple times in the past. Clearly it's not going to be a lasting relationship, so you made a big mistake when you put a wedding ring on it. Get out now, because waiting won't make it any easier.
  • imageartbyallie:
    For me the red flag here was that you've dated this guy multiple times in the past. Clearly it's not going to be a lasting relationship, so you made a big mistake when you put a wedding ring on it. Get out now, because waiting won't make it any easier.

    I have to agree with this.  You've taken a big step by admitting that you're only with him because you don't want to be alone.  But being alone is so much better than being in an empty relationship, and you'll never find the relationship that you want while you're still with this guy.

    I would strongly urge you to get some individual counseling to work on your self-esteem and develop an identity for yourself apart from a guy.  I know it can be scary, but once you successfully extricate yourself from this situation, you'll wonder why you thought being with this guy was the end-all, be-all of your existence.

  • imageTarponMonoxide:
    imageRiggs1015:
    Thank you for all the advice. It a big choice to make, I just want him to change.


    He is what he is and he practically wore a Grand Canyon-sized sandwich board that said what he was, when you MET him.

    He isn't going to change.

    He wasn't a sexual kind of guy when you met him, he never will be one.

    i'd even go as far as to ask him if he is homosexual.

    Something isn't right here.  I don't know if you have any guy friends who you trust and who are willing to speak candidly about how they feel about sex, but I am most certain if you got a male point of view about this, you'd get quite an earful.

    They wouldn't mince words and they'd tell you there is NO such thing as a normal male who'd pass up sex in any size shape or form!

    If it turns out he is gay, you could have this sham of a marriage annulled in a civil court.

    And even if he is not gay, they used to call this kind of behavior "alienation of affection." In other words, he refuses to get busy and have sex with his wife. That too used to be grounds for divorce.

    And any clergy person would tell you that this isn't normal. I don't know if you are religious or spiritual but even still: the vow is "forsaking all others" and he sure broke that vow about a trillion times over.

    Stop referrring to intercourse as "it" or "got it."  This is a little childish and trite. It's also not referring to something by its proper term.

     

    I am with Tarpon.....

  • I'm serious about bouncing this "I don't like sex" off a guy friend you feel very comfortable talking to.

    You'll get quite the earful, as I said. Never ever have I heard of a guy who dislikes sex.

    Rather have a backscratch, really?

    Orgasms don't feel good, really?

    Amazing.

    And for-real: ask him if he is homosexual.

    Can your marriage be fixed? Honey, he was broken when you MET him. Therefore the relationship you had with him was broken, too. I don't see a snowball's chance of this marriage being fixed -- and even so, it takes 2 people, not one, to make any type of relationship work. He's telling you loud and clear that he doesn't give a tinker's damn.
  • I might have thrown out the whole "I rather have a back scratch then sex right now" a time or two but if my husband ever said that I'd DIE of shock right on the spot. My husband is down for sex pretty much at any time and at any point, and I think most men are. I think the truth of the matter is that he's either a) gay or b) getting it from somewhere else.
  • imageKayCee85:
    I might have thrown out the whole "I rather have a back scratch then sex right now" a time or two but if my husband ever said that I'd DIE of shock right on the spot. My husband is down for sex pretty much at any time and at any point, and I think most men are. I think the truth of the matter is that he's either a) gay or b) getting it from somewhere else.


    That's what I'm thinking.

    "I don't like sex" translates out to "I don't like sex with you" so he is either gay or has been having an affair for the entire length of time he has known her and has done a fantastic job of hiding the evidence.

    The ball is in the OP's court (or so to speak). How much of this sh!t are you supposed to take? Well, I guess it's 6 years and counting since that's the entire length of time she's been involved with her H.
  • I have to agree with pps. I'm sorry, but it sounds like your husband is either gay or sleeping with somebody else. I know there could be medical reasons for a low libido, but your husband doesn't sound like he really cares about having sex with you.

    What man says this?  "he doesn't want to have sex he says he don't like it. That orgasms dont feel good anymore and that he would rather do things that are more enjoyable, like getting a back scratch. He says he just doesn't enjoy it"

    That is not normal. 

    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
    TTC since September 2012
  • If you really like living/partnering with him, and it's just a sex issue, have you talked about an open relationship so you can get your needs met?
  • I am sorry you're going through this, if he's not sleeping with someone else and he's not interested in having sex, he should see a Dr, especially if at one point he was into having sex. I think you should separate, not just because of sex but because it sounds like he's no longer in love with you. Staying with someone because you're used to them, you care for them or scared to be alone are not good reasons, please seek therapy to help you move on and move forward. You're wasting time with someone who doesn't love you, doesn't care to change and who makes you unhappy. Life is too short to waste on someone who doesn't appreciate you. 
  • imageanssett:
    If you really like living/partnering with him, and it's just a sex issue, have you talked about an open relationship so you can get your needs met?


    Great on one front -- but she will still be living with this sh!thead who's already made it clear how he feels about her.
  • I know this is a tough issue that you are dealing with here, but I encourage you not to give up hope.  On the other hand, your husband is to be commended for his willingness to seek medical advice trying to reverse this trend.  I?m not a counselor; I?m just a wife like you. And, I want to let you know that this is not uncommon in marriages. Almost all marriages go through periods when the man has a lower sex drive than the wife. I understand that circumstances such stress at work, depression, a physical condition, or extreme tension in marriage or life can decrease the husband's interest in sex.  While these periods are frustrating, they are causing strain on your marriage that may be growing unbearable.  If you think it would helpful for you or your husband, this can be done with the guidance of a third party.  A marriage therapist will identify why this happened and can come up with practical ideas on how to strengthen your sexual intimacy.  The book ?No more Headaches: Enjoying sex and intimacy in marriage? by Dr. Julianna Slattery talk in depth about these same issues.  Best to you!                  

     

  • imagesol4J:

    I know this is a tough issue that you are dealing with here, but I encourage you not to give up hope.  On the other hand, your husband is to be commended for his willingness to seek medical advice trying to reverse this trend.  I?m not a counselor; I?m just a wife like you. And, I want to let you know that this is not uncommon in marriages. Almost all marriages go through periods when the man has a lower sex drive than the wife. I understand that circumstances such stress at work, depression, a physical condition, or extreme tension in marriage or life can decrease the husband's interest in sex.  While these periods are frustrating, they are causing strain on your marriage that may be growing unbearable.  If you think it would helpful for you or your husband, this can be done with the guidance of a third party.  A marriage therapist will identify why this happened and can come up with practical ideas on how to strengthen your sexual intimacy.  The book ?No more Headaches: Enjoying sex and intimacy in marriage? by Dr. Julianna Slattery talk in depth about these same issues.  Best to you!

               

     
     



    Didn't you read what the OP said at all?

    Their sex life has been lousy since just about Day One. He has said he does not like sex. He has said orgasms do not feel good. And all the couple does is argue over their lack of sex.

    Commend him on what, exactly? For doing what --- doing the wife a favor so she'll get off his back?

    You cannot fix what's never been right.  This guy hasn't got an organic medical problem: the problem is HIM. Nothing will fix that.
  • imagesol4J:

    I know this is a tough issue that you are dealing with here, but I encourage you not to give up hope.  On the other hand, your husband is to be commended for his willingness to seek medical advice trying to reverse this trend.  I?m not a counselor; I?m just a wife like you. And, I want to let you know that this is not uncommon in marriages. Almost all marriages go through periods when the man has a lower sex drive than the wife. I understand that circumstances such stress at work, depression, a physical condition, or extreme tension in marriage or life can decrease the husband's interest in sex.  While these periods are frustrating, they are causing strain on your marriage that may be growing unbearable.  If you think it would helpful for you or your husband, this can be done with the guidance of a third party.  A marriage therapist will identify why this happened and can come up with practical ideas on how to strengthen your sexual intimacy.  The book ?No more Headaches: Enjoying sex and intimacy in marriage? by Dr. Julianna Slattery talk in depth about these same issues.  Best to you!                  

     

    Comprehension fail!



  • imageRiggs1015:
    I really don't know if my marriage can be fixed or not. I really just need some advice. I have been married since October 2011, but we have been dating for 6 years on and off. The sex was great the first two times we dated.

    Red flag. Sex should be great every time.

    Then this time he hasn't always wanted it but I dealt with it because I was getting it once a week.

    That's it??? I'd go crazy. And so would my DH, 1000 times over.

    Well now i'm lucky to get it twice a month.

    That is not normal at all.

    When I ask him why he doesn't want to have sex he says he don't like it.

     He's gay or getting it somewhere else.

     That orgasms dont feel good anymore and that he would rather do things that are more enjoyable, like getting a back scratch.

    He's definitely gay or getting it somewhere else.

    He says he just doesn't enjoy it.

     For sure, he's definitely gay or getting it somewhere else.

    He says he will do it to make me happy but I can't have sex with him when he doesn't want it because then it isn't enjyable for me.

     Duh. How can you have sex if he's not in the mood? If DH isn't in the mood (which only happens when I give him a BJ and then get horny and want to have sex) he doesn't get hard. You can't have sex if he's not hard.

    We have been trying to have a child but that's impossible with little sex we have.

    You should NOT be trying to have a child with someone who doesn't love to have sex with you. If you are ok with having a child and being "tied" to someone who doesn't love to have sex with you, you need to give your head a shake. Divorce sucks, but divorce when you have a kid sucks more.

    Now everytime we talk we fight. He works 2nd shift and I work 1st so I only see him on Saturdays and sometimes in passing on his way out the door.

    Convenient for him if he's getting it on the side.

    He says he will go to the dr to try to fix his problem just to make me happy but if he's not what he wants what good is that doing? Plus he will not take any meds so what good is that? Do any of you have any advice or am I right and my marriage is over?

    Cut and run, NOW. Give your head a shake. He should LOVE to have sex with you. You need to get more confidence and realize that this marriage is over. Get our before you have a kid. Kids don't change things, but they do make it harder to be intimate. If you manage to get pregnant I guarantee you'll never have sex again because he'll use the kid as an excuse.

    Grow a pair and go find someone who can't keep his hands off you.

     

Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards