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Husband's pornography use

(152 Posts)
123gran Mon 22-Aug-16 17:03:28

Would be interested to hear how others would deal with my situation. Many years ago and only 4 years into our marriage, I discovered my husband was using binoculars to 'spy' on the local blonde up the road. Happened whenever I was out in the evening (which wasn't often) and he 'operated' from our two young children's bedroom ?. I was deeply, deeply shocked (and surprised) to say the least, and seriously considered leaving him. I never truly got over it; whenever I raised the issue he told me to 'get over it'. Just no conscience about it or much else to be honest. Then I discovered lads' mags under our bed (presumably used when I was asleep). For many years he would stay up alone only coming to bed in the early and not so early hours (this by now was the days of the Internet). Once my student son and I walked in the door to be confronted by a voluptuous nude covering the computer screen - hopefully my son didn't see what his father was up to. Then about three years ago he just moved out of our bedroom and into the spare room saying absolutely nothing to me. I challenged him many times but he gave a different reason each time. He's in his mid sixties but 'ogles' attractive young girls still and always has done even when our two attractive daughters were the same age group. He's still in his own 'lair'; I feel incensed with anger but on the occasions I've tried to talk to him about it I get nowhere. He can come over as plausible to a counsellor and somehow my feelings of betrayal, grief and anger get dismissed or at best overlooked.

Despite it all I do still care about him though I wonder what his real feelings for me are. In my sixties I don't feel I can set up again without becoming even lower but the bottled up emotions are harming me I know. He seems to get away Scot free. I don't feel I can tell my children what he gets up to or why our relationship is now so distant. We do little together, never holiday. I put his dinner in front of him every night, he pays the utility bills. Have I got the energy or the strength left to change the status quo.

What would other grans feel in this situation?

123gran Tue 31-Jan-17 15:51:46

I'm still reading and appreciating all the posts. An update: I'm living my own life but still in my own home. This allows me to stay in comfortable, familiar surroundings and means I have a sufficient income to meet my needs and run my car. I'm involved in several activities so keep myself busy. Life is ok. I spend very little time with my husband, mostly when our children and grandchildren are around. I believe he doesn't have a concscience about anything. I really think that if I were willing he would assume everything between us was ok and would not see/ignore my feelings, never addressing the issue. But for me that's unacceptable. I can't get him to acknowledge that - very odd; he just carries on as normal glossing over everything. My many attempts in the past to address the issues just washed off him. Just an acknowledgement of my own feelings would go a long way. And I don't know what's going on with him.
Other posters are going through similar issues. I do wish you well. I suppose we all need to find our own way as there's always a lot more than can be written in a post. But it's great to have some support.