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Reconciliation :
He messed up and I got mad - Waywards Welcome

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 LA44 (original poster member #38384) posted at 3:17 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

My H messed up this past Sat. by smoking a bit of pot. By a bit, I mean he was lucid and not stoned.

This has been something he and his friends have been doing since young teens. After years of arguing about this I let him know I don't mind it as a social thing but NOT in our home and especially not when our kids are running in/out on the weekend. I noticed during the A he was getting high more often.

I believe sometimes it is an escape for him and other times he does it to feel good - much like me having a vodka/7.

The real problem came when I asked, "why would you do this now? We have talked about this and you know how I feel when its in our house." He blurted out, "bc I didn't think you would find out."

AHA! And THERE it is! The same with the A. You didn't think I would find that out either.

I angrily explained to him that there is NOTHING I do in my life where I think, "oh well, he will never know." I just don't live my life this way. I don't want a marriage with deceit!

I cried and said that I am so tired of being hurt.

He was ashamed and felt foolish. He has been working so hard to make amends with me about the A. Show his remorse. Living the right way. His work is better, his fitness is better. His word is better. But this set me back. The statement floored me.

I told him that I cannot keep having this pot convo with him. He suggested we write up a contract about this.

I told him the REAL issue is that you did something bc you didn't think I would find out. That is the behaviour YOU need to work on. We are having a talk tonight bc all this took place just before I was going away with some girlfriends for the night.

On a more + note, he is joining SI bc we think it will be helpful in many ways.

Can anyone comment on my H's behavior. I am truly interested in your thoughts.

LA

[This message edited by LA44 at 9:26 AM, June 10th (Monday)]

Me: 44
He: 47 WH
Married: 15 years
D Day: December 2012
Affair: Fall 2009 - Dec. 2011
R is not linear

posts: 3442   ·   registered: Feb. 7th, 2013   ·   location: Canada, eh
id 6368286
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confused615 ( member #30826) posted at 3:33 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

No advice..but I do understand your anger at that statement. 2.5 years into what I thought was R,WH stole a cell phone that someone had forgotten at work to view porn. After much discussion and tears,he told me,'I saw an opportunity to get away with it."

Um..WHAT??!!! It put me right back to square one. And,clearly,he never left it.

BS(me)44
FWH 48
4 kids
M: June 2001
D-Day: 8/10/10



..that feeling you get in your stomach, when you heart's broken. It's like all the butterflies just died.


posts: 15220   ·   registered: Jan. 15th, 2011
id 6368321
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tired girl ( member #28053) posted at 4:05 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

LA,

Wayward thinking doesn't turn around overnight. A lot of these thought patterns have been there for a very long time, some maybe since childhood. So it is going to take him some time to figure out how to make different decisions and train his brain to think differently.

Writing up a contract is really going to do nothing if he doesn't take a look at what went into making the decision in the first place. How did this decision to smoke pot on this day, when he knew you probably wouldn't be happy with it, but he did it anyway, come about. That is what needs to be pulled apart by him. Because in the end, if he can't learn how to start looking at his decision making process and what is going on with it and why it is flawed, things will never change.

He isn't doing this to hurt you. This is him. In his very flawed and screwed up state. And hopefully he has the desire to figure out how to fix it. Because it can be fixed.

Good luck to the both of you, and I think him coming to SI could do wonders if he utilizes it.

Me 47 Him 47 Hardlessons
DS 27,25,23
D Day's becoming less important as time moves on.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt
My bad for trying to locate remorse on your morality map. OITNB

posts: 7444   ·   registered: Mar. 26th, 2010   ·   location: Inside my head
id 6368376
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 LA44 (original poster member #38384) posted at 5:18 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

Confused - you get it! That would make me so mad 2.5 years in too.ugh. We are only 6 months in so I am glad this happened NOW.

Thanks tiregirl. I do really "get" that and this is where we need to focus our attention at this point. The affair person is not an issue for me. His impulsive decisions that are meant to deceive me are.

I think SO much of his behavior has been in place since childhood. He has always spoken of his "happy" childhood. No trauma. However, I do feel that he had GREAT freedom as a young person. Whatever he liked, he did. What felt good, he did. He made excellent grades, got jobs when he wanted. It all came easy.

Incidentally, I read your stuff a lot - same with hardlessons. I used you as an example for my H of couples on SI.

I am going to let him know about this post. Thank you.

Me: 44
He: 47 WH
Married: 15 years
D Day: December 2012
Affair: Fall 2009 - Dec. 2011
R is not linear

posts: 3442   ·   registered: Feb. 7th, 2013   ·   location: Canada, eh
id 6368513
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karmahappens ( member #35846) posted at 8:01 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

I agree with tired girl...He is using his old coping skills to get by and it doesn't get fixed overnight.

I am not much into contracts, I feel they give a false sense of security.Open honest communication is important. Why does he feel like he needs to lie about the pot use? You said it's been an issue for years...What are your issues with it? It isn't legal in Canada right?

Maybe you need to talk about house rules and why he feels like it's not ok to honor them....doesnt matter if you find out or not.He feels as though you don't need to have your feelings respected. He didn't care about your feelings regarding pot smoking in the home...that to me is as big an issue as the lying.

He needs to discuss these feelings with you rather than act like a teenager disobeying his parents.

deal breaker...meh. Something to look into and dig through, yeah.

(((hugs))) we don't get there overnight....

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”
Anaïs Nin
Me: 45
Him: 47
Dday 8/2007
We have R'd

posts: 4036   ·   registered: Jun. 13th, 2012   ·   location: Massachusetts
id 6368755
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 LA44 (original poster member #38384) posted at 8:20 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

Thanks Karma!

My issues with pot smoking....I guess when I first met him it was something he did and I accepted it bc his view on it was and still is that he doesn't do it to get stoned. It's the same as having one beer, unless he is out with the guys or on a guys' weekend. Then they do it and get stoned. Gross.

At some point I realized he would do it when he had to do a mindless task - like clean his apt (when he was a bach) or clean up the yard (when we got married and we bought a house). I started to see it more as his way to escape. I have to do the laundry, etc. but I don't have a drink beforehand. It's something that has to get done. It's not enjoyable but I do it. If we escape for every little thing we don't like then what happens when the BIG things happen to us?

While the A was going on, I found that he was doing it more and more and staying out very late on say a random Tuesday. Keep in mind that the AP was not here in our province. I feel now that the A was the escape when he left the province and pot was the escape when he was in the province.

I also don't like that it takes 2-4 days to get clear-headed/memory dwindles following a night with the guys. But I don't want it in the house though. Period.

Now that we have two young boys, I have made it clear time and again that it is NOT okay for them to recognize that smell in our home. They are only young but one day when they get older, they will say, "ohhhh.....I have smelled this before. At home!)

I would like for him to respect this request. I can think of nothing I wouldn't do if he asked., ie: LA, can you please not use the VISA this month." I would then NOT go out and use the VISA!

And true. It is NOT legal in Canada.

The only other time I was aware he did it post-A - and this is big - when we had one night alone and it was going to be a romantic dinner. While he was BBQ'ing he snuck off and did it. When he kissed me a few min later, I knew! I could not believe he did it just bc. It felt like, "in your face LA" altho he swears he was not feeling that way. He just had it and did it. Like drinking a beer.

Sigh.

We will discuss tonight. I appreciate the comments very much.

LA

[This message edited by LA44 at 2:22 PM, June 10th (Monday)]

Me: 44
He: 47 WH
Married: 15 years
D Day: December 2012
Affair: Fall 2009 - Dec. 2011
R is not linear

posts: 3442   ·   registered: Feb. 7th, 2013   ·   location: Canada, eh
id 6368784
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tired girl ( member #28053) posted at 8:36 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

I think first order of business then is figuring out why he needs to escape so much.

I am fairly familiar with this drug. My father is a very heavy user, was in my childhood, still is.

This can be a big issue. What is going on in real life that needs to be escaped from.

Me 47 Him 47 Hardlessons
DS 27,25,23
D Day's becoming less important as time moves on.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt
My bad for trying to locate remorse on your morality map. OITNB

posts: 7444   ·   registered: Mar. 26th, 2010   ·   location: Inside my head
id 6368811
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 LA44 (original poster member #38384) posted at 8:45 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

Ok, thanks. I wanted to mention one more thing....

When he did it this past Sat., I was trying to make a decision about something and he was talking me through it. Then when I left to shower to think some more, he smoked. Nothing really to escape from.

The other time I mentioned - our romantic night - ALL WAS WELL! We were in for a goooood time and then he did that and stunned me. I was so calm about it tho. We had a good talk. He said he felt stupid that he did it.

So...there are times when he does it to escape and other times I think he does it just bc.... he likes it. But he is not respecting the house rules.

Our R has been going very well. Lots of reading, MC, IC, talking and touching. So when this happens, it really ....throws me.

Me: 44
He: 47 WH
Married: 15 years
D Day: December 2012
Affair: Fall 2009 - Dec. 2011
R is not linear

posts: 3442   ·   registered: Feb. 7th, 2013   ·   location: Canada, eh
id 6368824
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karmahappens ( member #35846) posted at 8:46 PM on Monday, June 10th, 2013

Again, I agree with TG, I dont smoke and aside from once or twice in high school, never have.

I def think he needs to address his obvious need for it, he needs it enough to sneak and lie about it.

(((hugs)))

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”
Anaïs Nin
Me: 45
Him: 47
Dday 8/2007
We have R'd

posts: 4036   ·   registered: Jun. 13th, 2012   ·   location: Massachusetts
id 6368831
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UnexpectedSong ( member #21761) posted at 2:31 AM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

I think he does it just bc.... he likes it

He smokes it:

By himself.

With his friends.

When he's bored.

When he has stuff to do.

When things are good.

When things are bad.

Before kids.

After kids.

He can't control himself.

He's an addict.

WW(SA)
"Feedback is the breakfast of champions." - Boris Becker

posts: 6421   ·   registered: Nov. 24th, 2008   ·   location: California
id 6369265
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ms521 ( member #12008) posted at 4:07 AM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

I agree with UnexpectedSong about the addiction. I will confess to enjoying weed myself... from time to time. In fact, I have some in the freezer. It's at LEAST 5 years old (I have no idea how long it lasts). I haven't smoked weed in... ??? Not really sure of the last time. But I do consider myself a "recreational" pot user in the sense that I'm not opposed to it, IF I'm feeling like it. But I am definitely not addicted to it. If you told me right now that I had to give it up forever, I would happily toss out the grass in the freezer and never look back. Hell - might just do that anyway - don't really know what I'm saving that for!

Now cigarettes... wow! I "quit" those about 5 years ago. I didn't want to quit. I smoked because "I liked it" not because I was addicted to it. Addicts were junkies who crawled out of their skin if they didn't get their fix, right? How could I be an addict... if I missed a cig break, big deal. I didn't NEED to smoke, I only WANTED to. Isn't that the key difference between addicted and not addicted??

Honestly, it wasn't until I considered the reality of giving up my cigarettes that I realized just how addicted I was. I didn't want to give them up. And when I tried - I found I couldn't. And then when I managed again to quit, I couldn't resist the old triggers - like cigbreaks with my one smoker friend. Or long car rides. Or after a rough day. The list goes on. Because I was addicted.

If he can't quit the weed for any decent length of time, which let's be honest - it's not meth, but it's still an illegal, expensive mind-altering substance... then wouldn't it be safe to say he's addicted to it?? The key test is to ask him to quit. An occasional user who is not addicted might not love the idea, but they could do it without lying about it. At the VERY least, they could eliminate it completely from the house!

An addict wouldn't be able to.

[This message edited by ms521 at 10:13 PM, June 10th (Monday)]

Madhatters.
Me: FWW (STA 2002), now a BW.
Him: FWH (OW1: 2006-2007), now just WH (OW2: 2010-2013)

I will never stop trying... because when you find 'the one' you never give up. (Cal Weaver)

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id 6369371
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so_lost ( member #7726) posted at 5:58 AM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

I doubt he's addicted. Very few people are addicted to pot. It's one of the easiest things to give up b/c it has few, if any, withdrawl sxs. If it's affecting his work and every relationship in his life negatively then he's addicted.

My FWH pulled the same shit at some point after D-day. I told him he could never lie to me again. And then I busted him for smoking it behind my back. Major set-back for me.

He told me then and tells me now that he likes smoking it. It's not a big deal to him. It's relaxing. To me, it represents the same stuff of A's, deceit and sneaking around behind my back, and therefore triggers me. Plus I see it as taking away time from us. Our views on the stuff are polar opposite.

Seems like letting him do it outside the house, but not inside is more then a fair compromise.

Marriage is about compromise NOT getting to do whatever the hell you want when you want. My FWH got the marriage memo late, too!!!

D-day April 2005, R.
Me-BS 37
Him-FWH 37, 8 month EA/PA with coworker. Married 2 yrs at the time.
2 kiddos after D-day, Married 11 years.

posts: 262   ·   registered: Jul. 28th, 2005
id 6369479
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wifeno2 ( member #31529) posted at 10:52 AM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

People can, and do, get addicted to marijuana.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/01/28/withdrawal-from-marijuana-is-difficult/1842.html

It has withdrawal symptoms that are pretty consistent among users. Marijuana has a very long half life -which is why people tend to believe there isn't addiction or withdrawal. The drug stays in your system for up to a month. It has subtle effects for that entire time- but most people don't feel that they are having any effects.

I would say that he is an addict. Which would also contribute to his choosing to do things he knows are "wrong" because he thinks he won't get caught. Classic addict brain. Poor frontal lobe control, like an adolescent.

I'm not anti marijuana, but I think a lot of regular users underestimate its negative effects. It can definitely impair decision making, motivation and is very numbing. And you can't heal what you don't feel...

Me-BW (45)
Him-WS (42)
DS 19 (prior relationship)
DS-8
DDay #1- 10/22/2010 EA/PA with MOW coworker
Dday#2:11/17/2010 beginning secret emails with potential OW#2
DDay #3 11/22/2010 still seeing OW#1
Too many DD's to count: Now up to OW #6.

posts: 696   ·   registered: Mar. 16th, 2011   ·   location: the south
id 6369586
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njgal480 ( member #24938) posted at 12:13 PM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

I think you had every reason to get mad and I do not think that you should sweep this under the rug.

My husband had issues with alcohol and pot for most of our marriage.

It caused me a lot of heartache.

Like you I thought that he would eventually outgrow this and become a mature level headed father and husband.

Instead he became a 'functional' alcoholic/pot smoker.

He thought he had it under control.

He managed to keep his very professional job, provide for his family etc.

But, the addiction (and yes I believe it is an addiction) took it's toll.

IMHO it's a slippery slope that very often leads to infidelity.

Let me guess-the OW was someone that he used to drink and party with?

That was what happened in my FWH's case. He knew I didn't approve of his drinking and meanwhile the MOW was one of his co-worker/ drinking buddy and she encouraged this behavior.

It was all one big party.

The OW called the 5 yr LTA-'just having fun'.

That fun nearly destroyed me and our 30 yr marriage.

After d-day my FWH got sober, went to AA and has been 100% sober every since (6 yrs now).

I have to tell you I see a huge difference in him.

He sees the world in a completely different way.

He is a much better husband, father, man.

A good book that describes this type of personality: The Addictive Personality by Craig Naaken.

I also saw so much in this book that applies to the WS while they are in the fog of the infidelity.

Me- BS
Him- WH
Long term marriage
D-day- Jan. 2007
5 yr. LTA
Reconciled.

posts: 3174   ·   registered: Jul. 23rd, 2009   ·   location: NJ
id 6369604
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SandAway ( member #37775) posted at 12:56 PM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

People have different views of marijuana, it is very obvious in this post. LA44 & her husband had an agreement with when he could use it. I think the point of this post is what her WH said when he was caught

"bc I didn't think you would find out."

That is what needs to be addressed. He did it behind your back, knowing how you would feel about it. TG was spot on when she said that this Wayward Thinking - he has to work on these thought patterns and why he did this KNOWING how you would feel. He smoked pot that day because he thought he wouldn't get caught - you could easily replace pot with flirting. Would he flirt with another woman if you weren't around?

He crossed a boundary that you two set up together. Just because it wasn't an A type of boundary, it was still the same thought process "I won't get caught, so what is the big deal"

JMO...

fWW
BH Tred
M 19yrs
DDay Nov. 2011

Guns don't kill people; Affairs kill people

posts: 451   ·   registered: Dec. 11th, 2012
id 6369644
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karmahappens ( member #35846) posted at 1:07 PM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

How did it go last night LA?

(((hugs)))

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”
Anaïs Nin
Me: 45
Him: 47
Dday 8/2007
We have R'd

posts: 4036   ·   registered: Jun. 13th, 2012   ·   location: Massachusetts
id 6369652
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RockyMtn ( member #37043) posted at 1:28 PM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

The affair person is not an issue for me. His impulsive decisions that are meant to deceive me are.

I just want to say...awesome. You know where the blame lies and what a key root issue is that needs to be addressed.

I had an experience about 1 year after D-Day 1 where my WH lied about his whereabouts. He continued to lie to me about alcohol consumption as well. I don't have a lot of advice except that:

1) Yes, these are habits that are hard to break but...

2) It is great that you have made your feelings known. If he keeps up the attempts to hide it long-term, you can decide then. As long as you continue to honestly communicate with him and call him on his shit, I think you're doing the right thing.

Me, BS, 30s
Him, WS, 30s, Steppenwolf
Kids: Yep
D-Day 1: September 2011, 6 week EA
D-Day 2: January 2013, discovered EA was a PA; there was another PA in 2010. All TT.
Goal = serenity.

posts: 667   ·   registered: Oct. 5th, 2012
id 6369670
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solus sto ( member #30989) posted at 1:50 PM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

he doesn't do it to get stoned.

Of course he does.

BS-me, 62; X-irrelevant; we’re D & NC. "So much for the past and present. The future is called 'perhaps,' which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the important thing is not to let that scare you." Tennessee Williams

posts: 15630   ·   registered: Jan. 26th, 2011   ·   location: midwest
id 6369686
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 LA44 (original poster member #38384) posted at 2:02 PM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

Good morning everyone. Thank you - each and everyone of you - for your responses. It is SO frustrating for me to respond on a wonky computer. This is my THIRD attempt.

Here goes...

SandAway: Thank you for your comment re: boundary issue. This is where the real problem lies for me.

RockyMountain: Thank you. I feel as if a part of me is coming out of a fog as well. When I wrote that statement, I was proud of me. I was clear.

Karmahappens et all, I can tell you about last night.

He did admit that he was being 100% deceitful. He does not see how crossing this boundary can lead to crossing other boundaries like another A. He is repulsed by his A behaviour. But what if that wanes too?

When D-Day arrived, I ran to his dad. I told his dad about the pot smoking bc I felt like this was all related. He promised his dad he would stop for one year. I did NOT know about this promise until his dad told me. Alarm goes off here.

That lasted one month (I have seen him go at least 3 months w/o it). But breaking that promise made me sad and I let him know.

His friend M is addicted. He asked him for "a pinch" at the movies last week. He took initiative. Just like he made the first move to have sex outside our marriage.

NJGAL: The AP did not smoke but she does get friendly with the bartender. So yeah. Party, party, party. Let's just have funnnnnn!

Is he addicted? If being addicted means answering yes to all of the points that US wrote, then yes. He would say, NO!

His sister has been sober/drug free for 6.5 years now but I do see the addict brain every now and then (excuses, entitlement, justifies $ purchases).

My dad is a recovering alcoholic. I remember him being passed out on my feet in the backseat of the car. He stopped drinking when I was 10. I am very proud of him.

I love my H. If he does this outside the home and tells me, I would be okay with that. But if he TRULY has a problem then even that is not okay. Only he can answer that.

I do know what I need from him as far as our house rules go. I cannot be deceived any longer. There is really no space left for lies.

I have asked him to talk about this in IC and I will ask him to continue reading your posts.

Thanks again.

[This message edited by LA44 at 8:06 AM, June 11th (Tuesday)]

Me: 44
He: 47 WH
Married: 15 years
D Day: December 2012
Affair: Fall 2009 - Dec. 2011
R is not linear

posts: 3442   ·   registered: Feb. 7th, 2013   ·   location: Canada, eh
id 6369702
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tired girl ( member #28053) posted at 3:24 PM on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

I only have a few moments to respond to this.

My father is almost 65 yrs old and has smoked since I was a baby. He has never gone more than a few months without smoking. He will tell you he is not addicted. That he can stop whenever he wants. Whatever.

What I will say, is that this drug causes you to make decisions that are not all that great. Like he gave my 19yr old pot after a visit with him. Not even thinking that my 19 yr old could get busted with it on the 2hr drive home. See, not great decision making skills, and they tend to cross boundaries very easy.

I don't have anything against this drug. In moderation. Strict moderation. In light of the broken promise to his dad, I think he needs to take a second look at his ability to put this drug down. Maybe with a clearer head, his ability to make better decisions would be higher.

Me 47 Him 47 Hardlessons
DS 27,25,23
D Day's becoming less important as time moves on.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt
My bad for trying to locate remorse on your morality map. OITNB

posts: 7444   ·   registered: Mar. 26th, 2010   ·   location: Inside my head
id 6369806
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