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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel resentful of my inlaws treatment of Dh (their son, brother) during struggle with alcohol and drug abuse and his recovery?

303 replies

YoJesse · 28/02/2016 14:58

Dh had been spiraling into heavier and heavier drug and alcohol abuse but recently due to a serious health scare he's been forced to tackle it. before his time in hospital his own family had pretty much given up on him, breaking contact with us (me, Dh and ds3). His own mother said she couldn't bear to see what he was doing to himself and didn't come to visit him in hospital. (non of his family did) As a mother I just can't imagine getting to a point where I break ties with my son. I'd always keep supporting him and being there for him. Aibu to judge them?

OP posts:
BillSykesDog · 28/02/2016 22:39

Okay, different forums obviously have different policies.

Devilishpyjamas · 28/02/2016 22:43

Gosh what a mess OP.

If you are serious about wanting to keep your son with you then you need to kick out your Dh & given SS are now involved stay sober yourself.

I'm sorry but this all sounds rather serious. Maybe the first step is some help seeing the reality of your situation?

YoJesse · 28/02/2016 22:44

Ok, I really want to clear things up. Not shitfaced, just a little foes a long way when you're short and slim. Ds is safely miles away and after wondering when post it took the promoce of Dutch courage. Ds will be three next month. I'm so scared of getting found out I'm an oldie on mn but nameplate for more serious issues
issues. Yes I drink and smoke weed occasionally but not like dh. I've had such genuinely helpful responses that All theshirtll shit doesn't matter. I will be acting on it. Thankyou all
Xxxx

OP posts:
TheWitTank · 28/02/2016 23:06

I would my last pound on this being gone shortly.

TheWitTank · 28/02/2016 23:06

*bet

madein1995 · 28/02/2016 23:12

Haven't read the whole thread, OP, but please leave, if not for you then for the sake of your son. I say this as someone with addiction problems myself (alcohol, not drugs), but living in a home where one or both parents does affect a child, no matter if they're one day or 10 years old. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. It isn't good at all for your son to be near this, and not at all fair for you to make him. My advice would be leave DH until he is fully in recovery. Otherwise you could be doing your son harm that could affect him well into adulthood

Baconyum · 29/02/2016 02:14

There shouldn't even be alcohol in the house! It's too much temptation for someone trying to stay off it and only recently quit drinking.

As for the rest, yes I'm saddened for your little boy but I'm also very angry that you dared judge your in-laws when you and your sons father have repeatedly put your son in danger.

I think you're high, I think your parents have your son so you could get high and fool yourself that's OK.

Get rid of the guy (I'm struggling to even call him a father at this stage) get clean, put your child first.

Spring2016 · 29/02/2016 02:48

OP, you are not seeing the problem, and you probably won'tv really understand until you have been out of the drinking drug culture for a long time.
Your in-laws are not being unreasonable. Why should they suffer over the choices you two are making.
Maybe if you two shape up and stay clean/ sober for a couple of years people will be more supportive. It is both of your choices driving people away. I hope things get better.

AcrossthePond55 · 29/02/2016 04:43

I'm trying to say this gently, but I don't think your DH may be the only one with a substance abuse problem. OP, please take a look at your own consumption, even if you 'only do it when DS isn't here'. Two people with substance problems in the same household is a recipe for disaster.

I'm almost, almost tempted to say this is some kind of a reverse, but it doesn't really matter. I think OP and her DH both need help.

YoJesse · 29/02/2016 05:44

A really ill judged time to start the thread. Sorry to anyone genuinely concerned. I absolutely promise ds was not here last night and as many parents do, I took it too far, taking advantage of him not being here. paying for it now Blush.

OP posts:
AcrossthePond55 · 29/02/2016 05:58

Well, take care of yourself. You're important, you know.

Choughed · 29/02/2016 05:58

OP please do go and see a GP about your own alcohol and drug misuse, for the sake of your DS.

I wish you luck, it's a long road but the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

Shutthatdoor · 29/02/2016 06:09

DS passed out high with his kid in his arms and you think its his family being unreasonable.

^ this x100

Iamwhateveryousayiam · 29/02/2016 06:12

You said in 1 of your first posts that you don't understand your in-laws because you would do anything for your son

You need to leave your DH for your son

Katenka · 29/02/2016 06:24

OP, if you don't do something. You will be posting at some point asking for help because SS are 'stealing your son for no reason'.

I think you need to take his families lead. Remove him from your home until he is well. And well for a long time.

You said you would always put your son first. So put him first.

P1nkP0ppy · 29/02/2016 06:41

My god, are you delusional.
DS passed out high with his kid in his arms and you think its his family being unreasonable.
What bloody planet are you on? I'm totally on his parents side here (I do know what it is like having a alcoholic in the family), and you're condoning and enabling his behaviour!

This has to be one of the most sickening and worrying threads I've ever read.
Your little boy is growing up in a drug and alcohol-ridden home, with a mother who prefers to ignore the seriousness of the situation and he is clearly at risk.
The best thing for him would be anywhere other than left where he is at the moment.
Poor little soul, what a life, very sad.

phequer · 29/02/2016 07:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AyeAmarok · 29/02/2016 07:53

and as many parents do, I took it too far

Yep. Keep telling yourself that all parents do exactly what you do. Hmm

Alisvolatpropiis · 29/02/2016 07:57

It sounds like you and your dh are in a codependent enabling relationship in which your biggest bond is not your son but your shared love of substance abuse.

wonkylampshade · 29/02/2016 08:09

OP, I have been in a very similar situation with my little girls dad....I could have written some of your earlier posts word for word.

I actually asked for advice on here at the time and received some harsh but true advice, which I didn't act on straight away ("I love him, want to help him, he's a great dad {ha}", etc) but the situation with him became so untenable that he was living separately very shortly afterwards. Removing him from our daily lives was the single best thing I have ever done for my beautiful, bright, confident, intelligent dd. I'm so proud she hasn't had to grow up among drug paraphernalia, erratic mood swings and coming second to his next high. Living with him was confusing, stressful and depressing. My own benchmarking of what was acceptable was totally skewed, as a simple consequence of being around him. I wouldn't have accepted this at the time.

While I felt extremely conflicted about separating him and dd, the reality has turned out to demonstrate his fundamental lack of commitment to her which was always there, demonstrated early on in his low level continuing drug use. He's gone through short periods of seeing her for an hour every week, but these periods are punctuated by long absences. At the present time it's been over two years since he last saw her and he's only about fifteen miles away from us.

I can understand your quandary regarding your DS dad - and your misdirected frustration at his parents. Believe me, they will have seen all this before a hundred times. Addicts can be frighteningly deceitful and plausible and it sounds to me like he's saying all the right things - enough to keep you hopeful and supportive - while showing he intends to do the opposite and continue indulging himself at the expense of everything, including his own child. His parents are probably emotionally spent, and in self protective mode. I'm sure they're also angry and sad that their grandchild hasn't been enough of a motivation for him to sort himself out. As others have said, he's not in recovery - he's not even coming close.

I can understand your desire to help him, really I can. My advice to you is that it is simply not possible while he's still using and that as a mother, you have to consider seeking support for yourself, to ensure your sons safety. Because he isn't safe at the moment, genuinely he isn't. Your partner is the only person who can help himself into recovery, and at the moment he doesn't want to do that.

The best thing you could do for yourself and your son is to get some help yourself - I'm sure now that ss are involved they'll try and facilitate something like this for you, but as someone who is totally anti-drugs I don't know what to say to you in terms of your own use, as it sounds like you're also finding justifying reasons to continue, a bit like he is.

It's genuinely haunting and sad for me to read this thread, but it has also made me so thankful for the decision I made at the time to walk away.

If it would be at all helpful for you to see some previous threads of mine I'll find them and share the links, just say the word.

YoJesse · 29/02/2016 08:22

I was stupid last night because I was child free. I'd not be like that if I had to look after him. Please don't feel sad for ds. Things have been bad in the past but recently have got so much better. I have managed to shield him from most things. and now it's a stable and loving home. Now with regular contact with Sw and my dh only using weed, Things are good. We don't have a shared love of substance abuse. I don't abuse substances. I had a rare night of drinking and a little weed. People are quickly coming to their own wrong conclusions about me. With that I'm out.

OP posts:
Alisvolatpropiis · 29/02/2016 08:24

Best of luck, you'll be needing it because you're completely deluded.

If you think you getting shitfaced in any indicates that you are taking your dh's "recovery" seriously, then you too clearly have your own issues around substances. Alcohol being a drug and all. It being legal doesn't magically mean it is not a substance which can be abused.

Shutthatdoor · 29/02/2016 08:27

People are quickly coming to their own wrong conclusions about me. With that I'm out.

And with that you are still minimising what is going on...

wonkylampshade · 29/02/2016 08:27

The truth is hard to hear - I get that. PPs are reacting in a direct way to what you've posted though, and you can't in the heart blame them for that.

The situation your son is in is dangerous and unstable. SW wouldn't be involved otherwise.

Please, try and look past these posts and you will see people want to help you fix this situation for your son's sake. Thanks

clam · 29/02/2016 08:35

What's that phrase about Denial not just being a river in Egypt?

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