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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Financially abusive 'd'm

53 replies

ncbacktoblack · 09/08/2017 13:11

Posted here for traffic. I'll try and keep this as short as possible without drop feeding.

I'm 29 and live at home. I suffer from ptsd and depression after a car crash. I fully admit I am also a problem drinker as I struggle to deal with day to day life and also lie awake at night with panic attacks.

My mother has her own problems and wasn't working for a period. I came into some money from an old tribunal claim and paid off some of her debts, including mortgage arrears, to help out and take the pressure off us both. I also took her away for an all expenses paid holiday.

With the rest of the money I set up a cleaning business. I don't drive, and because mum wasn't working herself we decided to work together. Bank account etc in my name.

Except we would get paid and the money would all get spent by her. At first I thought I could help her out of the financial mess she had got herself into, but for 2.5 years I have been going out to work, and essentially she is getting paid double the hourly rate we charge, but only doing half the hours.

On top of this, she is controlling and abusive to me. Numerous times she has kicked me out when I dare to stand up for myself. I have gone to my dad's 3 hours away and within a day she's phoning and asking me to come back because she doesn't know how she's going to do the cleaning by herself.

Sometimes she would orchestrate arguments in the morning and then use it as an excuse to refuse to go to work. She would let people down or turn up really late.

I began drinking again to the point where I couldn't get out of bed to work. A passive aggressive stance against her behaviour I guess.

Then I got a large-ish compensation payout from my car crash. I set up a new, different business, but her behaviour and my drinking games whilst trying to clean on the side meant it all got too much and I've been given anti depressants by the GP again.

I'm now eating into this compensation money paying all her bills, Inc mortgage and food etc, because she refuses to go to work if I'm not going. But if I go, I'm only working to pay her bills. There is never anything left over. She will always find something to spend it on!

Today it came to a head as I've let her use a credit card of mine for 5-6 months. It was only for food and vet bills (see my other threads) and she agreed to pay half. She never has.

I took the credit card back and she told me not to go to the cleaning jobs today and to move out. I've also put 2k in her account to stop bank charges as she won't keep an eye on her account and direct debits, and we've had some unexpected bills lately. She let's it get so out of hand that we've had debt collectors round before which I find really stressful so was just trying to avoid that.

She told me not to come to the cleaning jobs, but as I went to get out of the car she began speeding, me with the car door open and no seat belt on, not even stopping at junctions and driving dangerously (wreaking havoc on my ptsd that I was shaking).

When I finally got out she followed me in the car and said I was irresponsible not going to work and it was all my fault, so I got back in the car.

She then refused to go to work herself. But that was my fault too.

Im hesitant about moving out due to my mental state and drinking. But tbh she's making both of those worse! Sorry this is so long but I have nowhere else to turn. Please help with some brilliant brutal MN advice

OP posts:
TroelsLovesSquinkies · 11/08/2017 14:57

Consider him dumping you as a favour, one less person for you to have to consider in all your decisions. Now only do things that are going to help you. Good Luck, and get out of there.

milliemolliemou · 11/08/2017 18:37

NC - good luck. No wonder your MH has got worse. Can you move to your dad's and start a proper business there including employing other people not your "D"M? EG you do admin (have you got laptop and accounting software) as well as cleaning and pay them formally/do their NI/etc? or could you start working for a professional cleaning company if you move to father's or out on your own, learn how it's managed and then set up on your own? You clearly also need to factor in how much it could cost to learn to drive/insure/tax a car plus repairs but unless you're moving somewhere with excellent transport links and insist on clients providing their own materials, the car + move sound like a good option. Just get out of your mother's house.

rightwhine · 11/08/2017 21:50

You've got to get the strength to move out or you will be forever stuck in this emotional and financial limbo/abuse cycle.
You can break free but you have to expect that her behaviour will ramp up as you try to break free. Expect every trick in the book to try to make you feel so bad about everything that you give up and stay/give in to her demands. She's not going to give in easily. Expect a rocky time.

But it really will be short term pain for long term gain. Please try counselling to help you.

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