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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not go and check on DM?

83 replies

JustAboutOverit · 22/01/2021 15:36

Alcoholic frequently going on binges, history of falling over when drunk and injuring herself sometimes.

I last spoke to her otp yesterday morning (blind drunk) and her mobile has been off ever since. No landline.

This is a regular occurrence, she always turns her phone off when she's on one even though she knows it worries us. Usually I would find a way of getting there to do a welfare check (she's miles away, I don't drive and I have two young children one of which has severe autism) but i just can't be bloody arsed with it anymore.

WIBU to not go and check on her?

OP posts:
Chambored · 22/01/2021 22:53

@Wheresmykimchi

No wonder the woman turns her phone off and thinks no one cares - your wording in your posts say it all!!
Give it a rest Kimchi. The Op has said her Mother turns her phone off so she’s not accountable for her behaviour. She can’t then claim no one cares.

Op - sorry you had to go through that worry. Glad it turned out ok.

Wheresmykimchi · 22/01/2021 22:55

@Chambored give it a rest?

One post (well, one and a reply to a PP).

Don't make me out to be some attacking ogre.

I am also sorry OP is going through that and said that but my post was in relation to the Al anon post and I'm allowed an opinion like everyone else. Confused

LochJessMonster · 22/01/2021 22:57

Op can you install an inside camera incase this happens again? Like a ring doorbell type so you can activate it and see if shes injured/passed out?

JustAboutOverit · 22/01/2021 23:02

I didn't call her a hindrance or anything of the sort when I posted on the alanon Facebook group. I told my story and nobody was interested. Its a cliquey place.

If I didn't care about her I wouldn't have tied myself in knots trying to help her for years on end. I've been the parent in the relationship since I was a child and as such had no childhood at all, and that was before she started drinking 10 years ago.

Forgive me for reaching the end of my rope now that I have actual children to look after. I worry more about her than she ever has about me and mine.

What offended posters don't see is how I've bent over backwards for her 100's of times.

It is a hindrance. A massive hindrance.

I don't even think she can use the "illness" card because fully fledged alcoholics can't go for days on end with no alcohol. She does. She can be fine for a week then she's off again. Rinse and repeat.

She's a problematic, selfish binge drinker and I've had enough.

My life consists of worrying she's fallen over and smashed her head in again, brief reassurance when I ascertain that she hasn't. Rinse and repeat.

I shouldn't have to live like this.

If alcoholism is a disease then it's the only one which affects the family more than the ill person.

OP posts:
JustAboutOverit · 22/01/2021 23:03

@LochJessMonster

Op can you install an inside camera incase this happens again? Like a ring doorbell type so you can activate it and see if shes injured/passed out?
I hadn't thought of that.. Its a good idea. I'll look into my options.

Thank you for the kind comments.

I might sound hard faced but that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm ground down and living in fear.

OP posts:
JustAboutOverit · 22/01/2021 23:06

Sorry, I don't mean to sound snippy. It has been a stressful day.

OP posts:
Wheresmykimchi · 22/01/2021 23:08

@JustAboutOverit

I didn't call her a hindrance or anything of the sort when I posted on the alanon Facebook group. I told my story and nobody was interested. Its a cliquey place.

If I didn't care about her I wouldn't have tied myself in knots trying to help her for years on end. I've been the parent in the relationship since I was a child and as such had no childhood at all, and that was before she started drinking 10 years ago.

Forgive me for reaching the end of my rope now that I have actual children to look after. I worry more about her than she ever has about me and mine.

What offended posters don't see is how I've bent over backwards for her 100's of times.

It is a hindrance. A massive hindrance.

I don't even think she can use the "illness" card because fully fledged alcoholics can't go for days on end with no alcohol. She does. She can be fine for a week then she's off again. Rinse and repeat.

She's a problematic, selfish binge drinker and I've had enough.

My life consists of worrying she's fallen over and smashed her head in again, brief reassurance when I ascertain that she hasn't. Rinse and repeat.

I shouldn't have to live like this.

If alcoholism is a disease then it's the only one which affects the family more than the ill person.

I've never said you don't care. It's obvious you do.

I'm not 'offended', and I don't doubt what you have done for her.

Alcoholics are not one size fit all (Ie just because she can go a week doesn't mean she isn't (. And there is no if. It is an illness.

I'm not negating the impact or your childhood, I just don't think the way you speak about it is right, but that's just my opinion.

EmilyInParis · 22/01/2021 23:09

I don't think you sound snippy. I've been there, others simply cannot relate or get it unless they have.

And don't hesitate on calling for a welfare check, if anything, it puts her on their radar as well (if she isn't already)

Hotpinkangel19 · 22/01/2021 23:10

Op, it's absolutely bloody horrible, I don't blame you at all, unless you've been through it you can't imagine what it's like. It's the constant dread and worry on your mind, isn't it.

Chambored · 22/01/2021 23:11

Yes @Wheresmykimchi, ‘give it a rest’ because it’s blindingly obvious the Op doesn’t need attacking for being unsupportive or uncaring. If you can’t see that then maybe don’t jump in with both feet and post cack.

Op - ignore Kimchi. You don’t sound hard-faced at all. You just sound like someone, understandably, at the end of their tether. And, fwiw, she does sound like a hindrance.

JustAboutOverit · 22/01/2021 23:13

I'm not negating the impact or your childhood, I just don't think the way you speak about it is right, but that's just my opinion

It's hard for me to judge the situation objectively when I'm so exhausted and ground down by it.

OP posts:
Wheresmykimchi · 22/01/2021 23:13

@Chambored

Yes *@Wheresmykimchi*, ‘give it a rest’ because it’s blindingly obvious the Op doesn’t need attacking for being unsupportive or uncaring. If you can’t see that then maybe don’t jump in with both feet and post cack.

Op - ignore Kimchi. You don’t sound hard-faced at all. You just sound like someone, understandably, at the end of their tether. And, fwiw, she does sound like a hindrance.

I'm not attacking her . I've never called her unsupportive , uncaring or hard faced (in fact if you read really carefully, I just said she sounds caring ).so speaking of 'posting cack'....

Who are you to tell anyone to ignore me or give it a rest?

There's only one of person attacking and it isn't me.

Wheresmykimchi · 22/01/2021 23:14

@JustAboutOverit

I'm not negating the impact or your childhood, I just don't think the way you speak about it is right, but that's just my opinion

It's hard for me to judge the situation objectively when I'm so exhausted and ground down by it.

Yeh I can get that OP, and as I say I can only imagine the impact.
cbt944 · 22/01/2021 23:16

al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/electronic-meetings/

Might help.

Emmelina · 22/01/2021 23:18

Glad she turned out okay. It was the right call getting the police to go around instead of dashing round in a panic. It might teach her not to switch the phone off! She KNOWS it worries you, and does it anyway - therefore she wants you to dash round there and make a fuss. I’ve been there with a relative who was surrounded by gushing mates who said everything she wanted to hear. I wasn’t popular with quite a few people when I told her the truth!
Needs a sharp shock to get herself out of that habit.

katy1213 · 22/01/2021 23:25

You should feel free to speak about her any way you like!
And feel free to step back from her without guilt. Don't engage - let the police deal with it. Much easier when you're not emotionally involved!

mumof2oneofeach · 22/01/2021 23:32

Nowhere does the OP says that her mum turns her phone off in order to get attention, unless I missed that. She might well do it because she's embarrassed or because she doesn't want someone to talk her out of it.

OP, I'm an alcoholic (in recovery) and I assure you I would not expect you to check on me. It is an illness, a lifelong one with no cure, as a PP said it's not one size fits all, believe me that's true. However, it is by it's nature an incredibly selfish disease, one that makes you lie to those you love the most, one that puts itself above anything else. It's incredibly hard, a disease I would wish on absolutely no one. The brain actually rewires itself and alcohol tricks it further by giving reward but subconsciously does not connect that with the after effects.

Please don't see this as legitimising her behaviour or giving excuses. As you said you cannot cure this it control it. You can let go, hard as it seems, you do not need to feel guilty or responsible for her. You and your family (husband and children) are the most important thing now.

Hope you're okay.

averythinline · 22/01/2021 23:36

Feel for u OP we have the same issue with MIL just the gaps between binges get smaller and smaller...her neighbours may/maynot check and she lives 100s miles away....she gives them such a hard time they are loath to....we arrange from here police/ambulance ..
They are fab.and always say its the rightthing to do but feels awful....but can't do much as she has capacity apparently even if passed out on the floor....
Be assured it is the right thing to do but there is understanding out there how hard it can be....be kind to yourself

Poppyseeds2 · 22/01/2021 23:43

No I wouldn’t go either. You don’t drive and you have 2 children yourself.

You need to be cruel to be kind. If your mother needed food making or something it would be fair enough.

To be inconceivable to find your mother drunk and she deliberately turns her phone off? Horrendous behaviour.

I would explain this to your mother to make it clear. You cannot be expected to run to her beck and call worrying IF something tragic has happened to her because anything could happen to you at any given time.

JustAboutOverit · 22/01/2021 23:57

She turns her phone off to hide the fact she's drinking when really all that does is confirm it.

I've had serious heart to hearts with her many times when sober and asked her to please just keep her phone on as I'd rather hear her drunk than not be able to make sure she's safe.

She agrees and promises not to go AWOL then does the exact same thing the next time.

I'm her support bubble and we make plans for her to come for dinner, instead of calling to cancel she just turns her phone off and ignores me for days until she runs out of cigarettes or needs help with something.

I've had phone calls from the hospital over the last few years after she's been found face down outside having cracked her head open, she needed to have a scan of her head and everything.

Before she moved into her current accommodation she was in a similar set up and somebody who worked at that place found her outside on the muddy grass in the rain. She has accidentally set fire to her coat when trying to light a cigarette. She's a serious danger to herself.

I've lost count of the amount of black eyes and bruises she's given herself from getting too pissed to stand.

She isn't like many people who can get tipsy and look after themselves, after 2 glasses she's slurring her words - many more and she's falling all over the place.

Mumof2 congratulations on your recovery, sincerely.

Avery, I'm sorry you go through the same with your MIL. It is so infuriating isn't it Sad

OP posts:
Timeforabiscuit · 23/01/2021 09:35

I've walked the same path with my mum, without the injuries -she just got drunk and slept.

It's tough when so much of the relationship is determined by alcohol, I knew I could only have a conversation between 10 and 12, before she would get too agitated or too slurry. She would cut you to the quick with offhand comments, you could never trust what she said.

The constant let downs when they are so enthusiastic, but then "something" happens to make it impossible.

And this happens for decades! And society just turns a blind eye for the most part, the worst people bleat about it being a disease and you should treat it as such. No It Isn't treated like that. I had no respite, there are no coffee mornings, no awareness walks, it's still shamed and I'm still shamed by association.

So people like kimchi are bloody awful to deal with, they popup in a crisis when you're least able to cope with the comments, they capitalise on your worst fear, that your mother is worse because of you - because you're the common factor. It's rubbish of course, but by then the secrecy about family becomes so entrenched you don't confide in people, even your partner. You get no sense of perspective and you're eternally caught up in the drunk persons drama. At its worst it becomes co-dependence.

Having your own kids, it changes your priorities, but somehow your own needs still come bottom of the pile - it's a learned behaviour.

You can unlearn it, it's hard, but you can do it, so @JustAboutOverit, I applaud you, for handling something differently, the stately homes thread here is excellent - and helped me form coping strategies and truly get it. Everyone's situation is slightly different but I hope you put yourself first and foremost, it will help you weather the long term far better.

pointythings · 23/01/2021 09:38

@Wheresmykimchi

No wonder the woman turns her phone off and thinks no one cares - your wording in your posts say it all!!
You've never had an addict in your life, have you, kimchi? You would not say something so crassly insensitive if you did. OP's words come from years of dashed hopes and despair, being let down by manipulative promises and lies, ground down by endless selfishness and self pity. That is what life with an addict is like. You can feel sorry for them and feel rage and frustration at the same time and OP is allowed to express that.

I've been through it twice, with my husband and then with my own mother. What experience have you got?

BeBraveAndBeKind · 23/01/2021 12:05

You've never had an addict in your life, have you, kimchi? You would not say something so crassly insensitive if you did. OP's words come from years of dashed hopes and despair, being let down by manipulative promises and lies, ground down by endless selfishness and self pity. That is what life with an addict is like. You can feel sorry for them and feel rage and frustration at the same time and OP is allowed to express that.

This. If you've not lived it, you will never truly understand. To have gone through years of being manipulated, never knowing if you're going to get the nice, reasonable person you care for or the angry, abusive one before they speak. To be living in poverty because they've drunk all the bill money and nothing you can do will help. You can't change anything for that person until they're ready to change. Or, as in our case, you watch that person drink and drink and ignore doctors' warnings that if they don't stop, they'll die. And even as you're watching them slip away in the ICU you're still telling yourself that they could change.

JustAboutOverit · 23/01/2021 13:19

My heart goes out to those of you here who have been through it with your own family members, it truly is something you can't understand completely until you're in the thick of it.

My aunt reached her by phone today to see how she was and she's pissed again, she owed her £45 but instead of paying it back chose to use it for this weeks binge and had the nerve to get angry with her for asking for it.

I try not to let it consume me but the constant stress spills over into my own house and makes me so irritable Sad

This is my life now until she dies, just stress and worry.

OP posts:
cherish123 · 23/01/2021 13:50

Normally I'd say check but if you don't drive you can't get there. I would not use public transport just now.

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