Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Why the explosion every time?

34 replies

FamilyDramaLlama · 18/10/2021 20:16

Regular user, occasional name changer here. I have a tricky family but am getting particularly worn down by my Dsis. My dad is coming to visit in a week and my sister must have heard from my mum and asked if she could come too. I said no because I don't see my dad very often and when we're all together it's not pleasant. Cue the texts about how I never invite her anywhere (not true) and no body makes any effort with her (not true) and then I was disowned. Again. That's the problem, whenever I say no to something or call something out I'm disowned. I'm so tired.

So am I a raging bitch for saying she couldn't come?

Full disclosure - there is several years backstory but I'm not even sure I could succinctly cover it in one post.

OP posts:
gannett · 19/10/2021 09:47

Whatever help she needs can't come from you (or your parents). The family dynamic seems to be the source of her troubles. So you can't fix it and you probably can't point her towards people who can because she won't listen. And ultimately she has to decide she wants to work on herself anyway.

I would embrace being "disowned" (repeatedly! amazing levels of drama), minimise contact and lower emotional investment.

WomanStanleyWoman · 19/10/2021 09:49

I was definitely the favourite as a child (and adult) and it's to my shame I allowed this to happen.

Please don’t blame yourself for this. It was the responsibility of your parents to treat their children equally.

Sicario · 19/10/2021 09:50

Yes. She ruins relationships and is capable of turning the slightest perceived thing into a massive drama. It's the typical "walking on eggshells" situation when you know things could kick off at any moment. I describe being around her like walking through a minefield. You never know when you're going to step on a massive explosive.

She is also an emotional vampire who will latch on and suck you dry because she's totally empty inside and devoid of any kind of empathy or self-reflection. I have never known her to apologise for anyone for her behaviour. It's always somebody else's fault.

Her last outburst at me was the final straw and led me to go NC with my entire birth family.

thecatfromjapan · 19/10/2021 09:52

Well, I think you know the answer to your question.

It sounds as though she was traumatised by her childhood relationship with her parents and with you.

Now - in the present - she reacts to current situations as though it is the past. Partly because she's trying to re-perform the past and somehow change it (that's magical thinking - the past is done; she can't change it) & partly because that's where a lot of her emotional responses to situations were forged (& she hasn't had the opportunity of creating new ones).

It's obviously very sad. I doubt she's very happy.

None of it is your fault, really. You were a child.

She wants something from you (& your parents) that she probably can't have: the past to be put right. At best, she might want demonstrations that she is valued and cared for. But I suspect that whatever you do in the present, it won't be enough because what she really needs to do is accept the past can't be changed, to settle her relationship with it, and move on to how she will build a life of self-worth and value in the present and the future.

It's hard to let the past go if it contained an injustice and a de-valuing of yourself by those who were supposed to be modelling care (& were the people you relied on to give you a sense of your value and worth).

And it's hard to deal with in the present because her responses to incidents in the present will be disproportionate because - really - she's acting out against 'ghosts'. And is probably not receptive to having that brought to her attention.

Because you're enmeshed in all this, you aren't the best places person to deal with this. Plus you're busy. Plus she's probably being utterly unreasonable with you - and why should you now be a singe, tolerating abusive behaviour? It's not your job to give the demonstration of unconditional love she seems to be craving (especially when whatever you do, it won't be enough).

Ultimately, you can only hope time helps bring her self-awareness and resolution. And that better models of relationships help get her to a good place.

You could try consciously raising it with her. She'll explode - but then, she does that anyway.

And you could try just positioning yourself to avoid explosions. And psychologically protect yourself by reminding yourself it's not really about you.

Hope someone else has better advice.

thecatfromjapan · 19/10/2021 09:54

Oh, and as others have said, there could be MH issues underneath it.

Sounds very hard. 💐

MzHz · 19/10/2021 09:59

@FamilyDramaLlama

So sick of being made to feel shit by her. I genuinely think there is something wrong (for want of a better word) because there is the biggest drama over anything.
Ok, I understand how you’re feeling, and I’ve been caught myself like this

Why are you allowing yourself to feel like shit? The overwhelming evidence is that it’s not you who’s the arsehole in this situation

You know you will have a nice time with your dad comes, and if he wanted to see her too, he’s old enough and capable enough to arrange it with her

Speaks volumes that he hasn’t.

Volumes about HER, not you.

Enjoy and relish the peace of this drama addict having disowned you.

Make it a mutual agreement and enjoy your life.

She probably won’t be able to hack the silence, and I think she’ll cave but stay strong and don’t get sucked back in

If it happens be boring, be grey rock, short answers l, no detail

Terminallysleepdeprived · 19/10/2021 10:02

Disengage and take pleasure in the lack if drama in your life.

I was the older sister in similar circumstances ir parented hard, took brunt of a mildly abusive parent etc and shielded sister. She was then and still is the golden child. Think the sister in keeping up appearance with room for a pony...

In our circumstances it is her who has made life a dram, always competing and criticism of me for being a working single mum etc. I lost it a year ago and told her to keep her opinions about my life and parenting to herself or stay the hell out of my life.

Honestly op the lack of drama in the last year has been bloody amazing.

I literally haven't spoken to her at all and I haven't missed it one little bit. Can't say I miss her kids either as due to her parenting choices they are vile to be around. My dad would never admit it to anyone openly but has told me privately that he hates having to spend too much time with them due to their behaviour.

I allow my parents to have dd when she visits if they ask but mostly I keep dd with me as I feel that as she lives over 200 miles away and I live round the corner from them that it would be unfair for dd to be there as her cousins don't get to see their grandparents as often (apparently i am also a bitch for that but hey ho)

Cut your ties. Live your life and let her feed off her own drama

MzHz · 19/10/2021 10:06

Toddler training is perhaps the best way to approach this

MeltedCheeseonTop · 19/10/2021 10:55

Oh god, I have no advice, but I want to just send a hug and some empathy. Sounds very similar to my sister. Example so you know I understand, if you don't like a TV show she does, she takes it as a personal slight, not that you just have different tastes.

Well done for realising that you can say no, and you don't have to be unhappy/walk on eggshells just because she shouts louder. x

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread