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.

To be ashamed of these awful feelings?

223 replies

lecreusetpeppermill · 23/03/2022 16:29

I do feel ashamed, and loathe what has become of my mind in this situation. It is to do with where I currently live. I'm sure many could hack it, but I simply can't, and I know that I need to change how I'm dealing with it.

Grew up quite privileged, went into a creative career, then self employment for past 17. Have a DP of 10 yrs, we are happy but not too fussed about marrying yet. No kids, and both of our parents are no longer with us.

Problem: About 5 yrs ago I moved town to be close to a relative who was unwell. As I wfh, this was no problem. I had previously lived in a village in Shropshire, then a larger village in Lancashire. I have also lived part time in Keswick on and off with partner.

This latest town is my problem, but due to a dip in income recently I may have to hang on a while to make the move (and DP could do with waiting a good year or two for work related reasons). We are renters by choice, so thankfully free to go, but this place is so awful it has made me ill and depressed for years now. The relative we were assisting passed away, so whilst nothing is keeping us, we don't want to risk moving at the moment.
I do have good savings but prefer not to decrease them.

But what I am so ashamed of is my thoughts and opinions. I never used to have them, and suspect they have grown this way due to feeling low and trapped.
The place has become run down, town centre almost derelict. A lot of drug and antisocial issues but not on our doorstep. We do have close neighbours with dogs trapped in gardens day and night who bark constantly, nobody is bothered, and trash piles up all around.
All I can hear, day and night is screeching, loud bike and car exhausts. The atmosphere is very male, aggressive, a lot of drink related issues and mental health stuff here.
Someone planted a warehouse 20 feet from the front door, so excessive impact noise from 7am-6pm every day. A car garage opened a few doors away and people go in and out, speeding, revving engines and so on.
It isnt the kind of place one keeps a window open.

We sold our vehicle when we moved here as we are central, and prefer not to invest in another just yet, but there is literally nowhere to go, no safe or nice walks, it is just one concrete street after another, hemmed in by busy roads. We have bikes which we love but the decent paths are filling up with dog crap and more asbo stuff.

But worst of all is how i have come to judge the people. I know that my better self doesn't think these things, and never did before, but they are so unfamiliar to me and perhaps this is the issue? People shout, scream, slam, allow dereliction to pile up. The streets stink of skunk and the pavements are full of spit.
I have come to loathe them with such a passion, yet they do me no direct harm.
I have begin to loathe them for being working class, and this is fucking dreadful. Every sound is aggressive, people thrown cans, wrappers down with no shame. There are never nice sounds, like birds, laughter, fun, music, just shouting, neglected dogs, occasional police sirens.

I've come to judge them for not caring about education, about keeping stuff nice, about them being such a huge majority - and that's the issue isn't it? I suppose we are outsiders. It's like they shit on everything good.
And I know it should not be about class, I never even thought about bloody class prior to coming here. I know people are NOT all the same, but sadly they are here.
I know we will move back to Shropshire eventually, and I need to calm the hell down, but right now it is really taking it's toll on me.

The guy at the back of us keeps 2 handsome german shepherds trapped in a 6x6 yard, they have never been walked in their lives. They are so nervous and stressed out that they just bark savagely all day and night. He only comes home for a few hours and is back off again. He allows them to shit in shared areas and has been reported to council but still does it again.
My life is just watching other people's neglect, listening to pallets smashing as i wfh all day, the stench of revving cars comes in through the hallway.

How do you cope with this and not loathe the fuckers?
I can't understand what kind of life that is, to just throw money on fuel and scream around small terraced streets. To keep aggressive animals and ignore them. And everyone is apathetic, they don't care, and when we offered to get together to report the spilled rubbish we were looked at as if we had three heads.

It is very difficult to do the Eckart Tolle calming shite in this kind of environment Grin
I stopped doing yoga, i used to meditate, I never judged people and now the disgust and anger is consuming me. How to stop this?

I am ashamed of this, I don't like it, and wish I could do something to change how it affects me. I am happy with everything else in my life, we are healthy and love our careers, but having got stuck in this shit pit has shaved a lot of that from us.

OP posts:
Notmrsfitz · 23/03/2022 20:22

I feel your pain.
I live in a similar environment though not as extreme as the one you describe.
I think you a feeling very vulnerable and need to try and find some inner peace that you can use to invest your time in whilst you are living like this- I feel as an arty kind of person you are perhaps feeling hemmed in,trapped and almost tortured.
What elements of creativity did you enjoy? Could you use your environment as a stimulus to express your feelings ?
Have you thought of maybe trying to build a small business or side hustle so every day you are there you are potentially making money for the day you leave?
Maybe you need to take a whole day to yourself to get on the bus or train and literally go somewhere to find some peace?

You know your situation however dreadful is temporary the people there feel it is their ‘lot’ and just accept it, a lady I know once described where I live as an area of ‘lost souls’for broken people who don’t want to be or don’t know how to be fixed.

takealettermsjones · 23/03/2022 20:22

Go on OP, which town is it? 😆

DancyNancy · 23/03/2022 20:24

And the people who piss me off are not working class they are on long term benefits non working class

Featuredcreature · 23/03/2022 20:30

I live in a similar place, moved back here after 10 years down south and I feel the same. It is fucking awful and has ground me down so much that I couldn't care less about anything around here, its a god forsaken shit hole. People are thick vulgar idiots, the children/teens even more so, superficial and insular. I know this isn't true of everyone of course, but the sensible people aren't the ones on the rob at 5am or making a fucking racket for no reason or putting windows in for fun.

I really don't understand why you wouldn't move if you have the means, I'm skint so stuck here forever. Worst decision I ever made, my poor kids.

daimbarsatemydogsbone · 23/03/2022 20:49

Yeah didn't we work out it was Wigan last time?

ZeldaFighter · 23/03/2022 20:59

Apologies for not reading every comment- I hope this hasn't been said already.

I moved from a nice, middle-class Northern town to the South Wales valleys. Somewhat of a culture change!

My advice would be to try and focus on your kindness and empathy. You have wider experience of the world. Sounds like your neighbours don't. This is all they have ever known and probably all they will ever know. That's bleak. Imagine if that was you. Imagine if you didn't have a plan to get out. Find your kindness.

OldWivesTale · 23/03/2022 23:35

Please report the people with 2 Alsations in a 6x6 yard to the RSPCA.

PinkPiranha11 · 23/03/2022 23:43

Sounds awful. You’re not going to improve those people in some way by living there, all you are doing is making yourself unsafe and unhappy. Just do what everyone else does who can…. Move to a naice MC area (with a massive mortgage)

sst1234 · 24/03/2022 01:03

What are you ashamed of? What else would you do if not judge these people? They hardly deserve citizens of the year award. Some people will blame everyone but the individual, but the truth is some people in society have no concept of responsibility - only rights.

sst1234 · 24/03/2022 01:05

@DancyNancy

And the people who piss me off are not working class they are on long term benefits non working class
Exactly. People who work rarely have little time to be anti social. It’s the ones who have lots of free time and free income who can afford to cause misery for others.
dipdye · 24/03/2022 01:37

Gwan op, which town?? At least give us the first letter

Bet it's 'B'

Bogeyes · 24/03/2022 04:32

Every street seems to have a scumbag family. I have s scumbag family near me. Scummy families don't realise they are scummy. I wish they could all live together on an island.

HotDiggityHot · 24/03/2022 06:37

@Bogeyes I wish that too. You know they eventually move after wrecking their homes and communities and receiving so many antisocial noise nuisance complaints. I do wonder where the council eventually move them though. Perhaps as you have mentioned to an island called isle of scum (poor island) or shipped to some black hole never to be seen or heard, far far away from civilisation as possible. No human deserves to live with these scums. It's absolutely disgusting that people become prisoners in their own homes and communities where they are trapped and haven't committed a crime or anything to deserve such people living in close proximity. Luckily Op has a choice and she can move but what about those who aren't as lucky? Send them to scum island!

Seadad · 24/03/2022 06:40

Poverty and deprivation are brutalising. People's lives, relationships and capacity to enhance their lives becomes trampled, and what you describe OP is a social sickness, not a moral one. And you should despise and feel ashamed of the economic system that drives inequality, rather than its victims with stunted lives, deprived of the means to fulfil their potential. It doesn't just impact on what people have-but how they grow, interact, relate and feel. It's relentless and crushing and forces people to live precarious lives.
You need to see that it isn't individual choice, it's social deprivation.

ButtOutBobsMum · 24/03/2022 06:47

Sounds awful OP and I can't imagine having to live somewhere that you hate. It sounds as though you can't afford to move just now.

What struck me was that you live near Preston. Whilst the town you live in might be horrible you are very near to some lovely areas. Can you jump in the car and go on day trips on the weekend? I'd love to live within an hour of the Lake District! You could visit some gorgeous towns or go for some beautiful walks. You're also not far from the coast. How about a day at the beach?

Try and get away as much as possible and you might come to appreciate the location as opposed to the town. Good luck and hope you can get out soon Daffodil

maddening · 24/03/2022 07:26

This is not typical working class imo.

It is not snobby to dislike ASB.

maddening · 24/03/2022 07:27

Ps you said you have savings and no ties anymore, I would move for sure

SouperNoodle · 24/03/2022 07:37

I wouldn't feel guilty tbh.

The majority of the working class are lovely normal people...it just sounds like you're in an area surrounded by rotters and I'd be judging the f out of them as well.
There are areas like that about 10 minutes from where I live and I avoid them like the plague.

StScholastica · 24/03/2022 08:11

Whatever you are doing for a living clearly isn't enough to keep you in the lifestyle you feel you deserve.
Growing up in privilege does not make you "worthy" of it. Look at your skill set, what could you do with your talents that pays more? Or do you need to retrain?
If you aren't willing to work outside of your creative career then you have to realise that £300 rent doesn't even buy you a one bedroom student room in a HMO (my student DSs is £680 a month in Manchester).
If getting paid employment is out of the question, look at buying and living in a van. The vanlife lifestyle is massively growing here. Have a look at some FB groups, they seem a friendly lot.

PenStation · 24/03/2022 08:34

If you’re determined to stay a while, have a look for a project you can offer to volunteer at. All places have some people in them who want to improve things. You just have to find them.

KeepYaHeadUp · 24/03/2022 08:44

I don't think anyone would enjoy living where you are with the stress and noise and lack of pride. Agree this isn't a WC thing. Yes, it's a thing in certain pockets of deprivation. But I've lived in affluent areas where it's the same shit, just with more money. Families living in £500-1m houses arguing in their gardens, revving car engines (just these happen to be Audis and BMWs), letting their dogs sit in the garden howling while they're inside on a work call, letting their dogs shit in communal areas where kids play and noisy parties into the early hours.

It sounds like where you are is very urban/central and maybe quite high density. Maybe you're just better suited to slightly more rural/suburban living. You can never guarantee your neighbours won't be arseholes but at least there are fewer of them.

You sound miserable (understandably). Just focus on the fact you ultimately have the choice to relocate and it's temporary for you

venus7 · 29/03/2022 19:18

@crackofdoom

There are a couple of things going on here, with people like this. Some of them are fucked. Profoundly, intergenerationally fucked. Histories of child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, chaotic lifestyles going back generations. It's always really hard to steer families like this back on the straight and narrow, but with all the support services that could potentially help them slashed to the bone, it's well nigh impossible. So they fester, and hand the misery down the generations.

There's also a strand in British culture of active anti- intellectualism- of being brash, liking shiny ostentatious things (especially cars), of considering anything to do with culture as "not for the likes of us", mocking people who are into that kind of stuff as "up themselves", pretty much celebrating being boorish- much encouraged by the gutter press and media etc. , because an actively ignorant populace aren't going g to be casting too much of a critical eye on what their betters are up to Hmm. Many people who live this kind of lifestyle are actually pretty well off, but would still identify as working class.

I find it really, really fucking sad actually, but of course not everyone in a manual/ menial job or on a low income is like this. I live in a row of 5 social houses, and I would say 2 of my neighbours have typical working class jobs and keep their houses nice/ are perfectly courteous, care about the area etc, one family are skint arty alternative types like me (but the dad has a clerical job), and one of the neighbours is your classic ASBO family - revving cars, screaming arguments, piles of shit outside the house (I think they're actually going in for scrap dealing in a small way), possibly selling drugs, kids known to social services. All the rest of us- either culturally or financially working class- loathe them, and we're not going to apologise for that- but I can also empathise with how very very damaged they are- and especially with their kids Sad

This, exactly this.
New posts on this thread. Refresh page