I’m struggling and could really use some perspective. My husband has effectively cut off his mother for over a year because her behaviour has become completely toxic. She has spread lies about him, kicked him out, disowned him, and frequently harasses him with unknown number phone calls and curses on special occasions to ruin our day. I’ve also been a target of her abuse- lies, rumours, and attempts to turn others against us. I don’t want to go into detail about it all, but the last time I saw her was the worst, most terrifying night of my life. I have been in therapy for months now after being diagnosed with PTSD. I cannot hear her voice or name without being triggered; even typing this post has me shaking.
What’s making things even more stressful now is my sister-in-law. She seems to think it’s her job to “teach him a lesson” and keeps posting passive-aggressive stories and comments online about how “wrong” it is to cut off a parent. This is due to my husband asking her repeatedly to stop bringing it up, so now she has resorted to indirect attacks.
It’s exhausting trying to navigate all of this, and I feel like some people don’t understand that cutting off family can sometimes be about protecting yourself from abuse. (Technically, his mother is the one who cut us off- she kicked us out, disowned him, and blocked us on everything before starting her smear campaign, which includes false allegations of physical abuse.)
Has anyone else been in a situation like this? How do you cope?