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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU for thinking who TF does she think she is?

1000 replies

CFornot123 · 26/06/2026 19:57

Aibu for thinking this is overstepping the fcking mark

Long story so will try to condense and keep to relevant details.

Been with ‘D’H for 13 years (married 6). We have 2 DCs aged 4 and 3. He’s 38, I’m 31. He has been bestfriends with a woman, let’s call her Jane, for 25 years (since they were teens) and there’s never been any romantic history between them.

In general she’s not really my kind of person. She’s quite blunt and a bit rude, uses racist language (I’m Asian) like it’s a casual word and tbh is a bit of a bully. However, knowing she means a lot to my husband, at the start of our relationship I made A LOT of effort to be friends with her and she was even one of my bridesmaids when we got married (the theory being that if she’d have been a guy, she’d have been a groomsman so wanted her to feel involved in the wedding as she Hs best friend). We were on maternity leave at the same time, both had baby girls at the same time (she’s married) etc. but around this same time (so 5 years ago) she stopped engaging with me, started ignoring messages, every plan I made with her she cancelled and then we weren’t invited to her daughters first birthday. Throughout all of this she maintained contact with my husband and they met up regularly for coffee. I raised concerns with H at the time and he brushed it off as “it’s just what Jane does, she’s a bit flaky, don’t take it personally”.

I’ve not spoken to her now for about 4 years, bar the odd hello if she happens to be at a family/friends event (a lot of shared mutual friends/large friendship groups). But she frequently meets up with H for drinks, dinner, brunch, they have regular video calls.

H and I have been going through a lot recently (we relocated from California after spending two years there for his job, I quit my corporate legal career to basically follow him around the world for his high paying role and have moved 10 times in the last 10 years) due to stress with house moves, redundancy and, me trying to figure out what career to do around the kids following a career in law (I’m a high achiever, degree from Oxbridge) and taking a back step. He works very long hours, lots of traveling as we moved to be closer to family as the girls are starting school soon so I said no more following him.

He met up with Jane last Saturday (they’d both been invited to their mutual friends wedding - I wasn’t) and when he came home on Sunday, he asked me to “make some time in my calendar to meet with him on Friday afternoon” (like I’m a business associate…). He told me today that he “discussed me at length with Jane” and THEY had decided that WE don’t communicate in our marriage enough. SHE also, in her expert opinion as a mental health nurse, diagnosed me with a borderline personality disorder based on everything she’s heard and seen from my husband over the last 13 years and that he should gently suggest I go to the GP. For context, like (so it seems) every other woman in their 30s I’m undergoing an ADHD assessment (VERY different to BPD).

So my AIBU - wtf has DH been saying to her about me that has led her to diagnose me with BPD after not speaking to me for 5 years? And who TF does she think she is?

We had no falling out, no cross words were said, I simply stopped making an effort with her and suggesting meeting up because she never made an effort with me and somehow that’s my fault and she hates me enough to say I have BPD?

Frustratingly H said she’s sent him to information to read up on about it.

So far I’ve not reacted or responded to H. I told him that I needed some time to process the conversation we’d just had and I’d discuss it with him when I felt ready

OP posts:
CatamaranViper · 26/06/2026 20:17

How would he react if you "diagnosed" her with something? Would he take you seriously or can she do no wrong?
Either he's easily led or he values her more than you

Valpolichella · 26/06/2026 20:19

Ummmm what? Absolutely no fucking way! DH needs telling, right here and right now, if he thinks Jane is the second coming of the messiah, he can fuck off right now and be with her.
Actually no. I think he’s gone too far, just with what he’s said. Jane is a cunt of the highest order and your DH is a spineless, disloyal, traitorous embarrassment of a man. Ditch both with immediate effect.

CFornot123 · 26/06/2026 20:20

H and I have a history of him not taking what I say seriously, accusing me of being over dramatic, or dismissing my interests (as I try different things in a bid to figure out a career whilst looking after kids and following him around the world!). Recently our dog was attacked and H refused to take him to the vets because I was over exaggerating and it took for our poor boy to be having a fit on the floor and for me to call another family member and have them speak to him (someone he respects) before he agreed to take him. Turns out he had a huge bite wound and was on abx for three weeks, but that was probably the vet being hysterical right…

OP posts:
ARingtoit · 26/06/2026 20:21

This shows a complete lack of respect for you. He is married to you and best friends with a racist. I'm sorry but that is unforgivable and disgusting. Use this against them, keep acting normal and letting them underestimate you whilst you get your ducks in order and find the best solicitor you can. I'm so sorry I hope you have some lovely friends who are there for you.

CFornot123 · 26/06/2026 20:22

My concern if I react to this though is are they baiting me?! Do they want me to react like they’re the worst people on the planet so that they have the upper hand?! Feels a bit like a Colleen Hoover novel 🤣

OP posts:
TheBlueKoala · 26/06/2026 20:22

CFornot123 · 26/06/2026 20:17

No falling outs with Jane or cross words were had. She simply stopped replying to my messages and never suggested we meet up. After attempting to meet up with her 4/5 times where she cancelled the same day I decided to leave the ball in her court

Edited

I have diagnosed Jane as a narcissistic bully who wants to keep your dh to herself. She's toxic as hell for your relationship and it's a shame your dh is blind to this. A mental health nurse doesn't have the capacity to diagnose- a psychiatrist does.

Devilsmommy · 26/06/2026 20:22

What a cheeky bitch. Though you need to have words with your husband because what has he been saying about you for her to reach this conclusion. She sounds like a complete bitch who's way too involved in your relationship. Tell your husband that he needs to stop slagging you off behind your back. You're his wife, not her

Isitevensummer · 26/06/2026 20:22

I would be suggesting relationship Counselling before anything else. And explaining this is completely unacceptable. She is never to be included in this kind of discussion again if he wants to stay married. Jane sounds like an idiot -and obviously is trying to sabotage your relationship to move him on him. It's amazing to me how often this dynamic occurs and how little the men involved realise it. Everyone has EUPD/BPD traits- it's the way they combine and affect functioning that signifies a disorder. She's being unprofessional in the extreme.

Pippin2017 · 26/06/2026 20:23

Jane is a troublemaker. Sit down with your husband and ask him why he's still friends with someone who treats his wife with such disdain.

Tell him you do not have bpd, but wonder why Jane would tell him you have, especially as you haven't been in touch for years at her instigation and there is no way she could (or should!) make such a diagnosis.

Ask him what he has been telling her about your relationship, and where the hell is his loyalty to you, his wife, who has spent 10 years training round the world after him at the expense of your own career.

Then think about his answers, and tell him he needs to cool his friendship with Jane because she's poisonous.

Pinkandbluestripeswithatartanborder · 26/06/2026 20:24

Why have you put up with being a spare wheel in your own marriage for so many years? You’ve been a travelling spouse, neglected your own career to pander to a DH who doesn’t respect you or his marriage enough to not tattle tale about you to his friend ( wouldn’t matter if they were male or female). Not only does he not respect you he lets other people disrespect you, why did he go to that wedding for a mutual friend if you weren’t invited? Better get yourself back to work I’ve a feeling if she ever gave your DH the come on he’d be off with her like a shot, they are already playing with fire by having an emotional affair.
Edited to say having read your last updates get yourself back in work and divorce him, he’s an absolute arsehole, as a bonus you won’t have to hear about her ever again.

AlwaysExtraHot · 26/06/2026 20:24

CamillaMcCauley · 26/06/2026 20:15

Prior to his lengthy discussion with Jane about you, has your husband raised what must very substantial relationship issues with you directly?

What is this apparent BPD diagnosis based on? Are you in the habit of melting down and storming out, declaring that you’re going to leave your husband and then changing your mind within hours? Did you and Jane have a lot of fights before she stopped returning your calls? In short, is there any indication of the basis for quite an extreme diagnosis?

Yes, I’d like to hear his answer to this too. If it’s as serious as BPD then he must have been seeing signs already?
I’d also like to hear his answer to how she has arrived at her ‘diagnosis’ after precisely no contact with you.

Actually, I think I can guess what he’d say to both of those: you’re not thinking straight/you’ve got problems/ you’re hysterical.

He is your problem and she is taking advantage.

Namechangeforthisdilemma1 · 26/06/2026 20:24

Pistachiocake · 26/06/2026 20:01

Even if she is a nurse, surely she would not be allowed to diagnose a person she hasn't seen for years-and not professionally at all! And I'd be annoyed with my husband for meeting and discussing me behind his back. It's find for him to have other friends, either gender, and see them without me. But this is not ok.

Yes!! Can you somehow report her for making inappropriate diagnosis outside work?!

TBH I would also throw the DH in the bin for not having your back.

And focus on getting your high flying career back, get him to cough up for childcare!!

bryceQ · 26/06/2026 20:25

Everything you keep adding about your husband seems worse and worse.

if Jane had been ignoring me in such a rude way I would expect my husband to back me up. Not keep seeing her.

he sounds incredibly disrespectful to you constantly and Jane sounds vile.

5128gap · 26/06/2026 20:25

This hasn't come from nowhere. When she stopped speaking to you 5 years ago, im willing to bet she gave a reason to your H to do with you or your behaviour. Because no one is going to accept their 'best friend' suddenly cutting their wife out without asking why.
Since then it's been accepted between the two of them that she thinks there's 'something wrong' with you, and for whatever reason he has now decided to agree. Clearly after prolonged discussion with her about you, where he has shared details of what he percieves to be issues with you.
This is a shocking act of disloyalty.

Valpolichella · 26/06/2026 20:25

CFornot123 · 26/06/2026 20:20

H and I have a history of him not taking what I say seriously, accusing me of being over dramatic, or dismissing my interests (as I try different things in a bid to figure out a career whilst looking after kids and following him around the world!). Recently our dog was attacked and H refused to take him to the vets because I was over exaggerating and it took for our poor boy to be having a fit on the floor and for me to call another family member and have them speak to him (someone he respects) before he agreed to take him. Turns out he had a huge bite wound and was on abx for three weeks, but that was probably the vet being hysterical right…

Op, I have been married a long time. There are precisely zero circumstances under which my DH would behave like this. None. I mean, never say never, but not if he expected to remain married to me.
Aside from that, if he ever refused to seek veterinary treatment for one of our animals? I’d ditch him for that, on its own. That is not the man I married and absolutely not a man I could or would remain married to.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 26/06/2026 20:27

WTF. Who does he think he is too, the bloody cheek of the pair of them.
What was he thinking. She’s probably the worst person to discuss personal details with. He has crossed the line.

Acaseofyou80 · 26/06/2026 20:27

Yeah this is a DH problem.
If it were me, I would calmly go over your entire relationship. Make notes. Literally write them down. Every sacrifice you have ever made for the sake of your husband and family. Because there will be plenty. Your entire impressive career for one. And everything you contributed to him and your family as a fully mentally well person. The support you’ve provided him with, the care for your children, everything. Use specifics.
Then I would list all the times this best friend has offended you, and still yet, for him - all the ways you have made efforts with her.
ask him how he would feel about her in your position?
Then I would lay down my boundaries for my marriage. Take time to think about what is acceptable to you and what isn’t. It is YOUR marriage too. For example; if he has genuine concerns for your health that he is to speak you about them. No one else.
Think carefully about how you want this other person to feature in your marriage and tell him. Set your boundaries and stick to them.

ASimpleLampoon · 26/06/2026 20:27

Leave him.

DeftGoldHedgehog · 26/06/2026 20:27

There are three people in this marriage. How dare he and she.

ASimpleLampoon · 26/06/2026 20:28

Leave him.

ThatCyanCat · 26/06/2026 20:28

As they say on here, you have a DH problem.

Cherrysoup · 26/06/2026 20:28

Your Dh needs to stop discussing you with her. How can you take him seriously when he’s so easily swayed by this shite? And why did it take him talking to someone he takes seriously to take the poor bloody dog to the vet? You have bigger issues than this gobshite ‘bf’.

id also get him to ask your uni pal why, as his long term partner, you weren’t invited to the wedding. That’s weird.

Bunnyfuller1 · 26/06/2026 20:29

Jane is a bitchy twat and your husband is a selfish twat. He has obviously been having a good moan about you and parenthood etc etc from his perspective only and almost definitely shit stirred around the wedding.

Your husband is being unkind at best and emotional affair or more at worst. Why didn’t he speak up and ask to take you to the wedding? Can you reach out to any of them and see if you can find out any more? Tell the husband you are not impressed with him discussing you, your marriage and family with other people before discussing it with you. What an arsehole.

SolveMyPrombles · 26/06/2026 20:30

Isitevensummer · 26/06/2026 20:22

I would be suggesting relationship Counselling before anything else. And explaining this is completely unacceptable. She is never to be included in this kind of discussion again if he wants to stay married. Jane sounds like an idiot -and obviously is trying to sabotage your relationship to move him on him. It's amazing to me how often this dynamic occurs and how little the men involved realise it. Everyone has EUPD/BPD traits- it's the way they combine and affect functioning that signifies a disorder. She's being unprofessional in the extreme.

Absolutely relationship counselling. You need to work out if you can have Jane in your lives if she's going to be like this.

shirleecarter · 26/06/2026 20:30

The fact that he still associates with her after she’s been racist and rude towards you shows where his priorities lie. She sounds like a massive twat but he isn’t blameless either. I’d be giving him a few home truths at this point to be honest, it’s one thing to discuss marital problems with a friend, quite another to show this level of disloyalty.

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