Hi everyone,
Apologies if there's a better place to post this - just hoping someone can advise really. I'll try not to ramble on!
My father hasn't lived with us since I was a toddler as he was a violent alcoholic/inflicted physical and emotional abuse on me and my mother and has a history of being (dangerously) mentally unstable (which he refuses to aknowledge or get help for, due to living in a fantasy world and beliving his own lies).
I had contact with him as a child (EOW) which lasted until the constant emotional abuse became too much and, once I was older, I told him I no longer wanted him in my life.
Many years of nuisance calling, turning up unnaounced and stalking ensued with revolting abuse on a regular basis (verbally, in letters and in person when he got the chance) followed. This made me ill with fear/depression/totally destroyed any confidence I may have had.
Cut a long story short - a few years ago I found out he had a terminal illness with not long to go. Stupidly, I believed this and agreed to contact, so I could try and forgive him.
Not surprisingly he has reverted back to his old behaviour - he will lose his temper and be abusive the second he doesn't get his own way (usually when he feels he isn't getting enough attention, people aren't juming to his orders)
I have since found out the 'terminal illness' story is not true. I have explained time and again why his behaviour is unacceptable but he won't listen/doesn't care/decides to believe a different reality in which he is entirely innocent of any wrong-doing.
My question is: does anybody have any experience with restraining orders and how they work? Would I need to keep a record of his harrasment? I've already had to inform my building security at work.
Any help you can give would be much appreciated - apologies this was so long!