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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

I think I am going mad...

14 replies

chocempress · 22/10/2010 22:35

Quite literally, so I need to list everything here, if you could give me your opinions that would be helpful. If you don't want to, then fine, just don't attack me please...
All the things that h has done:
I have overheard phone calls, he has said "I've met someone else, so I have to break up with you"...."ofcourse you're beautiful..' He has denied it, even though I walked into the room which is how I heard it, he has told me I am imagining it and once tried to make me think I was delusional and needed psychiatric help...I began to believe him. I was very confused. He even spoke to someone, at a supermarket and arranged a date with her, I was stood next to him, he even denied that. Again, apparently I was imagining it. Lots more similar things, can't list them here, I would be here all day. He still denies this now. This has been going on for ten years, I don't know why I stayed or why I believed that I am mad.
He had always made snide comments, sarcastic put-downs and said he is joking. I used to be slim, and he said I was fat, I was a size 8-10. It was awful. I am now a size 14-16,(after children) and I feel big for me, but because of how he has made me feel about myself, I can't seem to shift the weight. I have tried to join the gym, he refused to look after the children. I wanted to get a wii fit to use at home, he spent as much money as possible to make it impossible to buy one.
If I leave the house, he phones me every ten minutes and when I don't answer he shouts at me when he sees me. I once went to a childrens health centre, he phoned continuously, and then rang the receptionist there, so I had to call him back...it was not imortant. I was embarrased. I tried to make friends there.
At the moment I battle with agoraphobia, and he makes me feel worse. I make effort to leave the house each day with some excuse, like buying milk, going to the po, if he finds out, he does the errand so I am stuck at home again. Or he will hide my shoes, he must be doing that, because I can never find them at that specific point, or he hides my car key, door key etc.
Lately, his tactics involve trying to turn the children against me, and telling them "mummy will hit you if you do that' (I never hit my children), I know because my youngest ds told me what daddy told him.
I know I need to leave, but I can't bring myself to.
There is more, so much more, but I can't type it all out here...

OP posts:
Overtiredmum · 22/10/2010 22:39

Sorry, I have no real advice to offer, but just wanted to give you as

Overtiredmum · 22/10/2010 22:39

Sorry, that should be "a" hug Ax

RudeEnglishLady · 22/10/2010 22:41

You must tell someone in real life about this. Someone that you trust and who will help you leave this man.

Sorry - it sounds terrible what you are going through but you can have a nice life when you get away from this monster.

CheerfulV · 22/10/2010 22:42

Dear God, woman. This is horrible. I'm aghast for you. You must call Women's Aid, or speak to someone in RL to get support. No wonder you feel like you are going mad: he is doing his damnedest to make you feel like you are. Have you ever heard of gaslighting? Because this is exactly what he is doing to you.
I'm sure someone more helpful will come along in a bit, if not by the time I've posted this, but I didn't want your post to go unanswered. You're not mad, he's incredibly, covertly abusive. You must leave.

scareprudence · 22/10/2010 22:43

You don't sound mad but you do sound very distressed. He sounds very controlling and if you're suffering from agoraphobia too that must make it harder for you to make a break.

Have you talked to your GP?

Sorry you're having a hard time.

DioneTheDiabolist · 22/10/2010 22:44

OP, you are not going mad. You do have serious problems, both in yourself and your marriage. Are you receiving any professional help?

TacticalNameChange · 22/10/2010 22:47

You poor thing. I sincerely doubt you are imagining or misremembering things. It sounds like you are the victim of a possessive, abusive manipulator. I'm sure some people will be along with more practical advice soon but are you well enough to get to your GP (without alerting your husband) or find a quiet time alone to call the samaritan's or woman's aid?

Hassled · 22/10/2010 22:48

You need to leave, and you need to do it pronto. He's a nutter - a nasty one at that - and if you stay he will completely fuck you up. If you can't do it for yourself, leave for your DCs' sake - this is no way to grow up. This really, really, is not normal life.

Have you got friends/family who would help you leave?

GypsyMoth · 22/10/2010 23:11

You poor thing!! I have been there, he used to hide all my underwear, phones, yes shoes and coats

I got out

'you can too......call womens aid. They can get you a place in a hostel. You will be fine.

I'm five years on, so can say with confidence, you will be fine. The dc will be too.

Do you need some help in rl??

LittleMissHissyFangs · 22/10/2010 23:53

FGS woman, please get help, please get out, this is beyond bonkers!

Listen, you are not going mad, he is trying to make you think that, it's him that's off his trolley.

My cbt counsellor once told me that madpeople don't know they are mad.... If you think you are going mad, it's proof you are not!

How can we help you?

call WA, and come back to us, we'll be with you every step of the way

perfumedlife · 22/10/2010 23:58

Why can't you bring yourself to leave him?

WhenwillIfeelnormal · 23/10/2010 12:19

You are not going mad, but you are being gaslit.

You are the victim of a recognised form of abuse. Please see this link and read widely about gaslighting. It is an especially insidious form of abuse.

See here

ItsGhoulAgain · 23/10/2010 13:07

Poor you, after 10 years of this you're doing brilliantly to realise IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S HIM Angry What he's doing to you is a specific form of abuse. Legally speaking, it's mental cruelty, so you might want to read up on that as well as gaslighting. Does he keep you short of money? If he controls your access to funds and the car, then he's also committing financial abuse.

So he's committing actual crimes against you. Please don't think for one more minute that he has the right to do this - he is wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm very sorry he's turned out this way. All you can do now, really, is cut your losses as quickly & cleanly as possible. Please read SprinkleDust's post again, and call Women's Aid. They will help you.

I wouldn't be surprised if he caused your agoraphobia. If you didn't have it before hiim, it will go away as soon as you're out.
Good luck, and hugs.

ItsGhoulAgain · 23/10/2010 13:09

Forgot to say: keep notes. It will help you save your sanity.

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