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Relationships

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

Anyone there to help? I feel I'm drowning

241 replies

mosp · 17/03/2012 00:01

I don't know how much I'm allowed to say about this, but if I don't express my emotions I will explode.
I recently made a new friend. Long distance. He is doomed. The friendship is doomed. I can't cope. I didn't anticipate feeling so close. :(

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HoudiniHissy · 19/03/2012 17:04

You can do other things for yourself besides therapy, while you wait for referral. Although, is there anyway you could self fund this? There is a charity that helps part fund, or provides therapy at reduced rates for those on tight incomes. Please see if you can find out where to get this help?

I wonder if there are any books that could help in the meantime...

Your Ex was a Narc wasn't he? so abuse is a factor, come onto the Emotional Abuse thread and offload to us? we can help put some perspective back and the others can recommend books to help you work through some things.

MN is not all about biscuits, babies and pombears.. it's a real life line... Come back and participate, you'll help lots of people and it will help you too.

mosp · 19/03/2012 17:27

Thanks hissy. I think it would hinder me to think about my ex h at this stage. I will come to the other thread if I ever feel I need to talk. Tbh, I've talked about his abuse over and over (in the past) and I think I am ok in that respect. It helps that I never loved him and so it was emotionally easy to leave him. The real issue the pre-dates my ex is the reason I need therapy. I will chase it up.

Another thought I had today as I walked to school: the two men that have caused my head to be messed, I don't hate them or wish bad on them. I don't want to punish them. I don't think you can call it 'forgiveness' because forgiveness is a process and I just don't get angry about abuse towards me. Weird, I know. I think it is more that I don't think any human has the right to judge another. No one is perfect. Prison should be about rehabilitating offenders and about protecting society.

Ah! I'm waffling again...

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HoudiniHissy · 19/03/2012 17:41

It's called detachment.

I'm ambivalent about my Ex, don't hate him anymore... he has no power over me.

detach, process and think about everything that has happened to you. The more you examine it, and process it, the more you realise that it was not YOUR choice to have any of the stuff happen to you, the sooner you will be calmer about it all and look at it all realistically.

You do need to keep talking about the issues you have in your past. Your self image is still very distorted. You are very down-trodden. Talking about and seeing who did what to whom and realising that none of it was your fault is so liberating.

good idea to chase up the therapy, it really will help you, I can see that from here!

x

mosp · 19/03/2012 17:46

What does a person do when their calamity was, in fact, at least in part their own fault?

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hopkin · 19/03/2012 18:36

the two men that have caused my head to be messed, I don't hate them or wish bad on them. I don't want to punish them. I don't think you can call it 'forgiveness' because forgiveness is a process and I just don't get angry about abuse towards me. Weird, I know.

I don't know if it's weird or not - I feel the same way about the person who fucked me over - but I think, in my case at least, it's not a good thing. The reason I don't feel anger towards him and never have is because I think, in a way, I deserved what happened. I feel like he had a sort of natural right to do what he did to me and so - regardless of the fact that it left my life in ruins - I have never been able to feel angry with him.

But when I hear about other people being subjected to the same thing, I can and do feel angry. Very very angry.

So in my case, I don't think my lack of anger is anything to do with forgiveness: it's all about my inability to see myself as being just as undeserving of that kind of violence as anyone else is. That's not good, is it? I do feel that the day I feel angry with him will be a good day, for me.

mosp · 19/03/2012 18:41

Hopkin, sometimes I wonder just the same thing. Maybe my lack of anger comes from the same source as yours. I don't FEEL that I have rights. I have no expectation that a man will ever treat me well. I only vaguely wish it.

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hopkin · 19/03/2012 18:49

I have no expectation that a man will ever treat me well.

God. Yes. I could have written that. I have zero expectation of being treated well and I should probably learn to hide it better, because I think the sheer astonishment on my face and in my voice when a partner does something (anything!) nice for me is a dead giveaway. I don't think I do myself any favours by basically making it obvious that I expect nothing, because surely some people will take that as permission to give nothing.

lemonbonbons · 19/03/2012 19:42

Gosh - I just presumed he would not have access to your home address . That would terrify me, but obviously it s not something that worries you .

Good Luck with everything - and please don t ever send him any money - he might spend it on a flight and a wedding ring !!!

( I know deep down he won t get out - but it just scares me he might & he might have got a taste for killing ! )

PS sorry if insensitive , it's just my view x

mosp · 19/03/2012 20:01

You're funny :)

Dying doesn't scare me anyway.

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lemonbonbons · 19/03/2012 20:05
Grin
HoudiniHissy · 19/03/2012 21:17

You'll have to refresh my memory as to why the part calamity was your fault mosp.

Even if it was (and I'm going to stick my neck out and say I doubt it) you can and must forgive yourself. The past is the past and we learn and grow from it. I know that as a result of my depression, suicide attempt, abusive relationship etc etc I am a stronger person.
I have empathy, compassion, no fear of mortality, but at the same time know and appreciate the value of life and the need to live it. I also have a keen sense of perception, honed from being able to discern if Ex was in a shitty mood from his footsteps in the hall.

I have an ability now to look at situations with a clinical black and white approach. I bust everything down to the simplest form and then see if I can make sense of stuff when all the emotion is stripped out, the BS vanquished.

The lack of anger is that you have not processed it all yet, you have not allowed yourself to see that you were a victim. You are too intent on punishing yourself for allowing yourself to fall into that position in the first place.

OK all well and good, but these people CHOSE to hurt you.... That was their active choice. They could have stopped, but didn't.

Power and Control Charming men make Dangerous Lovers, Why Does He Do That.. both great books that deal with men that control and hurt us, explain the dynamic and our non-role in it.

HoudiniHissy · 19/03/2012 21:20

Oh meant to say that being with a shitty Ex means that actually you appreciate even the tiniest things a normal bloke does. I get almost emotional over a cup of coffee FFS!

new bloke buys me presents, takes me out and is fascinated and turned on by me.. Shock [specsavers]

mosp · 19/03/2012 21:35

I'm so glad for you hissy :)

I feel kind of tearful with happiness when my friends' husbands listen to them and don't behave all entitled. For ages after I escaped, I used to panic when I heard someone assert an opinion in front of their dh because I half expected a dangerous reaction. It took ages to get used to. I also used to love it when my bil got angry (even with me) because he is so

Also, I so know what you mean about the footsteps. My intuition was always right about my ex. I just knew when he was going to get violent from the way he walked/blinked etc. I suppose it is survival instinct.

I can't go into details about my calamity because it'll make me ill. But I was too stupid and naive. I could have saved myself if I had an ounce of 'worldly wisdom'. I was 20 years old, but had the awareness of a child :(

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HoudiniHissy · 19/03/2012 21:50

Oh FFS mosp. I was over 30 and got sucked into the shit storm that was a living hell. You were probably groomed for it chuck, please at 20, it can't have been your fault love. I can tell you dates and times I was a fucking idiot and should have told him to FF the FF off and didn't... Forgive yourself, it wasn't YOU!

Tell me about it with the couples discussions! jesus, christmas was a ffing nightmare! My sis is a bit of a PITA and nags anything that stays still enough to listen.. I was terrified, til I realised it WASN'T going to kick off.

I've done a shit load of work on myself this year, still got tons to do, but at least I'm functional... well kinda. Got to the snog bit already, he's working on the wandering hands.. Hmm [keepingmyeyesonhim]

HoudiniHissy · 19/03/2012 21:52

new bloke is only 2 weeks in... this is VERY new, may not even last the month...

mosp · 19/03/2012 21:53

WHAT are you doing on mn? Give him some luuuurve :)

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