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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

Support thread for those in Emotionally Abusive relationships number *8*

999 replies

foolonthehill · 12/04/2012 09:54

Am I being abused?

Verbal Abuse A wonderfully non-hysterical summary. If you're unsure, read the whole page and see if you're on it.
Emotional abuse from the same site as above
Emotional abuse a more heartfelt description
Signs of Abuse & Control Useful check list
why financial abuse is domestic violenceAre you a free ride for a cocklodger, or supposed to act grateful for every penny you get for running the home?
Women's Aid: "What is Domestic Violence?" This is also, broadly, the Police definition.
20 signs you're with a controlling and/or abusive partner Exactly what it says on the tin

Books :

"Why Does He Do That?" by Lundy Bancroft - The eye-opener. Read this if you read nothing else.
"The Verbally Abusive Relationship" by Patricia Evans ? He wants power OVER you and gets angry when you prove not to be the dream woman who lives only in his head.
"The Verbally Abusive Man, Can He Change?" by Patricia Evans - Answer: Perhaps - ONLY IF he recognises HIS issues, and if you can be arsed to work through it. She gives explicit guidelines.
"Men who hate women and the women who love them" by Susan Forward. The author is a psychotherapist who realised her own marriage was abusive, so she's invested in helping you understand yourself just as much as helping you understand your abusive partner.
"The Emotionally Abusive Relationship: How to Stop Being Abused and How to Stop Abusing" by Beverley Engels - The principle is sound, if your partner isn't basically an arse, or disordered.
"Codependent No More : How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself" by Melody Beattie - If you a rescuer, you're a co-dependent. It's a form of addiction! This book will help you.
But whatever you do, don't blame yourself for being Co-dependent!

Websites :

So, you're in love with a narcissist - Snarky, witty, angry, but also highly intelligent: very good for catharsis
Dr Irene's verbal abuse site - motherly advice to readers' write-ins from a caring psychotherapist; can be a pain to navigate but very validating stuff
Out of the fog - and now for the science bit! Clinical, dispassionate, and very informative website on the various forms of personality disorders and how they impact on family and intimate relationships.
Get your angries out ? You may not realise it yet, but you ARE angry. Find out in what unhealthy ways your anger is expressing itself. It has probably led you to staying in an unhealthy relationship.
Melanie Tonia Evans is a woman who turned her recovery from abuse into a business. A little bit "woo" and product placement-tastic, but does contain a lot of useful articles.
Love fraud - another site by one woman burned by an abusive marriage
You are not crazy - one woman's experience. She actually has recordings of her and her abusive partner having an argument, so you can hear what verbal abuse sounds like. A pain to navigate, but well worth it.
Baggage reclaim - Part advice column, part blog on the many forms of shitty relationships.
heart to heart a wealth of information and personal experiences drawn together in one place

If you find that he really wants to change

I stay or should I go bonus materials this is a site containing the material for men who want to change?please don?t give him the link?print out the content for him to work through.

The Bill of Rights
bill of rights here is what you should expect as a starting point for your treatment in a relationship, as you will of course be treating others!!

OP posts:
LittleHouseofCamelias · 24/04/2012 13:56

Not wrong to ask at all DATY, but our family home is comfortable and spacious and I moved out into a pretty little shoebox so they chose to stay with him. I would have done the same in their position. It would have been very hard for them to "side with mum".

I saw a very kind but senior solicitor today who heard my tale then asked if I was aware I was in an abusive relationship with a controlling angry man !!! He advises immediate clean break divorce, and no mediation as I will be manipulated. He has pointed out I hold all the aces, and FWH could be made to pay spousal maintenance. He is starting the process today, and has a record of 95 percent settlement without court action. I feel giggly with relief that an Expert has validated my thoughts and told me I don't have to battle with FWH any more. I have to be firmer and less reasonable and run everything past the Expert from now on. Wow!

choozyfloozy · 24/04/2012 14:05

littlehouse that is good news, your solicitor sounds great. Can't get my head round how entitled these types of men are. My dp is also a high earner but resents every penny he spends on DCs and me. I buy loads second hand as my budget is tiny.

I am seeing WA tomorrow. Wish me luck. Am hoping they can recommend me a legal aid solicitor so I can respond to dp's solicitor's letter requesting mediation. Do you think WA can help me find a solicitor?

horsetowater · 24/04/2012 14:13

Great news Camelias! It must be such a relief to have someone confirm your doubts, your gut feeling that you have suppressed for so long. Amazing how they can do that to you.

Would you be able to move back into the family home and therefore back with DCs? You should be able to explain that FWH is destroying your relationship with DDs - abuse, surely? - and that in order for that to be avoided you should have the bigger home. Is there any risk that he would be abusive to them? It tends to be the pattern, from what I have read about it.

horsetowater · 24/04/2012 15:15

OK it's my turn now.

I feel as though time is going backwards atm. DCs are older now and we have reverted back to pre dcs habits. DP has been out two nights in a row, visiting old friends, pre-dc old friends, pub friends. What I remember from that time is that we would go out together and I wouldn't get a look in. Most of these friends are single or separated men, nice enough, but I know it's a club that I will never be a member of.

Yes I have my own friends, my own 'group' as well, so I'm not being needy here, but there's something that really bugs me about his being so content to not want to spend time with me, share things with me. I don't know why I'm mentioning this but I think I am worried about slipping back into old habits of being a bit of a social wallflower.

It's difficult to have 'couple' friends when your other half is either totally dominating the conversation or disappears into the other room when people come round. I had wondered whether he had Aspergers but that didn't go very far either.

Sorry if this is really unimportant compared to what some of you are going through.

TodaysAGoodDay · 24/04/2012 17:58

sunrise I'm getting on brilliantly. The house sale (my new house) goes through next week. I am so much stronger now I'm finally out of it. The X phoned and started whining on about how he needed my address and I told him to get lost. He knows which county we're in but that's all he knows. I even changed my name so he couldn't find me.

I am at peace now that I don't have to be nice to him anymore. I am waiting for the day our DS realises what his dad is like. Because he will. And I will be there to reassure him that he does matter and that he is important, even if he's not to his dad. I wait eagerly for that day.

I really do wish everyone else on here was at such a good place, chin up to you all who are struggling. You can leave, and you can survive on your own.

How are you getting on sunrise?

arthriticfingers · 24/04/2012 18:11

Well done LittleHouse!!!!!!
Onwards and Upwards :)
I have only got a legal separation, and had it put in writing that I wanted nothing. However, I am still stuck with FWH (looks like, as a punishment for stealing the acronym from you, I will get to keep it for longer as a booby prize Wink until I move out in July.
To tell the truth, after all the rush of sorting out finances and legal documents, I don't know how to sort out day to day life. FWH is still playing Mr. Nice (except when he isn't), and I have nobody at all in RL to talk things through with. :(

TodaysAGoodDay · 24/04/2012 18:48

choozy yes, WA will help with a solicitor. The WA I went to used a legal aid solicitor and organised meetings with her for me. They are incredibly helpful.

tryingtoescape · 24/04/2012 23:57

Just wanted to say hello. I am in midst of my EA situation but finding much support and validation on this thread. Have checked out Freedom Programme having read about it here, and also downloaded a book from it. It's all having its effect, not least in that I am not feeling so useless for still being in the crappy relationship - I can see I need to deprogramme myself and that's a hard job and not quick and that's ok. Other issues re childhood possible abuse have come up and basically my head's going a bit weird but hopefully in positive way. Interestingly, I have stopped drinking kind of instinctively (usually half bottle wine most evenings which added to my feeling of general crapness and uselessness but was only cheerful time!) It seems like the time has come to be myself and stuff, hopefully leading in right direction. Love and hugs to all suffering / moving on. xx PS so weird being honest and open here as opposed to putting on a front that all's well in RL.....

horsetowater · 25/04/2012 00:19

Hello trying. You are among some of the most incredible supportive people here. I'm a total hypocrite and have been on here for years geeing people on but not making any changes myself, but it's always inspiring to read when people are doing stuff, moving on and reclaiming their lives.

Glad you are making changes, amazing that you've stopped drinking naturally like that. A sign of the good things to come I hope.

ThePinkPussycat · 25/04/2012 00:31

Funnily enough, I stopped drinking over the last year or so. Red wine, in particular, made me ranty and miserable. Have the odd beer or cider, but that's all.

First Appointment tomorrow. Exchanged a few terse words with ex tonight, which has energised me - have been feeling so tired, not felt like that since pregnancy.

Littlehouse that's great news. And my sympathy to you, fingers, it's going to take at least a couple of months till ex can move out.

tryingtoescape · 25/04/2012 00:43

Thank you, horse, for your lovely and supportive comments. I think you are a huge support on this thread to all and providing amazing help to so many people. Your comment re the living separately situation you mention; him going out, disappearing in the face of you trying to do stuff together, have "couple" friends - I so understand, I've been living that lonely, single within a relationship (SWR?!) for so many years. You're not a wallflower, it's him who's the problem, he sounds socially useless and selfish like my FWH, he's just depleting you on daily basis. Keep strong, you sound lovely. xx

tryingtoescape · 25/04/2012 00:50

Pink, just saw your post, yes, re drinking I too feel a lot better having control and reason in my life, though strong and difficult feelings are really emerging now I'm not deadening myself every night.

Re you feeling tired, you're facing and dealing with such a lot, lots of supportive thoughts winging their way to you...best of luck with First Appointment.

horsetowater · 25/04/2012 00:57

Oh I like the SWR abbreviation trying, not only are you talking the talk already, you're helping to create the language!

tryingtoescape · 25/04/2012 10:02

Ha ha! Bless you....

PillarBoxRedRoses · 25/04/2012 10:36

Any contact with ex just totally drains me. Was feeling strong now feeling utterly depressed and like his opinion of me is gospel. When will he stop killing my self esteem?! I can't avoid contact unfortunately.

foolonthehill · 25/04/2012 13:15

he will never stop killing your self esteem...but you will be rid of him once you sort out the house, if you keep him away. No children, once finances sorted you need to become invisible.........only to him obviously!

OP posts:
arthriticfingers · 25/04/2012 13:20

Hi Pink. Good Luck with first appointment. It's like going to the dentist; you feel dreadful before, but so much better afterwards!! Really!
It will be me moving out. I have already signed everything over to FWH. According to the agreement, he keeps the house and neither of us pays a penny to other. Clean break time. Like LittleHouse I have paid a deposit on a small flat nearby to live in until smaller DC finish school. Just hope I can pay to mortgage. Wish, too, that I had someone in RL to talk over the practicalities. Am left with FWH for that Confused

ThePinkPussycat · 25/04/2012 16:39

It went Ok-ish, although we let him off providing his accounts for the last 6 years, he's only going back 3. I know what the figures were, and so does he!
He's got 3 weeks to reply, and has agreed to a meeting with me and sol after this to try to reach agreement.

arthriticfingers · 25/04/2012 19:04

Well done Pink hold on in there

sunrise65 · 25/04/2012 20:06

Hi today, glad that things are good for you. Hope the move all goes well.
Things are OK with me. I am feeling a bit low at the moment, my head is constantly on the go. I can't seem to get a plan together of what I need to do and where I need to go. I am seeing my outreach worker on Monday though to discuss the possibility of moving to a refuge. I guess you never know if your are making the right decision in life but I'm just so worried about it all. I can see why so many people go back to their abusive partners because even I think sometimes it would be an easier life, if i could just put up with him. :(
i'll probably be feeling a bit better soon though.
he is seeing my DD tomorrow and that will probably be making me feel a bit pants too. xx

TodaysAGoodDay · 25/04/2012 20:45

PM sunrise.

Sweepitundertherug · 25/04/2012 22:18

update

Am in women's refuge. Left on Monday.

PillarBoxRedRoses · 25/04/2012 22:26

Good for you sweeps. How are you feeling? Are you getting enough support?

PillarBoxRedRoses · 25/04/2012 22:27
  • sweep
LittleHouseofCamelias · 25/04/2012 22:31

Well done sweep
How are the DC? Have you what you need?

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