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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 *9*

999 replies

foolonthehill · 06/06/2012 15:53

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:
arthriticfingers · 26/06/2012 22:01

Bibi I try to remember to select and copy my posts because every one is a pearl before pressing 'post message'
This means that you can paste it again if the wonderful wisdom post gets eaten by the ethernet

arthriticfingers · 26/06/2012 22:08

ok; here are some from my mother:
'of course no-one would like you if they knew what you were really like'
I left when I was just 17 and never went back, so most phrases have been removed.
Mainly, the few times I went back as an adult she said nothing, to the extent that she would leave the room if a guest asked me anything at all about my life or job.
Can leaving the room if someone asks you a question be one?

BibiBlocksberg · 26/06/2012 22:10

Grin @ 'every one is a pearl'

Mostly I think I post a load of drivel but I swear on my cats lives that whenever I'm having a coherent, wisdom filled evening the bastard post gets lost.

In an alternate universe I'm revered as a goddess of MN good sense and advice, the same place where all the odd socks and baby dummies go, oh yes! Grin

arthriticfingers · 26/06/2012 22:12

Now my FW list would go on forever, but I wouldn't want to repeat most of the language.
This one is new this year, and I find it hysterically funny:
'You're eaten up by envy because you only went to a comprehensive' Confused
Should have told him to meet round the back after school so I could kick the shit out him Grin

veeeee · 26/06/2012 22:13

My mum told me last week that she tells her counsellor about how hurt and upset she is by the tattoo on my foot which says nan and grandad. She wants to know why I don't have "mum". She doesn't actually want to know of course, she wouldn't be able to handle that conversation!

veeeee · 26/06/2012 22:14

Oh and this evening I have been told by fwh that I am the effigy of selfishness

arthriticfingers · 26/06/2012 22:15

Did she want you have three feet Vee?

BibiBlocksberg · 26/06/2012 22:31

'the effigy of selfishness' snort.

Getting his 'ishes' and 'lesses' mixed up again I see, bless

'You're so selfish' qualifies as a projection utterance from the extremely self obsessed to the extremely selfless and belongs on the 'classics' bingo card I believe?

veeeee · 26/06/2012 22:31

Interesting question arthritic, I hadn't considered that maybe she wasn't actually playing the victim and genuinely needed an anatomy lesson Grin

lostmywellies · 26/06/2012 22:38

Well, I think if selfishness wants to set fire to you and watch you burn, then you must be some sort of spiritual enemy of selfishness... Hmm. Seems like either he's too ignorant to insult you properly (it's EPITOME! There, couldn't resist) OR he's paying you an extremely roundabout sort of compliment. You are the mortal enemy of selfishness. Noone could be more unselfish than you. Which, since you put up with him, is probably closer to the truth.

lostmywellies · 26/06/2012 22:39

:o Pedant grin!

veeeee · 26/06/2012 22:41

Haha lost I thought the same, I assumed he'd been listening to too much Robbie Williams

foolonthehill · 26/06/2012 23:03

Hi, just catching up.

(Is it wrong to say)nice to see you again Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ('cos we wish you didn't need to be here)..........(that is you going very fast in catch-up mode) sorry he reeled you back in. You know this proves how good, selfless and forgiving you are don't you? Now, repeat after me, detach detach detach and observe, observe, observe and you will see the cycle of abuse slowly turning. You are unfortunate that unlike my NSDH yours is good at being nice...mine can only keep it up for a few hours at a time so it was much easier to disengage once I had seen him.

for the Bingo..."you are a terrible housewife (or derivatives of same), this place is a mess".

I never was married to the house..........

"why can you not see how much I am hurting/trying/giving?" (answer because you are not!!)

"why can't you be like a proper wife?" (Hmm) you can guess what that was about.

"oh, but I thought you liked it"...no never have, I told you I never have and guess what, I never will!

8 months out for me....hooray, hooray, hooray (dances around kitchen with mug of tea.

Yes you lot it truly does get better...even if NSDH is doing nothing, paying nothing and nothing is sorted out. Tomorrow I may be in the doldrums trying to sort out the unsortable, but tonight I am celebrating. Brew

OP posts:
arthriticfingers · 26/06/2012 23:21

Looking forward to the list!
I am probably not very bright. After 30 years of thinking that perhaps all was not right, I looked at the lists at the top of this thread and realized that FW ticked every single f*ing box :(
Better that therapy, this bingo lark, I reckon. Certainly a good reality check - which I do need :(

bb99 · 27/06/2012 08:00

hello

I think I may be in an emotionally abusive relationship (12+ years) and am just beginning to come to terms with this posability. (This kind of thing doesn't happen to me)

Thought I could join you and see how things go, get some pearly wisdom and try to figure things out.

I am also at the point where it is starting to wear a bit thin.

We have always had a volatile relationship, but it just doesn't seem to be improving (at all) and having started to plough through out of the fog I may be starting to understand why.

This is really difficult for me, there's a lot invested in the relationship and I honestly don't know if it is abusive, or if we just have a few rough patches to put behind us IYSWIM, or if I am just getting to the end of the relationship anyway and am looking for an exit strategy.

He's not an utter sh*t all the time...

Got school run now, so may be back later, depending on life etc.

Hope everyone has a good enough day.

xx

DoingItForMyself · 27/06/2012 08:11

BB, reading your thread (hope you don't mind the link) I don't think there's any question that he is both emotionally and physically abusive love. Its not a nice thing to hear about your H or yourself, but the sooner you admit that this is what it is, the sooner you can start to deal with it and allow the wisdom of MN to help you see things more clearly. x

veeeee · 27/06/2012 08:14

hello bb I'm in the same situation. Have you read the links in the OP? That's what confirmed EA for me, as I read I just kept thinking "that's exactly what he does! And that. And that"

I've just emailed women's aid and it's made me cry! It's the first time I've contacted them, I really don't know what I'm hoping they will do but something is better than nothing.

artmummy · 27/06/2012 10:54

Ive just found this forum and Im hoping to get some support so I know Im not going crazy. I am trying to get out of an emotional abusive relationship, we have been married 10 yrs and have 2 children, things arent good, Ive grown stronger and realised it doesnt have to be this way, I do have the emotional energy to make this work anymore, I dont want to (but I cant say the second bit to him) we are going nowhere, I suggested a break, some breathing room from each other, he has blown this out of context and says Im the one with the problem, Im the one who isnt 'willing' to work at this (he has made all sorts of promises but I dont believe anything will change), so I should be the one to leave, he is staying with the house and the kids. Ive made it clear I am not going anywhere as the kids mean the world to me, and he says well thats what Im asking him to give up.

I cant cope with this mental torture anymore, things have been worse as he is on one awful paranoid trip that Im up to something again (which I am not have have given him no reason to think this)...

When does the living nightmare end... Im scared Ill go home and find my stuff on the driveway... :( :(

artmummy · 27/06/2012 11:07

sorry, that was meant to say I don't have the emotional energy to make it work..

bb99 · 27/06/2012 11:39

doingit - don't mind the link, wasn't sure how to do it myself. Just trying to come to terms with things atm. It's one thing to think - this isn't right, don't remember growing up in a home where things like this happened, don't even remember my dad ever calling my mum any names, or vica versa, but it's quite another to admit there's a problem to yourself, or on the net, never mind in RL.

The second time the police were at our house (only 2 times) the officer I was talking to commented that we really shouldn't be having problems like this, that we were 'nice' people (tho what that means I don't know) and it all just looks so lovely from the outside.

artmummy - it's what I'm afraid of - we have talked about splitting up before - he wants exactly what your H wants - me out. He spent a lot of time after my 2nd (his 1st) dc was born telling me I was the problem and if only I'd go things would be great. All this time I had PND and the HVs were saying (and noting down) how supportive H was. Couldn't bring myself to admit how he chased me round the house shouting and screaming at me, calling me every name under the sun and body blocking me from leaving the house when I tried to get out the front door. I was/am so ashamed I feel I've made such a mess of things and made so many mistakes. The biggest one being sticking around after we moved in together. Good Luck!!

veee - yes, looked at the links and started thinking, gosh, maybe it's not me being oversensative after all... Hope you find some of the answers you need, I'm looking and looking for them

Now for the reality bit. I don't know where I'm going with this. I don't know if I will ever leave/pluck up the courage. I am not going to be a reliable source of support (sorry - I am in a bit of a mess atm, walked to/from school in a daze today - felt like I was in shock) H will try to convince me it is all in my head and I am over reacting - hehas done this before. Describes himself as a 'passionate' person (read, shouts a LOT during disagreements) and really doesn't see anything wrong with his behaviour.

I will try to keep abreast of things.

ttfn xx

foolonthehill · 27/06/2012 12:11

no one can really have a life plan, each day just try to do the best you can. One day that might be to leave, or it may not but whatever you are doing I'm glad you are here...lot's of support and knowledge on this thread.

best wishes xxfool

OP posts:
AnastasiaSteele · 27/06/2012 12:25

One day at a time is good - i'm reading Katie Piper's 'Things Get Better' and it's so inspiring for all kinds of situations, and she says how helpful babysteps are.

I havent completely stayed away from FW, though have reduced contact even more. I have 'flounced' again. I went to see him - with food - and he asked if I was bleaching my 'tache anytime soon. (Funnily enough, I spotted it was time this morning and thought I'll do it tonight but I bet FW mentions it). When I got upset, he was of course, joking and I need to 'get a grip', mild mimicking, I left and the texts are turning it all around on me again. I'm okay though. Again, I always think I'm overreacting, but I'll try to believe in what I deserve.

veeeee · 27/06/2012 12:50

Ahhh the "only joking" line, another for the classics list no?

DoingItForMyself · 27/06/2012 13:28

What a wanker Anastasia. Who in their right mind thinks that is a funny or acceptable thing to say to anyone? Luckily that is one thing my STBHX never joked about because his eyesight wasn't good enough to notice my tache! but if he had, I think that would have been worse than all the 'fat, lazy, useless, disorganised' jokes in the world. Sad

AnastasiaSteele · 27/06/2012 13:36

So sad what we'll put up with. I try to imagine it's my sister's DP saying it to her and react accordingly. Don't ask me what's up I could get livid for her but think I deserve less!

I was at the dentist this week and came out in tears - new dentist can't understand why I don't want braces. It's a shame she doesn't know the abuse I've had about my teeth and how tactless she was. Funnily enough, FW was LIVID about what she said. A fortnight ago, he called me a 'bucktoothed whore'. Short memory AND hypocritical. Wow. I'm ending up with a complex about my teeth that I never had.