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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:
NiniLegsInTheAir · 05/07/2012 18:37

Agree so much with Doing r.e. the detaching thing, I'm doing it with my NSDH now and I feel as exhausted as I do when things are at its very worst. It doesn't work.

Forsale I also laughed at your NSDH throwing the papers out of the window, what is he, a child?

Things here are slipping again. Last night after we'd eaten I decided I wanted to go and play on my Xbox a while (yes, I am one of THOSE women who has always been a gamer and find playing games relaxing, I actually feel sorry for some husbands who get the third degree everytime they go near a games console). Until fairly recently (possible the last year or so) NSDH was fine with it, now he goes all pouty and grumpy with me whenever I pick the controller up.

Anyway, so I go upstairs and start playing (told him I was doing this, and let me make this clear this is the first time I've turned the Xbox on in about 3 months due to studying). He came up about half an hour later and stood in the doorway for a bit, I asked him what was wrong, he said 'nothing' and went back downstairs. When he came up to bed he had 'that' pouty look on his face, with the sad droopy mouth and sad little puppy-dog eyes that he puts on when he feels like it. I KNEW it was to do with me playing on the console.

We get into bed and he still has this pouty look on so I asked him what was wrong. 'Nothing' he said again. So I asked him why he had 'that' face on, and he mumbled something about thinking that I was avoiding him. So as calmly as I could, I said that I was relaxing after a very stressful period of studying/exam and wanted to play my game for a bit. He still had his pouty look on so I turned away and went to sleep.

I think I said a few pages back that I KNEW he would do this! Angry I knew he was thinking that as soon as my exam was done I could go back to entertaining him all evening (all he does is sit in front of the TV). It's pissed me off that I knew in advance how he would react. It shows me that he's still not changed a jot. Any thoughts?

NiniLegsInTheAir · 05/07/2012 18:43

Also, I've mentioned before about my Mum (my parents are divorcing) and my younger sister who is the favourite child. My sis graduates in a few weeks and like I said before I was really looking forward to going until Mum made a sarky comment about me needing to pay my sis for the graduation ceremony ticket (sis has plenty of money despite being a student, I'm always skint but they see it as tight, I would have paid her by now if I'd known etc). ANYWAY, today I got a letter from Mum in the post. It was my ticket for the graduation with a post-it saying 'Hi, I'm going directly there on the day so thought it best to send you your ticket'. It made me Sad and a bit Angry.

Whenever Mum comes down this way she always goes the extra hour's drive to pick my sister up and bring her back here. From where she lives she would have to do an extra half hour to pick me up on the way. I don't expect a lift but it would have been nice. I won't have the car that day as NSDH will need it to do the nursery run, so I will be getting the train instead. And the ceremony is held out of town so now I'll have to get a taxi from the station to the venue (God knows how much that'll cost). I really wish I'd never said I'd go.

Part of me feels like I'm being punished for not taking sides in my parents' very difficult divorce. Favourite sister doesn't speak to Dad, and Mum (when she bothers to ring me which she hasn't done for ages), keeps telling me all the terrible things he says (my Dad is an arse but the things she's telling me just sound like sour grapes on her part).

To make it worse, my sister got her final degree mark on the same day as my exam took place. That evening, on Facebook, my Mum was gushing on my sister's page how proud she was of her (rightly so I know). She even put something gushing on my sister's boyfriend's page, as he is also graduating. But NOTHING on mine about how did my exam go, good luck for it etc etc etc. It's like I don't exist. Sad Sad Sad

NiniLegsInTheAir · 05/07/2012 18:44

Really sorry, that's 2 very long posts.

Hope everyone is enjoying the brief sun.

TodaysAGoodDay · 05/07/2012 19:29

It's so awful when parents show favouritism isn't it nini? I get the same thing from my dad. He and my mum are still married, but everything I do seems to be overlooked, and everything my brother does gets a fanfare.
It's not right that your parents should bad mouth you about each other, it's something I swore I wouldn't do to my DS, and to this day I haven't. I wonder if your mum knows she's doing it? I bet my dad doesn't even realise.

NiniLegsInTheAir · 05/07/2012 19:54

Today, I think she definitely knows what she's doing, when she badmouths Dad she looks at me with this sly look on her face (hard to describe) I've never seen her use at any other time. As much as an arse my Dad is, he has NEVER badmouthed Mum to me at any point during the divorce proceedings. I'm starting to really dislike her, and at the same time I still love my Mum Sad.

NSDH is in a foul mood tonight. He came home and walked through the door with the loud 'huff' he makes when he's pissed off. I asked him what was wrong, he said he was hot & tired, went straight to the kitchen and started crashing around as I hadn't washed up yet. So I went upstairs. He came up shortly after and asked if he could use my laptop tonight. I asked why he needed to (it's my work laptop) and he went on the defensive - huffing, throwing his arms in the air. I said as it was my laptop I had every right to ask him. He said he wanted to check Facebook (he can't do it at work and our main computer is in DD's room who is asleep). I said that was fine, and then said 'that wasn't so hard was it'. He stormed out and slammed the door after him. I shouted to him not to wake his daughter up, he came back and said he hadn't meant to do it. I said that was convenient.

Give me strength. Sad

ForSaletotheHighestBidder · 05/07/2012 20:06

FUCK FUCK just checked the history on the PC at home and the fucker has somehow retrieved the deleted history and (I assume) read my posts. Obviously the specific incidents I've mentioned make me highly identifiable.
I'm going to have to bow out. :(

NiniLegsInTheAir · 05/07/2012 20:28

Oh ForSale! If you're still reading this, stay safe hun Sad

TodaysAGoodDay · 06/07/2012 07:42

ForSale if you're in danger, call 999 please. I'm really worried about you now. Stay safe please!

ForSaletotheHighestBidder · 06/07/2012 08:38

Not in danger, thanks.

Was just upset that he was spying on me and reading my personal vents about our relationship/ family. Plus was momentarily afraid that it might enrage him. :(

Ya know, so what if he reads this stuff, its nothing I haven't already said to him.

Am sure he is reading it all thinking that we are a bunch of stupid women egging each other on in our group hysteria. Angry

LemonDrizzled · 06/07/2012 13:37

For Sale my FWH did the same to me, hacked my laptop read my emails and posts on MN and another site. He then made a MN profile pretending to be a woman and posted "our" story with genders reversed. The stalked me for months posting everytime I did.
You know what? It didn't help our relationship improve, it just made me see him for the controlling EA mindfucker he is.

Mr For Sale if you are reading this the best thing you could do right now is to give your partner space and respect her privacy. Apologise for breaching it and understand that you have behaved badly. No excuses "I was afraid I was losing you" or "I just wanted to know what you were thinking".

Having a chilled day today. Hope you are ok FS

newbeteacher · 06/07/2012 14:02

Can I join please ladies? Confused

bb99 · 06/07/2012 14:15

lemon - I can imagine H inventing a profile if he checked up on me!

Forsale - hope you are ok.

H has been behaving atm - although I have been keeping a very low profile and not making any demands, barely even speaking unless spoken to. Just feeling v. v. sorry for myself - it's tricky living with someone I know I just can't rely on for any but the most basic support (he's not too tight with money Hmm) and the detachment thing is really quite tricky... Despite low profile keeping I needed to get an address off him for one of his friends (so I could, selfishly, send a thank you card to them) so asked for his help. Always a joy, as it's so well received (I think not).

Well, despite his best efforts to be Mr Superhusband, all the huffs and puffs and anger started - just for saying I needed his help. He has asked me to do international moves before now, to support his work - none of which have come to fruition yet, but I am supposed to be broad minded and supportive of shredding my whole life up and the dcs lives up, in order to support him and he can't even give me an address without a big scene.

I am not really 'allowed' to keep contact details for his friends, as they are his friends - he even gets upset if I have contact with his parents outside of him being the go - between.

All very trivial I know - just feeling so lonely for another adult who I could rely on, or atleast NO other adult who I have to tip toe around. Ironic as he is working at the weekend. Never very good in some ways as he is always such an arse so tired when he has to do extra work.

It's just so sad. Sad

Anyway - me me me me me...

Hope you are all as ok as you can be and enjoy your console nini!

foolonthehill · 06/07/2012 14:16

hello new of course...want to talk?

OP posts:
foolonthehill · 06/07/2012 14:20

bb99 detaching helps you to see that bad stuff but it doesn't make you feel better about it Sad.
My NSDH was equally determined that I was not the one to contact his parents (probably would have been friends too except he had none). DSil was not even allowed to talk to me.

control, control, control...that's what it's all about. No love, no trust and no mutual life...just us serving and waiting and mending and loving....bitter moi??

OP posts:
newbeteacher · 06/07/2012 14:20

Hi yes please am in an EA relationship but struggling a bit with the acronyms on here!! DD; DS; DH ??? x

foolonthehill · 06/07/2012 14:21

newbeteacher is your name because you are starting a new life?

OP posts:
foolonthehill · 06/07/2012 14:23

DD= dear daughter, DS= dear son
DH=dear husband, NSDH= not so dear husband FWH= **wit husband
DSil= dear sister in law

it's like a whole new language!

OP posts:
foolonthehill · 06/07/2012 14:24

newbe feel free to write real English if you like!!!

OP posts:
ForSaletotheHighestBidder · 06/07/2012 14:27

Thanks LemonDrizzled, yes am fine, just had a momentary panic before I realised that I am perfectly entitled to vent my feelings and thoughts in whatever way I wish, especially anonymously.

newbeteacher, welcome, how are you doing? I've only come to this forum in the last week but reading through the materials at the top of the thread and some of the experiences of other women has been enormously helpful to me. Reading some of the info on EA was a lightbulb moment for me.

newbeteacher · 06/07/2012 14:28

I just found the link hehe loving the NSDH and the FWH think they will be my fav!! So I am on my "Cycle of change!!" he moved out moved back in again omg wish I had been strong enough not to allow him to get me when I was at my most vulnerable. Most of the EA has been happening over the past 20 months or so before that I did not really realise what was happening. I am having support from local Domestic Abuse Support Service and they said to come on here. I am going to do a pattern changing behaviour course. Just glad I have found you x

newbeteacher · 06/07/2012 14:30

Forsale I too have been looking at the info on EA it really is a light bulb moment. I spend most of my day thinking it must be me until I read stuff on the links above x

foolonthehill · 06/07/2012 14:31

welcome...off for school run now...let the mayhem commence...see you all later (much later)

OP posts:
newbeteacher · 06/07/2012 14:34

Me too school run beckons x

ForSaletotheHighestBidder · 06/07/2012 14:35

Newbeteacher, I thought it was me for a couple of years, then I thought it was his drinking, the recession, the strain of having 2 small children, etc etc. I'm actually worn out looking for reasons. There is no reason, or if there is, I'm willing to bet that it's nothing to do with you xx

TodaysAGoodDay · 06/07/2012 17:19

Hello newbie, welcome.
Feel free to rant, we're here to listen Smile