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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 for those in Emotionally abusive relationships number 10

999 replies

foolonthehill · 09/07/2012 20:53

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
should 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:
newbeteacher · 20/07/2012 08:44

Seriously lost I don't know how his dinner doesn't end up in his lap. Seriously are you his paid slave if he doesn't like the way it's presented don't cook him anything!!

Sorry it's easy for me to say that though as FW is no longer here. It's tough as it gets to the stage that you'll do whatever it takes to keep the peace. But then FWs up the anti :(

Stay strong ladies & big hugs xxx

Amitolamummy · 20/07/2012 10:49

Lost try not to let the fear of what it will be like on your own scare you into staying. It's bloody brilliant!!!! I only struggle when he does his silly little games again but i'm guessing they get easier the longer you're out.

I think I would have to make his meal oh so neat and perfect. Of course this would mean it would also be very tiny due to the effort taken to make it so neat and perfect and the ungrateful git would then be starving hungry!

LemonDrizzled · 20/07/2012 10:56

It is chilling to hear the panic and despair and spaghetti head mess from those still locked into a damaging marriage. Once you are away from it and you calm down you will be so amazed at how it really wasn't you!

I have been out nearly two years and at work we have a new member of staff. She thinks I am the most chilled easy-going person ever. AND I AM!!! Because I no longer have to dance around FWH and his moods and his game playing.

This week a man at my sports club was challenging me and being rude and disrespectful ( I was the referee that evening). I gave him both barrels and sent him flying (It's not a shooting range sadly!!)

It felt so good to patrol my boundaries and I didn't feel guilty at all.

Don't be afraid of being on your own. Being sane and calm and happy makes up for all the hard work and lack of material things.

lostmywellies · 20/07/2012 12:01

"It's not a shooting range" :o

jan2011 · 20/07/2012 13:02

dh used to be really picky about his dinners. he didn't like oh so many foods (which he apparently does like now) leaving me with nothing really to cook him. he also complained about the way i cooked it. then he complained that i would use the left overs for the next day (he wants a fresh dinner every day even though there are just the two of us and i eat different meal than him)

but all that stopped because i said sod it - if youre that fussy cook yourself. i just got bought pizzas and ready made meals for him from tesco, or let him do it himself. i just plain stopped. after a few months he was saying i never cook for him etc and i brought up the way he doesn't like anything etc etc and he said he DID like them - so now he is much better, he eats what i give him most of the time.

foolonthehill · 20/07/2012 13:27

lost the practicalities after separating are sooo easy compared to what you are dealing with now. Most of the difficulties are actually because we don't keep our MIND where our bodies are. this gets easier with time (see lemon's post above).

For example this week I have dealt with one shuttle mediation, 4 full days of work 8-6, 3 costumes, 4 shows, 2 tournaments, one grade exam, one car breakdown, 3 piano lessons. The thing that stressed me?...the email from my NSDPiLs...and why?...because for some reason I want them to validate me (which they will never do) to like me (which they will never do) and support me (which honestly i would never let them do even if they were going to try, which they won't)> I got stressed because I went back to the person who was placating and intimidated by my NSDH, not because the situation was actually that difficult to deal with.

OP posts:
newbeteacher · 20/07/2012 14:15

I agreefool it has been a stressful week trying to sort out finances/solicitor etc. but I feel sooo much better in myself x

bertiebassett · 20/07/2012 14:30

Hello everybody Smile

I've been following this thread for a while...

I told my NSDH last week that I wanted to separate. After 15 years together and 2.5 years of EA I finally had enough.

I knew that after I told him the shit would hit the fan. He's been awful this past week.

However, today I have seen a lovely divorce lawyer to find out about finances and child support. I've also changed my will. I'm now waiting for the estate agents to come round and value the house....

Look at me go Grin

Trouble is I feel like I'm going to collapse any minute from the exhaustion of it all...

Support gratefully received...

LemonDrizzled · 20/07/2012 15:14

Go Bertie!! Well done you!!

I have been reading Flylady.net recently and she talks about Babysteps for learning to FLY. (Finally Love Yourself) It is about learning to keep house and having routines for cleaning and decluttering. But actually it applies to us all here.

Babysteps!

Every day do something nice for yourself. Smile
Get dressed to shoes Confused
15 minutes of planning a small step away from FWH towards freedom. Grin

bertiebassett · 20/07/2012 15:38

Thanks lemon Smile

I can see how babysteps is a good approach to take....hard to actually do something for yourself though isn't it? I'm going to see a friend for coffee now so that will be my treat for the day!

Anyway, estate agents been...house is worth a little more than we paid for it so that's good news...just need to try and sit down and have a sensible conversation with STBXH about what we're going to do...

It won't be easy. He has no financial sense whatsoever...and is thinking of himself above DS...wants to buy me out so he has a house without the hassle of actually buying one...

...and so he has a property if he has another family in the future...

SadAngry

arthriticfingers · 20/07/2012 16:30

Couldn't agree more with Fool and Lemon. Not having spaghetti for brains makes everything seem really easy. Although I am really impressed with your achievements, Fool
Have booked counselling fof Monday. Will see how it goes.
Still not a word from FW. Which is great as his words are rather 'choice', but still feeling old and lost.

LemonDrizzled · 20/07/2012 17:43

Don't be daft fingers you are way younger than me and I've just done a 10 mile mountain bike trail in the sunshine!
What could you do that is
a. fun
b. cheap
c. sociable?

Kernowgal · 20/07/2012 18:10

I had a depressing conversation with two of my oldest friends at a wedding last weekend. I told them I'd split with my ex but that it was a very good decision and I had no regrets. Then after a few drinks I told them why, and they told me (individually) that they'd been treated similarly by two of their significant exes. One of them I never liked - he was prone to tantrums in front of all of her friends if he didn't get his way, but the other never behaved badly in front of us, he just saved it for when they were alone together.

They are both strong, highly intelligent, lovely and caring women. Both are now with lovely men, which is the least they deserve.

It's so horribly common, this EA shit (with occasional added physical abuse).

Anyway, on a happier note, well done BertieBassett!

arthriticfingers · 20/07/2012 18:14

Thanks for replying to my 'woe is me' post, Lemon; it means a lot. Thanks
I actually have a summer job here which is very relatively well paid. I have a string of invitations out. Almost all of which are fun.
My problem is that I have put on a false successful happy persona for so long that I don't know how (or, indeed, where) to live normally.
For the las 25 years, I have a job which encourages evil back-stabbing insecurity for survival, so I have survived by keeping my head down out of harm's way. It was one of the very very few jobs open to foreigners.
Of course, when I suggested I might have had a more successful career in the UK, FW has always said (and said so very recently) that I am far too fucked up to make a go of anything anywhere. ConfusedAngry :( and, finally, Hmm

LemonDrizzled · 20/07/2012 18:37

Well fingers we know how much store to set by anything your FWH has said don't we?

I get the feeling you are pondering how to support yourself and provide your DDs with a home in the future. bearing in mind they will be away to University if all goes well Smile

Do you need to go back to the country he lives in? Could you plan to make a fresh start in the UK? Or do you like living in that country?

Now you are out of his orbit and looking at redesigning your life how you want it to be, you can start making friends who know you as you really are without the fake persona. Can you practice that over the summer? With people who you don't know and won't see again? You could be different versions of yourself every week Confused

My FW thought I was far too risk taking and reckless and not at all suitable for the wife of someone of his importance and status.
Hahahahahaha! He was right Grin and I love it!

arthriticfingers · 20/07/2012 19:42

Hi Lemon thanks again for patience in replying.
DD2 has another 3 years to go at school. Both girls are very close to me - not surprising as FW has always been too busy being important to spend much time with them, so I think I am better with them for the next few years.
Will take your advice and go out more :)
p.s. Just realized that my crossed out very looks like it goes with well! Actually, it goes with relatively!!! :)

newbeteacher · 20/07/2012 20:10

Bertie I know exactly how you feel. The whole week has been full on sorting out solicitors,finances,house - I feel utterly utterly exhausted.

Lemon I'm liking the baby steps thing think I will have a look.

I'm doing a 15 mile walk for charity tomorrow night it's will be the best tonic for me this week x

veeeee · 20/07/2012 20:26

I'm feeling a bit odd! I've opened a secret bank account this afternoon and I'm excited and really nervous too! I feel like a naughty child!

jan2011 · 20/07/2012 20:56

veeee i also have a separate bank account - he does know about it and thinks i am spending the money in it for groceries etc. however since last month i have been using our joint account for everything so my separate bank account the money stays intact. its not very much, but every little will help should the time come.

i feel so guilty at the minute. things have been going well the past couple of days. i see ways in which he has changed, and in which he is making an effort. we got on well tonight. someone drove into the back of us tonight, and where as before he would have flown off the handle, tonight that reaction lasted a couple of seconds (which is normal for anyone in a shock) and he dealt with everything quite calmy and decently.

he was asking how my day went and just generally being nice. i feel sooo guilty because next week i have an appointment with an officer in the council exec to see about a house. yet i still want my marriage to work out. if it can. i keep changing my mind. they said it can take a few months - i am glad because it will give him time to prove himself.

TodaysAGoodDay · 20/07/2012 22:23

Well done bertie! That's great to hear you're doing something about your situation. It is very exhausting, but boy is it worth it! After 18 yrs with FWX and 3.5 yrs apart (now divorced) I finally feel at peace. I moved into my new house last night. It's mine, all mine. It really does get easier, and it will amaze you by how much you change back to how you were. These men take so much of us, and it's wonderful to reclaim it. Good luck with getting out Smile

TodaysAGoodDay · 20/07/2012 22:24

And very well done veee on the bank account! That's wonderful, a little bit of independence. Well done x

newbeteacher · 20/07/2012 22:38

Okay ladies I'm really struggling with my emotions & guilt right now. I have 2 older DCs not FWH's but now I can see that they were also in receipt of his EA & I didn't see it. OMG I am such an idiot. DS1 has always been hard work even before I met FWH. DS1 has ADHD which just got worse as he got older we were all at loggerheads until DS1moved out.
I am distraught. Feel as though I have a heavy heart just want someone to take heartache away. Horrible horrible man will I ever get my 2 older DCs back properly?? Very :(

arthriticfingers · 20/07/2012 23:08

Newbe :( you are down, but, as has been said before, beating ourselves up is strictly forbidden on this thread Read Lundy, instead :)

newbeteacher · 20/07/2012 23:16

Thanks fingers I needed reminding!! And just started reading Lundy x

arthriticfingers · 20/07/2012 23:22

This is probably for me, but it was such a great quote from a great woman, I thought I would share it.