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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

Toxic Family (v.long)

65 replies

RainingInMyHead · 25/08/2012 08:20

I have nc for this as its deeply personal but I am an eight year poster.

Basically I have finally reached a point where I don't want anything to do with my family. Any of them. Barr my brother who already got out. And this is why.

I am angry. I am bitter. I am hurt. My family brings nothing positive to my life.

My father got custody when I was a baby. My mother left. He got custody because she was very neglectful and left us on a mattress locked in a room or in a caravan. They had a violent relationship. My dad then got together with another woman whom I was brought up believing was my mother.

There were five of us and we were pretty much outdoors at all times, step mum was very OCD and didn't really show love but we were taken care of.

At the age of seven a cousin started to abuse me. He was much older, basically attempted with most of the female children until he got to the youngest and weakest, me. He made me feel special, always wanting my company and giving me attention which I craved. Then once I was reeled in, started doing things he shouldn't. He told me not to tell anyone as they would never believe me, and my bond with my parents was such that I did believe they wouldnt believe me. It went on for three years.

During this time my brother began to get difficult. My step mum and him detested each other. He got more out of control as he got older, going into rages which my father would literally try and beat him out of it. As an adult my brother is now known to be ASD. I was exceptionally close to my brother and would get desperately upset when my father was hurting him and would try to protect him by jumping on my fathers back or screaming and shouting at him. My brother and I were less than ten at the time. My attempts would lead for me to be dragged up the stairs by my hair and pushed into my room. My brother steadily got worse, would climb on the roof of the house and threaten to throw himself off. I would be sent to calm him down because he loved me and would listen. He would run away from school because he struggled with the work and I would be sent to get him back. He had a horrific childhood.

At the age of ten, I finally told my parents about the abuse. I wrote a letter and left it for them to find. They didn't believe me initially. Asked me where I had read what I wrote. Demanded to know why I hadn't told them. Then it was all brushed under the carpet. Nothing was done.

At the age of thirteen my mother came back into my life which turned my world upside down. I hadn't known she existed. My step mum wasn't my real mum etc etc. basically everything I had known was a lie. For a while I thought the sun shown out of her arse but I soon learned. She was a drinker, bitter over the loss of her kids and did various things over the next few years, from telling me she wouldn't be that upset if I was to die compared to my brother, to accusing me of sleeping with her boyfriend and physical fights.

At the age of seventeen I was having a drink with my brother one night and I asked him why he never told anyone what my cousin was doing to me. He turned around and told me he didn't want to believe it was happening to me too. My poor brother had also been abused, but not by the same person as me. By my stepmums son. A year later my stepmums son committed suicide.

I moved away after that and those four years with any family was bliss. I moved down with my lovely brother and met my now stbxh. Had children. Eventually I decided to move back home, I wanted my kids to have a family.

I did move home and my parents for the most had little to do with me. Saw them now and again. Then I discovered that my step mum and step sister had been talking badly of me. My house wasnt clean enough, I was too hard on the kids, critisised my stbxh. Lots of things. There was a big falling out and I haven't spoken to my step sister since. She has always been jealous of me as I became the baby of step mum as such, when she was ten. She has admitted jealousy.

At 23 my step mum asked me one day if the abuse I suffered had really happened.

I became close to my step brother and his wife a few years back. Particularly with his wife. She is my best friend. Yet this morning I have found that she is going on holiday. With my abuser and his wife. I am utterly distraught.

This would be a bloody marathon thread if I was to list every way my family has hurt and let me down for all of my life. I went to counselling recently and its changing my view of everything. My mother sided with stbxh when we split due to dv. Was in cahoots with him to stop me from moving away. Kept a journal of my marriage. Counselling is helping me see how toxic my family is and I have just reached a point where I want out. I want to be free from the low self esteem I have. The inability to trust. The not knowing how to function when things are just...normal. I feel damaged.

Having had my own kids, I just don't understand any of it. I have no respect for my parents. My mum neglected us. Abandoned us. My dad beat his ASD son rather than find out what was wrong. I have an ASD daughter. My family brushed my abuse under the carpet. My brothers abuse.

I am such an angry person inside. A messed up person and I want to be better. But when I think about cutting everyone off, what about my own children? Should they miss out because of me? I want to move away from them all and never look back. Can I do that?

Sorry it's so very very long. I just needed to get it all out. I won't leave this up too long because I will have very easily outed myself.

OP posts:
CailinDana · 25/08/2012 10:01

:) I'm really well Offred thanks, hope you are too x

Offred · 25/08/2012 10:07

Yes, I'm much better (why I haven't been back) just wanted to make sure you know how important you (and the others) have been to me with this. Think of you often! Smile

RainingInMyHead · 25/08/2012 10:20

In terms of counselling, I don't think it's to make things ok. Make it like it meet happened. I think it is more to change how you think about what happened. In abuse cases a lot of kids grow up blaming themselves. That blame manifests in adult hood. Counselling will never change that abuse happened or make it okay, but it can help you learn to change unhealthy thoughts about it such as blame.

My DP and I are going to be making plans, thanks again to everyone. I really appreciate everyone's replies.

And to the poster that asked about my forgiving nature. Yes you are probably right, deep down I do believe I don't deserve better. I learned that as a child but it can be unlearned.

OP posts:
RainingInMyHead · 25/08/2012 10:21

Not meet, never. Confused

OP posts:
Jux · 25/08/2012 11:50

You sound brilliant, and so strong. Good luck to you. You know the right thing to do, so hold your head up and do it. Leave those bastards behind.

RainingInMyHead · 25/08/2012 12:13

I am planning it as we speak jux. Having spoken with DP and taking note of the replies on here I am certain it's the best plan.

OP posts:
MarchelineWhatNot · 25/08/2012 14:02

Good luck, RainingInMyHead. I hope I didn't upset you with my comments about 'moving on', I just hate to see people whose lives are still controlled by things that happened years ago.

RainingInMyHead · 25/08/2012 14:41

Marcheline no you didnt at all. Dwelling on things I know full well drags you down and doesn't help you move on. It's just sometimes I think people need help to stop dwelling, not everyone can just let go even if they really want to. I used to say the same as you. I don't believe in counselling what can it really help? I buried everything and carried on for ten years. But it couldn't last and didn't last. Everyone is different and I am glad you have found your own way of being at peace.

OP posts:
PooPooOnMars · 25/08/2012 17:24

Raining. You sound very sensible.

RainingInMyHead · 31/08/2012 21:56

Update to this. After I found out about the holiday the next day I also found out the wife and my abuser were headed up to visit my SIL and brother that very same day. I ended up texting her to say I just couldn't understand it and would be distancing myself because not only were they bringing him emotionally close, into my personal circle as such, but physically too. SIL was distraught, said she believed i would be okay with it but maintained she wouldn't have anything to do with them in the future because she doesn't want to lose me. Further conversation a few days on and she informs me my dad and step mum went to see my abuser and his wife whilst they were visiting. I can't even put into words how much that hurt my heart. I don't even know what to do with that information. My dad brought me up, I just cannot believe he willingly put himself in the company of my abuser. I know I am trying to do what I always do, ignore, bury, avoid. Pretend like I don't know. I just cannot believe it.

OP posts:
Jux · 31/08/2012 22:08

Oh Raining, how devastating. Any ideas of how or where you want to go from here?

I had counselling for a long time at one point, and found it really helpful. My cousin and his wife were at breaking point a year ago, and decided that they didn't need couple counselling, they could do it just as well themselves. They split up less than 6m later. I can't recommend counselling highly enough.

RainingInMyHead · 31/08/2012 22:30

I just don't know jux. I don't know. Everything just seems so messed up I don't know where to even start.

OP posts:
RainingInMyHead · 31/08/2012 22:32

Counselling will be starting again next week. The thing is, I want people to give me answers. I want someone to say, this is what you should do. The worst of all of this is that I don't even have trust in myself to make the right decisions. Counselling can't tell me what to do I know that, but perhaps it can help me see where to even begin making those decisions.

OP posts:
Jellykat · 31/08/2012 22:48

Have PMed you Raining

Jux · 01/09/2012 14:57

It can also help you to trust yourself, Raining. That was one of the most life changing things counselling did for me. Once I began to trust myself, I became much stronger person. Then I could not just trust my decisions, but stand up for them too.

So glad counselling is starting again, Raining. Painful, it can be, but putting effort into it yourself and not running away when you have to face difficult things, is amply rewarded.

Good luck next week.

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