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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: 13

999 replies

CharlotteCollinsislost · 08/11/2012 09:10

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
a check list Use this site for some concise diagnostic lists and support
Signs of Abuse & Control Useful check list
why financial abuse is domestic violence Are 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.
www.heart-2-heart.ca/women/page1.htm heart to heart]] a wealth of information and personal experiences drawn together in one place

what couples therapy does for abusers

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:
MaggieMay05 · 20/11/2012 16:30

Poor DS Pony I think there is something going around. My DS who I though was just teething puked earlier today too. He is now glued to me snoozing. FW has taken DD to her swimming lesson and offered to cook dinner later too Shock

His mum came round this avo whilst he was at work to chat about the situation-i told her the state he was in the other night. It was like she was giving me bloody councilling. I wish she would just talk to her son about it all. I can't imagine my little DS going through this as a man and me as his mum knowing and not saying anything/being there for him. Its all very ailen to me!

Hilde hope your third boob deflates soon!! We may need to get it its own room in the commune if it keeps growing! Grin seriously, hope it gets better soon, must be so uncomfy for you.

Sorry to hear about house charlotte I was due to go into estate agents yesterday but has been a rough week so far with FWierty and poorly DC so that's on hold for a bit. Hopefully as you all say in the new year lots more properties will be available. Keep planning fellow wannabee escapees! And keep strong you inspirational lovely ladies that have already escaped!

tryingsoonflying · 20/11/2012 21:10

Sorry to hear about poorly dcs, Pony and Maggie, I hope they get better soon (and give you some rest too!)

Hilde hope the third boob is making an exit - any improvement yet??

Silver yay to the commune at yours with a ban on ironing Grin. And it's so lovely of you to offer a few days escape, bless you Thanks

Re house, charlotte so sorry - but please don't feel downhearted, as Pony says about the buses.... I felt really flattened after my flat loss, but have perked up now and realised actually I was masking some probs with the new place that got away, which was a lot of dosh up front (even before they upped the ante), lovely area but a tiny bit too far from everything and moving date too soon bearing in mind some medical stuff I have coming up and not wanting to scar kids' xmas, so really a place in Jan, when landlords are desperate to let, will be a great option for us (until Silver gets the commune keys sorted, not forgetting the extra room for the madonna with the third booby Grin (which I hope has healed somewhat now lovey Thanks)

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 20/11/2012 21:18

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Whatshappenedtous · 20/11/2012 21:32

Hi
Been told I should post in here not really sure what to say so.....hi Smile

tryingsoonflying · 20/11/2012 21:41

Hilde, get those airmen out of the attic Wink

Hi Whatshappened and welcome, though I'm sorry that circumstances have brought you here. I hope you're ok (ish)? The links at the top of this thread are the business. They helped me clear my mind and identify what's happening to me, at any rate!

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 20/11/2012 21:41

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Whatshappenedtous · 20/11/2012 21:43

Wow feels very friendly in here like a little coffee shop meeting with a bunch of lovely ladies. Well where do I start?

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 20/11/2012 21:48

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Whatshappenedtous · 20/11/2012 21:59

Been with my fiancée for 4 years now have 2 DD. who are my world. First met partner at the gym things were greatGrin until I found out he wasn't so single. He promised me the world and I stupidly believed him. This was when I was 4 months preg with DD1 since then he's been very different to when we first met which I understand things change....
He has been a bit threatening at times pushed me shouted at me....he talks to me and treats me like a child tells me off if that makes sense!? He says its all my fault and I cause all the trouble in our relationship and that I should change that he's the man and what he says goes.
Obviously there's more to the story but don't want to bore u

CharlotteCollinsislost · 20/11/2012 21:59

Thank you all for your kind comments in response to my earlier pity-fest! I think you're right, trying, that it's not quite right yet - although the location of that place was brilliant, it's too early timing-wise. Anyway, I've realised I'm not ready to move out yet, really - I need some support in place first. It occurred to me this afternoon (I suspect a little divine whispering, but you can draw your own conclusions Wink) that I'm focussing on the stage after the support-finding stage, because I don't want to think about what my parents and pastor are going to say when I talk to them!

So, am feeling stronger again now and happy to move a step at a time and not try to walk before I can run.

Although I am a little worried about what I can contribute to the commune, now my ironing skills are not needed. :o

OP posts:
CharlotteCollinsislost · 20/11/2012 22:03

We don't get bored by stories like yours (ours), Whats, since they help us see our own situations more clearly and they validate our concerns. And we all enjoy a spot of abuser bingo from time to time, so now and then we'll shout, "My FW does that, too!"

OP posts:
hildebrandisgettinghappier · 20/11/2012 22:04

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hildebrandisgettinghappier · 20/11/2012 22:05

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TheSilverPussycat · 20/11/2012 22:38

Charlotte special dispensation - but only if you like ironing. When if I get round to washing the curtains it would be v useful...

Consider the houses a dry run - it gets you to think it through, and prepares you for when it actually happens. There is loads to rent round here - if I had had to sell the house there was one in my old street I would have considered - familiar to DCat and near my lovely ex-nextdoor neighbour. And could have lived the high life on considerably more capital. I am very happy with how things have turned out, though.

Prepared final joint household accounts, rang ex about it and he was an arse - his own proposal would have been unfair to both me and DD. Not much money involved - but it all counts...

tryingsoonflying · 20/11/2012 22:56

Hi charlotte, what you will contribute to the commune is your own lovely self and that's plenty enough Smile. Ironing only allowed if you are truly addicted, in which case we'll stage a gentle intervention and try to help you through it (and drive you to Ironers' Anon) and meanwhile enjoy delightfully crisp sheets

Whats have a Brew and say as much or as little as you like. What you've said sounds very like the pattern cookie OH issues we've all had/are having. The clarity is indeed blindsiding at times, but leads to mental freedom and (hopefully) eventual actual freedom.

Charlotte I hid everything from my family for ages and also from my close friends. Once I finally started confiding (very secretively) (and after being on here for a while and feeling validated and "getting it" finally, thanks, thread mates), it was such a bloody relief and I finally felt - not alone IYSWIM. Before, I despaired and kept wishing I was a kid again so my parents could come and get me from what had turned out to be a years long nightmare sleepover Grin but having told DM in particular, I do kind of feel like I am being looked after again. It's really hard to open oneself up to being helped in fact, after being abused for so long, but it's very liberating I found.

Silver your suggestion of considering houses dry runs was a great one, made me feel heartened. I am glad you have things sorted and you feel so much happier. I also have to consider Dcat's feelings re move (ie flat with access to garden and not near main roads!), bless his furry socks Grin Stick to your guns re arsy ex and finances, you're quite right, it does all count.

CharlotteCollinsislost · 21/11/2012 06:43

:o at trying, that's very funny. No, I'm not addicted, sadly! Actually, looking round the house, I see I've fallen rather far behind with housework since FW left on his month-long trip. Blush Aiming to force FW and EA out of my headspace a little today, so might be a good opportunity to get on with some!

Hope you (and I) all have a good day...

OP posts:
TisILeclerc · 21/11/2012 07:55

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TisILeclerc · 21/11/2012 07:56

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Bertiebassett · 21/11/2012 08:05

Latest update....

It was a 'daddy day' yesterday. It's a 'mummy day' today. DS woke up about 1am crying and FW went in to see to him. I stuck my head round my bedroom door...with the pretence of making sure everything was ok (but actually I wanted FW to know I was awake just in case). Good job I did!

I heard FW calming DS down and then whispering to him. Obviously I couldn't hear quite what he said when he was whispering but next thing DS says loudly "NO...I want to go to mummy's bed!"

Looks like FW was trying to persuade DS to go with him. FW knew I was awake and so couldn't deny DS had said what he'd said. DS then trotted in to get into bed with me.

FW annoyed once again...

TisILeclerc · 21/11/2012 09:24

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ponygirlcurtis · 21/11/2012 14:16

Leclerc, I shall miss the old NN, but your new one is v funny! Wink Your secret is safe with us. How is the third mammary?

Bertie, hasn't he been told he's to allow DS to come see you at any time if you're in the house, even if it's not 'your' day? Make sure you mention this at mediation. I suspect if you hadn't been there, he'd have flat out refused to let DS to into your room. Hmm

Didn't manage back on yesterday, DS2 was a poorly wee bunny, but is getting a bit better today - managed some toast for lunch! And kept it down!!!! Small steps, all round. But it does mean that he and DS1 wont be going to NSDH's for dinner, but can't be helped. Have already told NSDH, he seems fine with it, thank goodness. Why can he sometimes be so normal and reasonable, and then at other times just not be??

TisILeclerc · 21/11/2012 15:13

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ponygirlcurtis · 21/11/2012 15:49

Time to run around the house in the nud, methinks.

Or you could do what I always do - go to the supermarket all by myself and relish being able to take as long as I want and not ending up having to buy any Moshi Monsters to keep anyone from whinging! And then I buy myself a nice dinner and dessert to have later.

Bertiebassett · 21/11/2012 17:39

declerc glad the...er...appendage is better Smile

pony yes you're right. He was told that he can't stop DS coming to see me and he probably was trying to persuade DS to get into his bed last night.

Today has been WEIRD. FW has been overly friendly to the point that its disturbing (calling me 'darling' and telling DS he has a gorgeous mummy). Then just now he did something that worried me...

I got home with DS and FW was there. DS didn't want to speak to him (mainly because he was tired and hungry after school). Now I would just ignore DS if he was like that...he'd soon come round...but FW wouldn't leave him alone...kept asking him for a hug and to say hello...and I mean he kept ON and ON.

Eventually FW gave up and stormed off up the stairs. As he did so I heard a crash and things falling down the stairs. immediately DS came to me in the kitchen in tears. He said FW had kicked some of his (DSs) things down the stairs. He seemed upset and a bit scared...

Before i could say anything though FW came rushing in saying it was an accident....he must have heard what DS had said to me.

I know who I believe...

TisILeclerc · 21/11/2012 18:00

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