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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:
lovemenot · 12/11/2012 23:28

Thanks girls for your advice yesterday.....was wondering why fw called a truce so soon this time, it was because he needed a lift to the airport this morning!

At least that gives me a couple of days of peace. He sent a text this evening talking about his long day, and what restaurant they had dinner in and how tired he is and how crappy his hotel is. No enquiring after me and dd. So I sent him back a message saying "We are fine". It went straight over his head. Got another text saying goodnight, he was wrecked etc..... No goodnights for dd or me.

Oh well.....

TimidLivid · 13/11/2012 01:48

I'm on truce he said sorry for saying the devastating stuff about mr bring timid for 20 yrs . Kids have had problems so that's making it about surviving day to day and put arguing aside , but I accepted his apology but can't bring myself to go in his room , it's still in my mind that I'm timid and shy and therefore crap and worthless , better I stay sleeping next to my dc who always want me next to them. Fw is even being nice with asd ds , how Long will it last . Ginga hope things get better health wise . This thread is helping me retain dignity and giving me more of a sense of self awareness

lovemenot · 13/11/2012 02:06

Timid when did timid and shy somehow equal crap and worthless??? Last I heard timid and shy meant timid and shy! And they are not personality traits to be ashamed of, ever. Perhaps you are feeling bullied and stamped on and that's being translated to timid and shy?

BTW, my fw will apologise for the words he uses, but not for the hurt he causes. I don't accept those apologies.

(I'm new here so I don't know your story, will have a read back x)

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 13/11/2012 07:28

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jan2013 · 13/11/2012 07:48

hi

its been 5 monthts roughly since we split up. i guess ive been much more emotionally stable and generally happier since we split, but like someone once said, splitting is only the start... there is so much still to do. but at least he is not here messing with me every day and i can think and have time to process things.

the hardest thing for me at the minute is dealing with my dds sleep problems on my own ... its causing me to be resentful at him for making me to be in this situation. if she was sleeping i would be able to cope far better. but im to tired and i wish i had someone to take over - but then if he was here, i know it would be arguments and fights every time i wanted him to help. just lolling at the news here about fathers getting the same right to give up work for maternity leave...yeah right can you imagine fw's doing that?

a lovely mntter sent me a copy of lundy 'why does he do that' and i was almost tempted to highlight all the ways ive been affected and give it to him, as a reason for not getting back, or to make him realise - as he has not done one thing since we split to change or he doesn't seem to realise at all. he still blames stress that he was under. maybe that is the worst idea ever. i guess im losing hope for our marriage but i feel like i need to make him understand. ... anyone get that?

hope your all ok

nickynackynoodle · 13/11/2012 09:49

How do you split up? What if it's your house? Can you just leave and get them to move out later?
Is it bad to want to save up enough to just pay them off and get them out of your life for good? No children involved.

jan2013 · 13/11/2012 10:03

if it is your house surely they can be ordered to leave.... its great that there is noone else involved as hopefully you can heal and move on a lot faster. of course its not bad to want to save up.... for you though, not for him! :)

TimidLivid · 13/11/2012 10:10

Lovemenot it was in reference to him withholding sex and saying it is because I'm timid abd shy after 20 years and it's irritating but in a nasty tone of voice and trying to spite me . I want the lundy book but scared of it being found need to get it though .

Hilde glad no Fw news at the moment . Jan hope you get strong enough to see a way out .

TimidLivid · 13/11/2012 10:11

I meant nicky if it's your house he should go

TimidLivid · 13/11/2012 10:12

Jan I don't think they can ever really get it , they think men are entitled to be this way

jan2013 · 13/11/2012 10:27

Timid i am already 'out' as such - but he thinks we are getting back together...

that word 'entitled' has a lot of worth. its mentioned a lot in that book, and it really hit me the other night, - he sees dd one day at the weekend, and when he wanted to go to somehting that interfered with seeing her he said to me ' I'm entitled to go' straight out of his mouth. its stayed with me since that. he believes his needs come first, always.

i don't know if i have what it takes to end it for good, ie go through a divorce and all.

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 13/11/2012 10:34

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nickynackynoodle · 13/11/2012 10:39

Hilde, I understand tha. Firstly I will need to leave because I'm certain that he won't accept it but secondly, it's "our" house but I pay the mortgage, he wouldn't be able to afford it so realistically I could live there or pay for him to live there and me to live somewhere else IYSWIM.
I would like to try counselling but he would definitely say no.

jan2013 · 13/11/2012 10:42

do most of you find that they want to take the kids more than you want them to, like they want more involvement?

i think i find the opposite. i think my dd is a bit of a hassle to him. he finds his life is too busy, it seems a struggle for him to fit her in on top of everything else, and if it doesn't suit him he just drops her back early or complains. he hasn't even asked for an overnight stay and i don't think he ever will ... he wouldn't want to get up at night or early in hte morning (and if he did , it would be his mum doing it all)

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 13/11/2012 10:43

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foolonthehill · 13/11/2012 10:49

Hi Hilde,

it is unlikely that any proper abusers course will actually promote any homework where he is supposed to actually interact with you...I was thinking over this the last time he did his rehearsed speech. They may well get him to think through but the courses will not force contact....so if he uses it to get to you I wold tell them!

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 13/11/2012 10:54

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Bertiebassett · 13/11/2012 11:04

Well...

On Friday FW and I agreed a schedule through mediation for looking after DS. It was due to start yesterday. Last night FW said he wanted to discuss it. He wants to change 2 of the 3 days he's scheduled for! He doesn't want to change them so DS can benefit...it's so on one day he doesn't have to leave work on time (he hates time pressure)....and so he can have a lie in on the other day.

I refused to change the schedule. We paid the mediator hundreds of pounds to get to this point. FW says I'm intimidating. He says he won't be 'so reasonable' in the next mediation session...

Give me strength ladies

foolonthehill · 13/11/2012 11:09

jan:

I think they are extreme in both directions (almost none or too much) but often you can see that is not really aboutthe DC but about them.

that is not true of all FWs though there are a few who reserve their Fwittery for their DW and are actually ok fathers. depends where their sense of entitlement ends.

foolonthehill · 13/11/2012 11:11

well of course if he is unreasonable in the mediation session then the court will be told if/when you divorce and he will have a totally rigid imposed schedule to compute!

foolonthehill · 13/11/2012 11:14

^ i guess im losing hope for our marriage but i feel like i need to make him understand. ... anyone get that?^ all of us nicky but really we need to get our validation from elsewhere.

IME giving them info about abuse just makes them use it against us

foolonthehill · 13/11/2012 11:16

WRT housing if you move out you can get the solicitor to go for an occupation order

hildebrandisgettinghappier · 13/11/2012 12:10

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hildebrandisgettinghappier · 13/11/2012 13:08

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CharlotteCollinsislost · 13/11/2012 13:48

Wow, hilde. I can see how that would be overwhelming. But I have to admit to being a little envious that you have so many people telling you you're in an abusive relationship. I am working my way up to calling Women's Aid and getting their perspective on my relationship. For years, I've wanted people to understand how bad my marriage was. Now I'm starting to tell people the truth of what goes on and people (you lot) are actually saying it does sound abusive - and I don't believe you half the time! (But I do the other half, which is a lot better than three months ago.) Time to ask the experts...

OP posts: