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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

"But We Took You To Stately Homes!" - Survivors of Dysfunctional Families

1000 replies

DontstepontheMomeRaths · 11/02/2014 17:30

Thread opener here: webaunty.co.uk/mumsnet/
You may need to right-click and 'unblock' it after downloading it.

It's February 2014, and the Stately Home is still open to visitors.

Forerunning threads:
December 2007
March 2008
August 2008
February 2009
May 2009
January 2010
April 2010
August 2010
March 2011
November 2011
January 2012
November 2012
January 2013
March 2013
August 2013
December 2013

Please check later posts in this thread for links & quotes. The main thing is: "they did do it to you" - and you can recover.

OP posts:
Badvoc · 13/03/2014 08:31

Thank you.
I have tried to suggest counselling but she refuses to go.
A friend of mine has offered to take her to a knitting group next week - but I will be amazed if she actually goes.
I think perhaps I need to speak to my sister? Ask her to put aside a couple of days a week to take mum out' visit etc.....it is that a Bad idea?
As her executrix there is some stuff she needs to talk over with me, and obv my siblings can't help with that.

GoodtoBetter · 13/03/2014 09:29

Thanks Hissy :) I'm trying not to get my hopes up as the last one was a con, a phantom company who tricked people into doing unpaid work, had been on TV apparently. He's there now and I'm trying to do some translation to take my mind off it.

GoodtoBetter · 13/03/2014 09:58

It was a real job but he doesn't think he'll get it as they were interviewing loads and there's only one position. The advert said sales experience not necessary but then they were asking if he had sales experience (no) and saying they wanted someone quite "aggressively commercial". So, we'll see but I doubt he'll get it. Still, first interview in a very long time so maybe something else will come up.

Meerka · 13/03/2014 11:58

good luck for your husband, good!

badvoc i think speaking to your sister is a good idea. even 1 day a week would help. If she can't or won't, even then you cannot give your whole life over to your mum, even if you didnt' have your own family who need you, you'd still need to be your own person not joined at the hip with her. Sure, some time with her each week. But you need to be able to live your own life and family too.

MozzchopsThirty · 13/03/2014 12:38

My mother hasn't even replied to the text I sent her yesterday Hmm
What an awful woman!

Cleorapter · 13/03/2014 14:11

I'm sorry to barge in, but I need to get it out and as this is a safe space, I'll do it here. I hope it's okay.

I don't know why I allow my mother in my life. Each and every time I allow her to get close enough, she turns around and poisons everything with her toxicity.

Over the weekend my 15 month old was ill. She had had a cold since the Thursday and she has a couple of teeth coming through so when she was dribbling, I put it down to that. She was still running around and playing wit her siblings, so seemed okay. But then her breath started to smell awful.

My mother was messaging me Sunday night (showing off with what she had bought that day from my fathers money of course) and I mentioned baby was poorly, and her breath smelled bad so I was going to take her to the doctors in the morning. Mother said I should call out of hours and get her seen that night, and that I did. My dad offered to take me as we didn't have a car over the weekend. And of course mother had to come.

And then it started. Sitting in the hospital she was talking loudly about how ill she felt. Which inwardly made me cringe. Then she came into the room with me to get DD2 checked out. Talked over me the entire time. DD's throat was swollen and the doctor had to get a second opinion to make sure it wasn't Quincy. It wasn't. DD had tonsillitis, and we were given antibiotics. And told to get her checked again at the gp's the next day to make sure it was working.

Once out of the room, mother insisted on giving DD the meds there and then despite my, and my dad telling her not to as she was 'allergic to penicillin' then of course she 'spilled' some on herself. Then started screaming that she was going to go into 'anaphylactic shock' and she had to wash it off straight away.

So she washes it off, and she's ranting all the way out of the hospital. Then we get in the car and she tells me the doctor thought I was a bad mother and she had put a 'triangle' on my DD's notes and that meant they were going to send social services out because I allowed her to get tonsillitis. She just kept on and on and I snapped and told her to shut up or I would get out the car with DD and get a taxi home.

Then once I was dropped off and she got home she rang my DP and started shouting abuse at him saying much the same thing. That we were bad parents and social services were going to take the kids away from us etc. Then she point blank lied, telling him she had trained for a nurse for three years (she had me at 17 and have never done a day's work/study in my lifetime and I'm almost thirty) I heard her say this. Took the phone from him and told her the conversation was over. She's got my brother to text me since to tell me 'to realise when someone is only saying things because they care' and other bullshit.

Dd has fully recovered and I rang out of hours again, to request if the above was true and they had absolutely no idea what she was on about. That a cold can very easily turn into tonsillitis and children can turn very quickly, this was verified by my gp as well. Once again she was just spilling forth her poison and just lying to make me feel like shit again and so she was centre of attention.

I get sucked in each and every bloody time, hoping she's changed and is acting like a decent human being, and she always does this. It's been about a year since the last instance. She's absolutely vile. I hate her with every ounce of my body.

I live for my daughters, I take care of them and love them so much. I've never called them names, or shouted at them aggressively, I've never told them they were useless and pathetic and unloveable, and that they were never wanted. I've never hit them, never used them as a punching bag all the things she did to me as child. Both my girls are well looked after and happy. I feel as if I have to justify myself. Why?

I hate her, I hate her. I wish she would just disappear.

I'm sorry this is so long. I don't really expect anyone to read it. But I had to gear it out. Thank you.

Cleorapter · 13/03/2014 14:13

Sorry for the typos :(

nearlyreadyforstatelyhomes · 13/03/2014 14:38

cleo she sounds very unstable and unpredictable.

I wonder if its a generational / age thing? Don't get wrong, I'm sure there are narcs etc of all ages but it feels like some people of 50ish and above live on a different planet and I wonder if its because they were previously more repressed and given less freedom emotionally growing up themselves. I dunno...

healthyhippo · 13/03/2014 14:46

Cleorapter,
A 'triangle' in the notes is shorthand for 'diagnosis', we use it all the time.
The only bad parent is her! Can you see less of her, for your own health?

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/03/2014 14:56

cleo,

Such people do not change; it is NOT your fault they are this way.

Narc parents can make their adult children codependent on them. Your dad in this overall dysfunction acts as his wife's enabler and he has failed you as well but failing to protect you from your mother's narcissism.

As an Adult Child of a Narcissistic Parent, you have two options:

  1. Total Estrangement - no contact, nothing, with your Narcissistic Parent.

  2. Measured Contact - contact, but limited interaction with Narcissistic Parent.

If you choose to keep measured contact with your Narcissistic Parent, be very sure to follow some strict, clear guidelines:

Create very clear boundaries. Don't reward your parent for crossing them. Be clear, but firm. If they show up unannounced, explain nicely that you are too busy to visit with them.

Shield your own children from their Narcissistic Grandparent. They do not need to be exposed to their toxic behaviours.

Rather than explain that you do not want to hear their advice, echo and mirror whatever the Narcissistic Parent says. Do whatever you'd planned to do anyway.

Go through a third party as your Narcissistic Parent ages - do not allow them to rely upon you and you alone as they need care.
Provide information on a "need to know" basis only. Just because your Narcissistic Parent tells you everything doesn't mean you must reciprocate.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/03/2014 14:57

Such women like your mother cleo always but always need a willing enabler to help them.

Your mother needed to be the centre of attention/centre stage and her decisions were deliberate ones. What if anything by the way do you know about her own childhood?.

mum56789 · 13/03/2014 15:05

Cleo - so much of your post rings a bell with me. I wish my dm would disappear. One of the things I really hate is the melodrama and chaos that coexists with her. It causes us huge stress.

I try to tell my DM nothing at all but surface information. Otherwise she uses it as ammunition against us.

I don't have any useful advice really, just wanted to send my sympathy.

Cleorapter · 13/03/2014 16:27

Her own childhood, well it's difficult because she lies an awful lot, and trying to extract fact from fiction is a feat in itself. She says my DGM used to beat her and slept around (she was divorced from my mother's father when my mother was very young and he went AWOL) She is from Scotland and my DGM moved here when she was around 14, she despises my DGM for that. She now controls every aspect of my DGM's life and treats her like a loathed child. Funnily enough I used to spend as much time with my DGM as I possibly could growing up as it was the only place I would get love and affection. I only have positive memories of my DGM. I think my mother knows this and has always tried to poison me against her.

I've been trying the measured contact approach but she's very good at weaseling her way in, under the guise of 'helping out' and being nice and then she turns into this venomous witch.

Unfortunately my eldest was present when I took the phone from DP and told my mother the conversation is over. She is nearly 9. I explained to her that she was being a bully and no one has to accept behaviour from someone that upsets them or makes them feel bad. I hope that was the right thing to do.

Thank you healthyhippo for letting me know what the elusive 'triangle' was! And thank you all for your support and advice. I really appreciate it.

I've gone NC for the time being. I imagine at some point during the next few weeks she will get either my dad or brother to contact me to try and establish contact. They only ever contact me on her orders as they aren't allowed any other time. She's surrounded by enablers and it makes me sick. My dad has no backbone whatsoever. And she is disgusting to him.

She's a horrible, horrible woman and I despise her. Always have. I've allowed her to be so vile to me for so long because she's 'family' I have my own family now. I'm not going to let her destroy it.

Hissy · 13/03/2014 16:57

Cleo, please don't ever speak to your 'D'M again.

your family and your life will be so much richer for it.

When my M kicked off before christmas, the thing that really upset my DS was that he said that he wished they would both just die. he felt so guilty for that. I told him that he was entitled to his feelings and that I understood why he felt like that.

I do wonder if I do/say the right things. I don't want him to feel guilty because THEY make having contact with them impossible.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/03/2014 17:17

Ignore your mother and her helper winged monkeys she will use as well to try and drag you back in to her overall dysfunction. Block their numbers from your phone, email etc. If you are on facebook remove yourself from it.

Such women truly need a willing enabler to help them and she has found such a weak man in your dad. Your brother seems to be the "golden child" here.

Societal convention can take a hike here. I would go NC with your parents permanently rather than for the time being (you've tried measured contact and unsurprisingly that has not worked); you are far too good for her.

I would also suggest you read "Children of the Self Absorbed" written by Nina W Brown.

Cleorapter · 13/03/2014 17:20

There's nothing 'D' about her Grin

The sad thing is if I go completely NC, then I will not have a relationship with my brothers, dad or DGM. As she controls them all...

I guess I'm going to have to make that sacrifice Sad

Cleorapter · 13/03/2014 17:22

Thank you Attila. I'll look into that book. I already have one called 'why your mother and you can't be friends' a friend gave me a while back. Haven't got round to reading it yet (the joys of having a toddler who just loves to tear up books Grin)

Meerka · 13/03/2014 18:38

i can sympathise with your dilemma, it's a high price to have to cut off your brother and father. She sounds dreadful though.

I do think you need to stop accepting any of her 'help'. Full stop, no exceptions. She makes a tricky situation into a tornado-level painful disaster from the sound of it.

Also, if she does worm her way back in (if only so you can keep contact with yoru brother and father) then don\t give her -any- information about yoruself / family. It sounds like you find that hard, but it's essential. It's giving her the crack she needs in both senses - the crack in your defenses and the opportunity for her to evoke the drama and hatred she seems to feel for you.

It sounds like you'll be way better off without her but difficult given that it means cutting off from everyone. But if they enable her, then it sounds like it might be the only solution.

jayho · 13/03/2014 18:42

Help please. My older sister is nc with mum, dad is dead. My mother was terribly emotionally abusive to all three of us. I had extensive therapy and can cope with minimal contact, my younger sister maintains contact on a strictly practical level older had to go nc because it was doing so much dmage to her. But, she doesn't have closure, it's all she talks about, she needs support. She lives in germany, can she access mumsnet from there? I think you lot would help her.

Hissy · 13/03/2014 19:04

We have posters/lurkers in all countries in the world I dare say, absolutely send her a link!

Hissy · 13/03/2014 19:07

cleo if you make the choice to go NC, your family are free to make the choice to contact you. Send them messages to tell them that you'll be happy to hear from them but not on behalf of your M, or to hear about her.

It's their choice to allow the status quo, or to make their own choices.

Cleorapter · 13/03/2014 19:31

I wouldn't be able to do that with my dad as she controls his phone, but I can try that with my brother. Thankyou hissy.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/03/2014 19:33

cleo

In a straight fight between you and his mother, he may well favour his mother because he wants to be the golden child still. Be careful in any dealings with him.

Cleorapter · 13/03/2014 19:33

I just read an amusing joke. Which made me smile. I thought I would share...

A narcissist and a blind man walk into a bar.

Neither of them see each other.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/03/2014 19:34

jayho

Your sister in Germany could certainly access MN. She just needs to go onto this site and register.

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