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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

Is this a Toxic relationship with family?

10 replies

Fuzzywuzzywasabear · 26/06/2014 21:04

Apologies if this is a long post, but I need an outside perspective on my current family situation...

My mother hasn't spoken to me for the last 8 months since my wedding, on the run up to the day there were various issues too many to really go into here the main ones being she tried to get me to exclude my father from the day, the evening before she decided to throw a party for friends and family despite me telling her I wanted an early night, she cooked food for 25 people including vegan dishes for my in laws, I have various intolorances so couldn't eat any thing she cooked, the night before my wedding I had 1 turkey roll to eat, nothing else!

on the day of the wedding she woke me up by opening the door switching on the light and telling me to get up! My bridesmaids got cups of tea in bed and she even stroked one of their faces to wake them up! She then got herself ready and stood dressed waiting for the cars to arrive, I asked her if she would help me into my dress 10 minutes before we were due to leave for the church, she made my bridesmaid help me, she then cried in the car on the way to the church because I hadn't told her she looked nice! While I was running around helping everyone else get ready on my wedding day!

She had a face on the entire day and hardly spoke to either me or dh, the following day she had an epic breakdown in the car park of the hotel which lead to her my gran and step father driving off leaving me, dh and 2 bridesmaids stranded with all our wedding stuff including my dress, and my 2 bridesmaids and a tiny hatchback to fit it it! fortunately a family friend helped us transport all our things and people back to my mums house.

When we got there she wouldn't speak to me and stayed in a different room with my gran while my step father helped us pack all our belongings into our car, my bridesmaids and dh of less than 24 hrs tried to talk to her to see what had happened and she basically called me every name under the sun said I was rude, belligerent ungrateful (we bought them lovely thoughtful and personal thank you gifts to say thank you for their help and support so neither myself or my dh are ungrateful!) she basically said I didn't get any of that from her and she is ashamed of me. I spent the first week of my honeymoon in tears because of this!

At Christmas I asked my db what he wanted for Xmas, he asked for a £50 gift! I explained that this was a bit expensive but I'd give him money towards it, he then turned around and told me I was a horrible c* and I acted like a child on my wedding day ( all my friends say this is not the case and dh, honestly they would all tell me if I was the least bit out of order!) he then went on a foul tirade about how awful I am the same as my mother and how they all talk about me and how horrible a person I am, it got to the point where it was so awful dh felt he need to call my mother to ask her to intervene as he felt it was completely out of order! She told him I had baited my brother and basically asked for it!

As a result of this we didn't feel we could spend Xmas with my family so me and dh spent Xmas alone, we still sent presents for everyone, my mother wouldn't let my step father send ours to us (dh is in contact with him) she told him we could have them when we come over next?!

We sent our wedding DVD to them in the post, no acknowledgement, I am so upset I don't know what to think or do? We are ttc and know that at some point I will have to contact them to tell them hopefully the good news I have no idea how to deal with this or if I even want to deal with this anymore......

OP posts:
Fuzzywuzzywasabear · 26/06/2014 21:12

Just yo add this isn't the first time she has stopped speaking to me..... 18 months ago she stopped speaking yo me for reasons unknown, she cost me 1000 pounds after my tenants moved out of my house, I asked her to do the check out inspection as I don't live near by she told me the house as lovely and I returned the deposit and called the estate agent to re-rent the property

The estate agent had to tell me the truth the house was trashed! It took 3 weekends, 2 van loads to the tip and professional cleaning to get it back to a reasonable state, we have no idea why she lied, she told the tenants to leave the rubbish they had left then me and dh had to clean it up, she then didn't speak to me for 6 months both myself and dh still have no idea why she has never explained or apologised, my gran gave me a leacture about how I only have one mother like it was all my fault!?

My brother has been trouble since he was 16 run up huge debt which she pays off, dropped out of uni leaving her to pay off his loans and is generally a free loader out to get whatever he can, I never ask for anything but get treated horrendously!

If she didn't want to go to the house to help she could have said and I would have arranged to do it myself, she treated me like a child not an adult......

OP posts:
Hissy · 26/06/2014 21:34

Do you really need to ask?

They're completely bonkers and yes, extremely toxic.

Give thanks to god they are NC with you, they've saved you the job!

Imbroglio · 26/06/2014 22:01

I'm sorry. That sounds shit.

doorbellringer · 26/06/2014 22:08

You sound lovely. They sound like jealous joy sucking toxic arseholes. Thank your lucky stars they are NC to save you the hassle. Do not tell them you are pregnant they will suck the joy out of it. Do not allow them any contact with your baby. Do you want him/her treated as you have been if used as a pawn against you. Leave them to it. Stay away and be happy - that's the best revenge against arseholes like them!

Hissy · 26/06/2014 22:11

Yeah, the jealousy is what screams out from this thread.

Preciousbane · 26/06/2014 22:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fuzzywuzzywasabear · 27/06/2014 16:06

Thanks for the replies!

up until I met dh I thought all families were like mine, talking things through with him has made me question some of their behaviour like my mother always told me I was a stubborn little bitch and a nightmare to potty train, turns out she started potty training me when she found out she was expecting db, there's 21 months between us so I was nearly a year old! It only recently occurred to me that this might not be a normal way for a mother to talk to or about their child?

I suppose i need to hear someone who doesn't have some intrest in telling me what I want to hear that it's not normal behaviour, i do worry that it is me and not them....I suppose I know them going NC is the best thing in the long run, it's just really really hard :-(

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 27/06/2014 16:15

Is it truly really hard though? (At least compared with having to see them all the time.) When you're NC you can sometimes forget the awfulness of the contact and remember certain things nostalgically - or even wish for things that were never there. The reality can be frighteningly different.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 27/06/2014 16:15

You have one heck of a toxic family there and its not you at all, its them.
By them going no contact with you they have saved you the task of having to do that. Do not go back to this shower under any circumstances. Your own family unit can live well - and importantly without them. You do not need such toxic behaviour from family in your lives.

People from such families end up playing roles; you are to them their scapegoat for all their ills. Your brother is spoilt and is their golden child (also a role not without price but he does not realise that). Preciousbane who previously cited the golden child/scapegoat dynamic is bang on here.

If they are too toxic/difficult for you to deal with they will act the self same to any children you go onto have as well. Some people really should not have any access to their grandchildren and your birth family are a case in point.

I would suggest you read "Children of the Self Absorbed" by Nina W Brown along with "Toxic Parents" written by Susan Forward.

Again, it is not your fault they are like this. Your mothers parents made her that way and such familial dysfunction has continued down the generations here (your brother for instance). It is indeed to your credit that you are not at all like they are.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 27/06/2014 16:15

You would not put up with any of this from a friend Fuzzy, family are truly no different.

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