My brother has been married for about a decade. SIL has always had a problem with our family and has created all sorts of problems over the years. To cut a very long story short, she is extrememly insecure, neurotic, paranoid, is emotionally very immature and has a dreadful temper. She also has something of a
control issue and is exceptionally jealous. I
personally think she probably has a personality
disorder and I know she has spoken to counsellors in the past.
She has always been very
difficult towards my Mother and Father (both elderly) and myself. She has great emotional outbursts at times of stress (esp Christmas), has tantrumed, left vile messages on answerphones etc etc.
I can't really be specific incase she comes on here, as her behaviour is so out of order it would be easily identifiable. It seems that because we try not to react to her for the sake of family harmony, she picks on smaller and smaller things to find fault with. If we put a foot wrong, she will take offense (or do I mean offence? sorry, mind gone blank - no sleep last night), for literally a year at a time. But she has put several hundred feet wrong and we are expected to turn a blind eye because 'she can't help it', 'it's just her', 'it's her nationality' - quotes from my Brother.
I would ignore, but have had a conversation with my bro' in which he has asked me not to call or e-mail him and has admitted that any contact at all from us, to which he responds, causes enormous arguments for weeks because it is disloyal of him to do so. She thinks it is disloyal because all her family have had enough of her and therefore for him to have contact with his is disloyal (I know, slight slip up in logic there, but there you go).
I have decided to leave well alone. He has lost all perspective and I have told him this, but I believe he needs to see this for himself.
I'm really interested to know what you would do though?
thanks