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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

Shitty things I did during my abusive relationships

129 replies

Gralick · 31/03/2015 21:44

It gets mentioned sometimes when discussing relationships with a serious power imbalance: the 'target' partner tries to assert themselves, or defend themselves, in a not-too-brilliant way. Taken out of context, this defensive behaviour is abusive and, if we want to be massively clear-cut about things, is abusive anyway. Counter-abuse, if you will. Far from ideal, but very human.

I don't know whether people want to add theirs. I'm going to bed in a minute, but will come back & add some more. I never was one to take things lying down and, almost tragically, didn't quite realise I had the alternative option of walking away for good.

XH2 was a gaslighter. He would do things like go missing for hours at a party, and it'd turn out that one of his women friends had gone missing too. There was always an explanation, I was paranoid & clingy, you get the picture. At a party shortly before we decided to split, I snogged a bloke I didn't know. Real proper snogging - in front of XH, who was pretending to be asleep on the sofa.

OP posts:
cherrytree63 · 28/04/2015 08:46

For me, it's hard to think about what a nob he can be as I deal with life by being positive. I try not to give in to any negative emotions I have, because that puts a downer on my whole day.
Which is why I'm scared of going to counselling.
This week's gem was his denial of me telling him I was going to the funeral. (it's tomorrow). I know I did, as my MOT expires tomorrow, and he'd been saying for ages he'd sort some bits out on my car before taking it. And I'd said it would need doing before Wednesday as I needed to drive to the funeral.
Saturday we were going out, he was having a shower first, I had no idea he was out until he appeared in the front room, dressed and ready, and muttering about having to wait for me.
When I asked why he didn't let me know he was out if the shower, he was all sarcastic, he can hear the shower go on and off.
Umm, I'm partially deaf, so I cant.
The snappy irritated manner of talking to me went on all weekend (we only get to spend time together at the weekends really, and it's spoiled by his "tiredness" from drinking) until I was crying again, and said I'd rather he was just honest with me, because it feels as though I really irritate him, and that he doesn't seem to like me at all.
Then he gets his martyr manner, ooh, wrong face, wrong words blah blah.
So I went out fir a while, when I got back he was nice and pleasant, but by that time it was ME being snappy.
Sorry I ramble on so much. I don't have anyone to talk to about all this.

Offred · 28/04/2015 09:09

Ramble all you like! I'm considering doing some more!

HotSweetTea · 28/04/2015 10:48

Cherry, would your life really be worse if you left him? It sounds exhausting. Reminds me of my former relationship. I've only been out of it for a few months, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I feel thankful everyday that I don't have to deal with that tiring shit day in day out.

cherrytree63 · 28/04/2015 15:12

It's about getting things clear in my head, I need to separate the part of me that's damaged by the bereavements from the part that's damaged by my relationship.
It's not all bad, but obviously this thread is about the bad stuff, not the good.
In a rambly way I'm trying to say that perfect relationships are not the norm, there's always rough to take with the smooth, like the saying "be to his faults a little blind, and to his virtues ever kind".

My daughter has just had a lucky escape from a prick, I could see the signs but she wouldn't listen to me. It ended with police involvement, and I was there when she made her statement.
I'm ashamed to say that just about everything she said he did, I've done it, and worse.

Need to figure that one out.

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