Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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 - thread 31

784 replies

CharlotteCollins · 21/04/2015 15:54

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.
Warning signs you’re dating a loser 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’re 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.
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 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
What you should expect as a starting point for your treatment in a relationship, as you will of course be treating others!!

OP posts:
fairyfi · 23/05/2015 15:46

I do a lot for my recovery Charlotte posting on here GP signpost to the things that they can offer. NHS have given vast amounts of money to push certain services. Massive amounts of support are funded by the govt to male sufferers of PTSD, or rather, those in the forces that have seen active service and acquired PTSD as a result (male or female), but that funding isn't available for a dv sufferer. I was told this both by GP and the CMHT. So the PTSD isn't considered the same thing somehow/strange. Odd rules that its only for vets, and not anyone rocking up with PTSD, v.v. weird bureaucracy. i was given the opportunity to attend a course for vets, but the funding (GP/CMHT) was blocked. There is a blanket EDMR approach, so i'm not quite sure why vets don't go to that same as others, but although its been adopted, the actual success rates for it are very sketchy at best. On occasion it can work almost like magic Gilderoy Lockhart style but in many many cases, traumatic for no gain, and in the case of talking therapies, often can exacerbate. Its a bit of a mire like many MH services

Any insights from any lurkers very welcome... (whilst not wanting to derail the thread)

yes, I think its over-ambitious 1 for every 10, just wish it were so. I think yours is more the likely one Charlotte 1 in 1 out. shall work on that, that seems a lot fairer on us, a lot less pressure and kinder expectations.

CharlotteCollins · 23/05/2015 23:05

Gosh, how ridiculous, fi. And how typical of the way society works...

OP posts:
romyrunning · 23/05/2015 23:08

I can on and have on two accounts but not on this. I can block but haven't yet. Yes I know. I admit I am curious. Not enough to read them. Part of me thinks Id be less curious if I was seeing them.

I've been through something traumatic and I'm in a bad place because of it. I cannot believe theres been any intersection. I know that it's only in my head and I am in charge of that.

I have had a lot of FW dreams. The last one was a rudey one and I wanted to vomit in the dream and when I woke up. I got the email from him in the small hours when Id woken up. BOAK.

fairyfi · 24/05/2015 17:06

how are you Romy sorry to hear of the 'something traumatic', I didn't quite get the bit you wrote after that, but hope you are managing ok?

oooo crap!!! must make it a rule to never ever look at any communications from a FW int he middle of the night! I remember having one that I would wait a set number of days before looking at it, and then only looking before noon, so i had time to get to a good place before bedtime... does that sound extreme? it did work though, as nights were so bad already.

romyrunning · 24/05/2015 19:25

Sorry for being vague. I had a miscarriage recently (with my DP). I'm so angry FW has had any headspace following all of this.

I'm now unable to see any of his communications now and feeling a bit better.

ponygirlcurtis · 28/05/2015 22:11

Sorry for your loss romy. Hope FW has stopped emailing you so you can get on with your life, and with dealing with all you have going on.

thats how are things with you?

Nini I have a feeling you might have finally moved! Hope you have (sure you don't have wifi etc set up yet but let us know how you are when you can).

ninilegsintheair · 29/05/2015 14:00

Hi guys, apologies for the silence, I have no wifi currently and my mobile signal is sketchy at my new place.

Yes, MY new place. Smile

We did the move this week and the house completed yesterday so I am finally FREE. FW was as always a complete tosser and made it as difficult as possible, but a fantastic removal team and support on the day from my family who travelled a long distance to help made it all very easy. It's early days, DC is unsettled and still getting to grips with things but we'll get there.

I myself am as relaxed as its possible to be (although I have a study deadline for next week). It's been a long long time coming but I am finally here. It doesn't feel real. Smile Wine

I'll catch up with the rest of you when I can. Hope you're all doing well. Much love.

ponygirlcurtis · 29/05/2015 21:15

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!

Flowers for you nini, although they don't quite seem adequate!

You and DC will settle in fine, I have no doubts. And it will all seem unreal for a bit. And you'll notice all the little things that you can suddenly do that you weren't able to before. It's a new start. Here's to your new start, new life Wine - there's still going to be FW in your life, but this will feel like a holiday compared to your life up until now.

Bloody well done nini. You did it.

CharlotteCollins · 29/05/2015 21:18

Yay! Fantastic news, nini. Wishing you and DC all happiness in the new place, you deserve it. I think it's even easier to breathe in a place of your own!

Flowers for your home.

OP posts:
fairyfi · 29/05/2015 21:55

just coming on to say huge congrats to you nini

fab news Wine xx

MadiSontRoy45 · 30/05/2015 22:32

Hi everyone haven't been on this thread since February, I'm still living with the emotional abuser can't afford to leave at moment I come up to bed before him cos can't stand looking at him sitting on chair,I pray me and my kids get out of here ,it wearing me down x x

kittybiscuits · 31/05/2015 09:49

Good wishes to all on this thread, posters and lurkers. Flowers for you Nini x

kittybiscuits · 31/05/2015 09:50

Madi do you have a plan around money to enable you to leave?

fairyfi · 31/05/2015 11:34

glad you are no longer looking at his comms Romy and sorry for your loss. Hoping that you are managing ok, and perhaps coping a little better without him in your mind at all.

I too hope you can get out Madi and can come up with a plan on the financials.

Here, I keep thinking that there has to be a way out of it all. Surely if you want something enough it will happen i will find a way

fairyfi · 31/05/2015 11:43

can't believe how disappointed I am that the end of the relationship wasn't the end of the abuse and in many ways how much worse everything became and how he far more revealed himself for who he truly is Sad

ponygirlcurtis · 31/05/2015 12:38

Sad fi - hugs for you. The difference I guess is that when you are still in the relationship, there's no chance at all it will get better, whereas it will get better when you are out - but that it might take a long time to get over it all, if that ever completely happens.

Sorry to hear you are still having to live with him Madi - hope you are managing to keep yourself safe. Have you talked to WA etc about a plan for leaving?

fairyfi · 01/06/2015 07:49

thank you Pony of course yes, and i need to remember that. You forget how bad it was as you move further away from the reality of that, which is a great thing, normally! but depending on whats been going on in it, you can hit this sudden drop of adrenalin and everything overwhelms afterwards, everything that you have kept down all those years, rushing back at you..

... but, yes, definitely far better out than in for that reason; its a real eye opener to the damage done that you have to carry on above in order to stay with them Sad

fairyfi · 01/06/2015 07:49

gawd thats an awful thought... to never recover...

fairyfi · 01/06/2015 08:02

What experience do you have of that Pony? cos thats a really huge thing to say - do you know of cases where that's happened or what leads you to think this?

ponygirlcurtis · 01/06/2015 15:49

fi - which bit did you mean, did I have experience of? Did you mean when I said it might take a long time to get over it all, if that ever completely happens? What I mean there was not to do with recovery as such, I wasn't saying that sometimes a person might never properly recover - is that what you thought I meant?

No, it was more to do with the fact that I don't think you ever just 'get over' an abusive relationship. It changes you. Once out, a person can of course move on, and seek therapy and help and do lots of other things to heal, but you are never quite as you were before. My experience was mercifully short, only a couple of years, and I am in a good place now, but I know I will never be the same again.

Hope you are doing ok. Sad It's a constant battle, I know.

thats, how are things with you?

fairyfi · 01/06/2015 20:20

thank you Pony - its just its quite scarey to be so affected and scarier to think I might never get over it, yes. I will get over this, and I will grow for the better because once you see, once you know, you can't unsee and unknow. Still not sure though how one tells the difference between someone being decent and occasionally losing it... oh well.. not now.

For now it is so rewarding to see my DC being able to share their fears with me and processing the abuse throughout their lives, seeing them starting to take responsibility for their actions and opening up about their experiences with their FW of a father. Moving on, painfully, but moving on nevertheless

fairyfi · 01/06/2015 20:48

and wondering how you are doing too thats - do you have safe house space now? or find somewhere to move to?

ponygirlcurtis · 01/06/2015 21:13

fi I think taking pleasure in the small freedoms of not being subjected to the daily abuse is the way forward. Focus on the here and now.

MadiSontRoy45 · 01/06/2015 22:36

Hey I'm not in financial position to move out rent so expensive I've 3 kids I work full time my mam minds the kids while I work it's he's house my name not on it I was told I'd have no claims to it,he makes comments bout the shoes the kids wear to the house not been clean enough, he has OCD last nite he said I was hiding something on my phone he asked me to leave my phone downstairs before I went to bed I didn't do this I'm starting to stand up to he's comments,my mam is do good to us she's always helping with kids I think he's jealous how close my family is and how much kids love there nanny.he had chip on he's shoulder.

ponygirlcurtis · 02/06/2015 21:42

Have you spoken to WA Madi? Or talking to the council and say you have to leave and will therefore be homeless? They might help you find accommodation. I know it might not be ideal, but it would just be until you could sort out something longer term.

Swipe left for the next trending thread