Sorry to jump right in...
I have read a lot of here about emotional abuse and it seems to come from a desire to control. I've read that abusers know what they are doing and are perfectly in control themselves.
However, I was wondering if someone could be an emotional abuser and not notice what they are doing a lot of the time. The person I'm thinking of has grown up in institutions and I'm wondering if he just hasn't learnt or been taught normal ways of relating to people. He is always on edge and tense and even his best friends find him very difficult. I'm thinking he has some form of personality disorder but I'm not sure whether this is classified as a mental health issue.
I'm so confused. I do think he acts differently with different people and is more likely to be aggressive with those he perceives as weaker so this ability to switch it on and off suggests he does have some control.
But even with guests he is treating with food and drink or gifts, it's like he pushes it relentlessly and doesn't seem to "listen" when they say no thank you. He just continues trying to get them to take it and wears them down. I find this confusing as I don't know why he behaves like this.
Similarly if I go to visit him and during that time need five minutes to sit down and eat quietly, look at the internet, sometimes he is relentless in pestering me, giving me things, wanting my attention. When you say "please I just need five minutes", he says ok then 1 minute later he's at it again. HE will ask if you want food. You say no five minutes later he asks again. There's almost a compulsive side to his personality.
He's the sort of person who can push you to tears quite easily and then not understand and be angry with you for crying. He blames people and things for everything and rarely accepts responsibility for anything. It is always someone else's fault.
He is a lot worse when drunk but won't accept when sober that he is not a pleasant drunk. When drunk just starts mocking you or accusing you of something or blaming, calling people names, arguing with everyone, invading personal space, inappropriate touching He seems to have no concept of what's socially acceptable.
Last night I stood outside telling him and all the neighbours (in earshot) that he was an "abusive" man. I feel guilty because his English isn't good and he didn't know what I was saying but I was trying to deal with him/help him and had been having him yelling at me (he was drunk) for no reason. The fact he asked me to come back in and tells me to keep my voice down suggests he doesn't want the neighbours to know the truth (suggesting some awareness of his behaviour).
I guess I do feel some guilt but all they're probably going to think is that hysterical woman with mental health problems who is always crying has gone to visit our friendly neighbour again