Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

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

How can I work through this if I don't want to address it in counselling?

10 replies

NC12345678 · 14/07/2017 17:07

I have NC and I've been wanting to write about this for a while now.

When I was 7/8 my parents were in the process of getting divorced. For as long as I can remember they argued and screamed and shouted at each other. When my dad was drunk he'd drag my mother by her hair and shout at her. In these moments my older sister and I would run and hide.
This would mainly happen at night, I mean their main arguments where they'd both shout and become violent. When I heard them I run to my sister's room and get in bed with her. I usually cry and she'd just hug me. We didn't really speak because we thought if we were heard then dad would get angry with us and start shouting at us. In the morning if my mum found us in bed together she'd just hug us and then we'd do our usual getting ready for school routine. If dad found us then we'd get shouted at for basically ruining each other's sleep for the night and ignoring the rules. Usually it would be my mum that found us as I think she realised that if dad found us and started shouting we'd become very teary. I think she did this also because if we went to school too tearful then the teachers would have started asking questions so she used to be always bright and breezy when she found us and made everything a game.
They divorced a few years later and my father eventually drank himself to death. My mum just carried on with no acknowledgment of what had happened. It was always the elephant in the room and if I'm honest we've never really discussed it. My sister and I have on the odd occasion but it didn't really address the issue iyswim.
I've recently began thinking about all of this and how fucked up a childhood it was and I want answers. I want to throttle my father but at the same time I am glad he died. I want to ask my mum for answers but I don't know how to word them without upsetting her.
It really distorted my perception of everything and my sister left home as soon as she could as did I. But I still feel like there are all these questions that no one can answer for me.

OP posts:
NC12345678 · 14/07/2017 17:08

Sorry for the wall of text. That's just the summarised version. But I can't get over it and I want to know how I can stop it getting in the way. For example I'll be out enjoying a good evening and then all of a sudden I'll remember those nights as if my brain doesn't want me to ever feel good. So then everything is ruined. I don't know what happiness is like.

OP posts:
NellieFiveBellies · 14/07/2017 17:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

milkmoustache · 14/07/2017 17:20

This sounds like such a heavy burden to carry around. Why are you scared of addressing it with counselling? Is it too big a subject? Are you afraid of revisiting the whole thing? There are some brilliant counsellors out there who can give you a safe space, it is what you deserve.

Aquamarine1029 · 14/07/2017 20:52

Proper counseling could give you a whole new life. Why won't you go?

hamptonhangingpork · 14/07/2017 21:15

Are you afraid that if you start talking it through with a counsellor that it would bring all of the old feelings up?

When I have old bad memories crop up (some of the most random things can cause them to bubble), they can hit me like a wave and feel permanent at the time. Is this what it feels like?

I went to a counsellor and had a good chat but she also gave me some ideas for being kind to myself to try and distract / offset the bad feelings. Looking back with an adult's eyes, I think it's easy to say "I should have done this" etc. but you have to keep reminding yourself that you were just a child and had little control over the situation.

As for speaking to your mum, I wonder if she would give you the kind of answer / closure you seem to be looking for. As she essentially backed up your father when he was in his rages, you might get quite an unpleasant or minimising response which may cause you even more pain. Your father's death has robbed you of the opportunity to ask "why?" and possibly left you with a lot of unresolved anger and I get that.

Whatever you choose to do, just remember none of what happened to you was your sister's or your fault.

OnTheRise · 14/07/2017 21:25

That's just the summarised version. But I can't get over it and I want to know how I can stop it getting in the way. For example I'll be out enjoying a good evening and then all of a sudden I'll remember those nights as if my brain doesn't want me to ever feel good. So then everything is ruined. I don't know what happiness is like.

It sounds as though you're having flashbacks, almost.

Why don't you want to try counselling? I don't know where I'd be had I not spent a year or two seeing a wonderful therapist. It was all through the NHS, I didn't have to pay anything, and it was one of the best things I've ever done.

Dustifyoumust · 14/07/2017 21:49

I read your post and cried. I am exactly in this position. I had an unhappy childhood, with stuff that no one in my family acknowledges happened. I have tried counselling and failed every time. I can't bear dragging it all out into the light. Instead it rolls around and around my head. I constantly dream and daydream of my childhood home, going over all the time I spent there, just running through the memories, trying to correct them and make them right. I have never been happy in my life, ever. It's like happiness is for other people, not me. I think I fear counselling because it will conclude that life really is shit and you have no control over how other people behave towards you.
I'm sorry that you feel like this too. I'm sorry I can't offer anything more constructive to you other than saying you're not alone Flowers

Singingforsanity · 14/07/2017 22:01

I went to counselling about 8 years ago about something I was having flashbacks about and I'm so glad I did. It helped me to put what happened in the past and the flashbacks stopped. I can also now think about it without it 'taking my brain over' if you know what I mean. I really, really had to be talked into the counselling but I'm so thankful to the people who convinced me to do it. I don't know what my mental health or my relationship with DH would have been like without it. Basically, please, please re-consider counselling. Best wishes Smile

Singingforsanity · 14/07/2017 22:05

Dustify I'm so sorry you feel like this, I recognise the rolling around in your brain feeling, going over and over things, I couldn't stop it. Please don't give up though, it took me 3 whole decades but I got there. Happiness is for you too, you just need the right support.

clarrylove · 15/07/2017 07:04

I am in a similar boat. I gave even been too scared to post on the Stately Homes thread. I did actually go one to a counsellor, two in fact, but I couldn't find the words and left feeling worse than ever. I have no answers, just wanted to tell you, you are not alone. Xx

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread