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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

Possibly triggering sibling abuse

6 replies

Namechangingforhelp · 23/09/2018 11:43

Firstly checking name change.

OP posts:
Namechangingforhelp · 23/09/2018 13:02

Sorry it's long and I'm not sure what I'm asking either.

MIL was sexually abused by her brother. Large family, and as far as we know three of the sisters were abused by three of the brothers. All told by MIL to DH. One family of first cousins are also aware their mother was abused.

DH has struggles with anxiety, panic attacks, self esteem. Self medicates from time to time, but tries to remain free of alcohol. Is on prescription medication. Has years of suppressed anger.

MIL is toxic. Tells lies, says horrible things and denies she said them etc. FIL backs her up. Tells unnecessary lies with no logic behind them, denies she said those too.

DH was neglected as a child and fairly unloved and unsupported in a normal family way. For example, a lie told by his DM triggered hand washing OCD when he was a teen, but no help was got for him. It went away when he left home.

A few years ago I had a miscarriage. DH phoned MIL and she said she had to go because she was cooking dinner. I'm not sure of the sequence of events but DH pulled her up on hanging up on him and she turned on him, called him names, said the miscarriage was his fault and I don't know what else.

DH looked for someone to blame and chose the abusive uncle, and sent his cousin a message. He didn't say anything about abuse but it was enough to raise a flag.

DH's aunt and uncle (the abuser and his sister) wanted to come to our house to discuss it. MIL came down and told me the abuse was nothing, he just thumped her chest and I was to tell that to DH. Uncle and aunt turned up later. Uncle didn't deny, just said he couldn't remember anything ever happening.

PIL arrived later and MIL denied any abuse ever happened. Later on she admitted it did and had a kind of break down and said what has happened.

However, she denied it again many times and has been guilt tripping DH for the past few years about ruining her life as she can no longer call to her brother's house and be friendly with her SIL and sister etc.

DH has tried over the years to have an honest relationship with her. It all came up again this year and FIL came to our house again to make out DH was wrong about the abuse having happened. It was nothing, supposedly. He doesn't remember her saying it that night either apparently.

A cousin got married yesterday. PIL went to the wedding but didn't tell DH it was on or they were going. DH got very upset about more lying and had a go at MIL. He called to their house today and basically threw everything at her, many years of neglect and upset caused by her fixation on trying to please her siblings and having been abused, being told she was abused and then being made to feel guilty for ruining her life.

FIL came here and tried to have a go at DH, but DH threw him out. DH then phoned his aunt and brought it all up with her again, and told her to sort out some kind of apology with her brother for what DH has been through. DH has just been bawling crying here since.

I honestly think if I didn't exist and wasn't a witness to some of it, they would all try to have DH sectioned. MIL has painted him as unstable etc as she continues to deny any abuse.

I'm not sure I've got it all in. There are many other individual incidences of trying to bully DH and me in order to pretend none of it ever happened. It's all horrific.

OP posts:
BigFatCurlyHeadedFuck · 23/09/2018 13:05

I think it would be kindest for you and your husband to go no contact with the lot of them to be very honest. It sounds like a highly toxic family. How would it make you feel to do that?

StorminaBcup · 23/09/2018 13:05

I'm really not good at advice and I have no experience of this, but why are you both still speaking to them?

Namechangingforhelp · 23/09/2018 13:19

Thank you both so much for responding. DH has tried to be low contact. His GP did say years ago to stay away from toxic people but he didn't come to the realisation himself that they are toxic until this year. He has tried to be low contact since.

OP posts:
Nofunkingworriesmate · 23/09/2018 13:28

You DH needs help call Mind or 101 for some immediate advise and support because he does not sound mentally well at all, which I is not surprising at all considering his back ground.
He should stop interfering and calling aunts and uncles, if your mum has been abused then it is for HER to sort out, not him. Ringing up uncles about historic abuse does sound totally unhinged tbh, what was he hoping to achieve from that?

Namechangingforhelp · 23/09/2018 13:43

He didn't ring his uncle, he rang his aunt. I suppose his mother won't ever do anything about it except continue to try and pretend her family are all one big happy family though she spent all of DH's childhood and early adulthood telling him how terrible they were. I think no contact is best and he has told them now he doesn't want them in his life.

I agree he does need help with it.

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