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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

I feel really stuck with emotionally manipulative STBXH

27 replies

elliemillie · 03/11/2018 12:39

I decided to separate in July from my husband of 14 years together 15 after he asked for a divorce as a way to get me to do what he wanted.

It wasn't the first time and he was expecting I will give in to his wishes like other times when he had used that trick in the past. This time I was tired, emotionally drained and had come to the end of my tether.

Our relationship has been very strange. He told me within two weeks of meeting him that he has a vision when he was in his twenties that he was God and came to save the earth. I laughed it off and jokingly said he must have taken some drugs.

But this has never gone away. We never got a mortgage because of this vision. There were times when I was told he was going to take over the lease on a property in Regents Park where we will live happily ever after. He gave up a good job for his vision and has been unemployed since 2013. He tried using all the money we had to go to Mexico in 2012 because the world was going to end and he was going to save us all.
I managed to talk him out of it but he soon gave up his job afterwards and refused to take anymore so he could concentrate on his meditation practice. He also started drinking more and more.

After the drama of 2012, I set up a business. I knew that I had to make contingency plans for out three kids. He was getting more and more unstable. He took out 50k of loans and set up a business too. He soon gave that up leaving the debt
I was immediately blamed for the debt. A pattern in our relationship has been that I will be blamed for things and I will bend over backwards to make everything right. A lot of the things were not my fault.

My business is very successful and two years ago I employed him as he still hasn't found a job. He worked when he felt like it. When he didn't, I was told it was because of my behaviour or he was angry with me etc. All of his salt was spent on alcohol and fags. I was frequently accused of sleeping with clients.

I booked us onto marriage counselling which just turned into a complete focus on his vision. He could never do anything wrong. All the problems in the marriage were my fault and he was holding it together because of his vision.

He told our people I was a narcissist and loads of other awful things. People didn't believe me when I told them what was happening. He takes our son to school everyday, runs a local meditation workshop and seems a very caring dad to the rest of the world. What happens behind closed doors is something else

When I asked him to leave, our house for calmer. Both I am and the kids stopped counting beer bottles and walking on egg shells. He went to stay with his ex and her family for a while and then with a friend. He still hasn't found a job. We have an arrangement where he comes to ours three times a week to take care of the kids. I don't want him not to see them.

Last night was one of those days. I went out for my friends birthday dinner. Before I left he tried to pick an argument about keys. I managed to get out without a long shouting battle. Whiles I was out I got a call it was him asking if I remembered how he took care of me one night when I was ill and vomiting. Well he just wanted to curl up and there was no one to take care of him. He started howling and crying over the phone. I asked if our son was ok. I was scared he was going to hurt him and rushed out. He has manipulated me to do exactly what he wanted yet again. When I got back my son was scared and curled up on his bed with his dad and both of them were crying.

His landlady has given him a month to move, not sure why. I know his behaviour will get more and more unstable. I don't know what to do. I can't move house, my business is here and the kids are settled in school. I feel stuck

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elliemillie · 03/11/2018 12:42

Sorry typing on my phone so loads of typos .

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HollowTalk · 03/11/2018 12:44

He sounds mentally very unwell. Has he ever seen a doctor?

I wonder why his landlady's giving him notice. Is he paying rent? Harassing other tenants? Making a complete mess of his flat?

elliemillie · 03/11/2018 12:47

He didn't tell me why he was being aked to leave. Most likely he is not paying rent. He doesnt have a job. I gave him half of my savings but that's all run out now I think.

He has a deep mistrust of doctors and doesn't really like engaging with them....

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HollowTalk · 03/11/2018 13:01

I wonder whether he has something like schizophrenia. Have you looked it up?

Gemini69 · 03/11/2018 13:11

He's manipulating you into taking care of him and financially providing for him once again... do not be fooled by this clown .. all he wants is somewhere to get drunk and talk shite... Flowers

funnylittlefloozie · 03/11/2018 13:12

To be honest, who cares whats "wrong" with him? He sounds selfish, delusional and utterly unpleasant. He doesn't sound like a fit person to have unsupervised charge of the children, so why are you facilitating this?

I would ask for supervised contact for a few months. It isnt acceptable for him to scare the children in order to manipulate you. I bet he doesnt pay any maintenance either.

elliemillie · 03/11/2018 13:13

I have just googled it and some of the symptoms match his behaviour over the years. He feels emotions in his body. Is very delusional but doest hear voices. I do believe this vision was part of a psychotic experience as he says it lasted for a whole week and meditation got him out of it. So I suppose he goes back to meditating when he feels it's coming back. During really bad periods he meditated about three hours a day.....I don't know how to get him to see a doctor about it. But I know I need a solution for me and the kids

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elliemillie · 03/11/2018 13:15

funnylittlefloozie I don't know how to go about asking for supervised care. Who do I ask?

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elliemillie · 03/11/2018 13:16

Supervised Contact not care

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Gemini69 · 03/11/2018 13:25

you don't ask.. you tell him he's not getting unsupervised contact with the children until he proves he is a an appropriate adult... you need to stop enabling him.. pandering to him.. providing for him... you're his STBEx Wife not his Mother Flowers

elliemillie · 03/11/2018 13:34

I suppose most of the contact is supervised in that case. He doesn't take the kids away as his landlady doesn't like a noisy house. So he comes to take care of our youngest in our house. Gets him to school and picks him up two weekdays a spends Saturday with him in our house.

I will effectively be providing 7days a week childcare if I have to watch him every hour he is here. I can't run a business, keep a level of normalcy for the kids and do that too. He doesn't pay anything for the kids, I need to be able to focus on work at least three days a week otherwise I will lose all my clients

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Gemini69 · 03/11/2018 13:42

why doesn't he Pay for his kids OP Flowers

elliemillie · 03/11/2018 13:44

He is not working.....hasn't for a long time. Can't find a job

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Gemini69 · 03/11/2018 13:51

well he won't if he focuses all his energy on alcohol and visions.. he's a selfish lazy git is what he is OP... you're well rid Flowers

Eatmycheese · 03/11/2018 13:51

Sorry for not being pc but he sounds unhinged.
You came back and your son is curled in a ball crying and scared. That would be enough for me to stop his unsupervised contact even if this was to impact in other practical areas. He isn’t taking care of your son he is exploiting him and traumatising him.
If he hits the roof then let him. If this really is how he behaves then he needs help and you should protect yourself but most importantly any children.

And like @gemini said you are his soon to be ex Wife not mother.

Bad things happen to good people and he will continue to prove this to be the case for you if you let him I suspect

Allalittlebitshit2019 · 03/11/2018 14:04

I will pm you elliemillie.

elliemillie · 03/11/2018 14:06

Thanks Allalittlebitshit2019

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shaftedbythesystem · 03/11/2018 14:44

You need to stop him taking care of the kids on his own, not only does he sound irresponsible and dangerous he is also building a claim towards being the children's primary carer. In the event of any court action regarding access/residency of the children he could use this against you. As his mental health condition is not documented your concerns about his mental capacity to be primary caregiver will be unfounded in the eyes of the court. In fact they will ask you why you continued to allow him to care for the children if you were so concerned about his mental capacity. Stop the caregiving arrangements immediately and next time he pulls one of his mental episodes call an ambulance.

Bananalanacake · 03/11/2018 14:55

Has he tried the post office and shops for jobs as they need more staff before Christmas or is that not his sort of work.

elliemillie · 04/11/2018 02:59

Banana I think he feels he is a bit above that. I have suggested it in the past. He is certain at 50 he is not employable. His best friend who also runs a business needed staff but didn't offer him any of the jobs. He felt hurt by it but doesn't realise perhaps people are wary of his behaviour.

I had to remove my son and myself from the house yesterday. Things just escalated and I had to call his brother. He is very paranoid I am trying to stop him from seeing our DS which is just weird. It's never occurred to me to stop him from seeing them. My DS adores him. It would totally break his heart if he didn't see him.

What happened yesterday was not normal. It's never happened before although his behaviour has been odd over the years it's always been me and not the kids he targeted.

Yesterday the usual manipulative tools didn't work and he resorted to using our son to get me to do what he wanted. I won't let it happen again. I am going to be around all the time when he comes to take care of him. If I feel the kids or I are in danger, I will call the police.

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7yo7yo · 04/11/2018 09:37

Your a fool to let him around your kids and giving him half your savings.
Have you had legal advice? Protect yourself and your kids.

theworldistoosmall · 04/11/2018 15:13

You don't have to supervise contact yourself. There are contact centres that will facilitate this. Google to see what is in your area.
This way he still maintains some contact, but he cannot harras you and there are independent witnesses to his behaviour.

You also need to seek legal advice asap and stop supporting him. He's an adult, if jobs are beneath him then he will have to go on benefits and let him try pull that shit with them.

As for his health. It's not your problem. Again he is an adult. He may or may not have mental health issues. This is for him to find out for himself. It could also be that he is just an utter cunt, my mates ex played the delusions and other shite to avoid working, she called his bluff and had him sectioned. The only thing you can do is if he has another one of these episodes, you can call an ambulance and let them take him. Don't get in the back of the ambulance with him. Leave him to it with the medical professions. He will be assessed and if they think it's appropriate they will admit him.

LovingLiving · 04/11/2018 15:21

You need to make other arrangements for childcare.

I don’t get how you have stayed with him for 15 years when he told you about the vision and he has obviously believed it all this time.

I also can’t understand how you say your children have not been around his odd behaviour. Has he not shared his vision with them? What about family and friends?

Gemini69 · 04/11/2018 16:27

this man is running rings around you OP Flowers

elliemillie · 04/11/2018 17:39

theworldistoosmall his brother advised I call the ambulance next time too but is trying to get him to the GP in the meantime.

LovingLiving his new agey friends know about the vision. His family are very straight and I thought they knew but the first his brother had heard was when I told him yesterday. I told his mum ages ago and all she said was he had always been an odd child. Again it was the first time she had heard about it. A lot of our local friends don't know. As I said earlier he has a persona of a great family man and having crazy visions doesnt work with that.

He told our teenage daughters about the vision over the summer for the first time when he moved out. The kids have been around some of the odd behaviour but they usually just make a joke of it. So him going round and round in circles till he collapses on the floor to get energies out of his body was just him being silly.

Now they are teenagers they are realising it's odd but when they were little it wasn't.

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