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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

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

He's locked us in

305 replies

Bubsworth · 20/09/2019 08:51

Need to leave physically aggressive husband. He has been physical before occasionally but the last two nights he has left marks on me. We have a small baby. Husband currently asleep upstairs but appears to have hidden the. Keys so I'm locked in the house. Too scared to casually ask him where keys are. No one knows the real him his best friend thinks I'm crazy and irrational because of what husband tells him. So scared he will try to take the baby and use my extreme post natal anxiety I had against me. What do I do right now?

OP posts:
brokenladyxx · 21/09/2019 09:13

@ScrimshawTheSecond thankyou so very much I really have had enough now I just need the strength to leave and not come back x

ScrimshawTheSecond · 21/09/2019 09:41

You can do it. When I look back now I'm amazed how much strength it must have taken to stay.

I know it's hard to do it, but I promise you - getting out and getting over it is like breathing again after being underwater. xxx

pinkyredrose · 21/09/2019 10:07

Why can't you leave now? Why the fuck do you want to 'help' him?

brokenladyxx · 21/09/2019 10:16

@ScrimshawTheSecond I'm just scared I can't tell you how scared I am to just make that step xx

ScrimshawTheSecond · 21/09/2019 10:50

I know. That's totally understandable. Have you got a plan? Support? Strategies? Family or friends who can help?

There are some good links to organisations in this thread, depending where you are.

brokenladyxx · 21/09/2019 10:58

I don't have anybody really, I've been to the doctors before for help they just gave me a number to ring for dv and I could never get thru to them xx

Drum2018 · 21/09/2019 11:01

Why wouldn't you want him arrested? He physically assaulted you. If he did that on a night out to a stranger, he'd be arrested. He deserves to face the consequences of his vile actions. You are not in any position to 'help' him. He needs to get that help for himself and you and your baby need to get the hell away from him. Don't become another statistic of repeated domestic violence. Don't give him the chance to lay one finger on you ever again. Get out now.

ThatCurlyGirl · 21/09/2019 11:15

@Bubsworth

But I don't want them to arrest him and I told her this on the phone. But will they?

My love please try to rethink this - research shows the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when the victim wants to leave.

I wasn't sure whether to post this as I really don't want to scare you, just to support you. Once you push through that period you can start to build your own life up again and it will be brilliant Thanks

The police will support you through that process - ask them to if at all possible assign you a domestic violence specialist within their force who has experience of this type of situation and is up to date on all the latest laws regarding DV. For example the fact that coercive control is an offence etc as some may not yet have had first hand experience of this (speaking as the daughter of a PC)

Accept all the help you are offered, you deserve to be supported through this. This is THE best decision you will ever make for you and your little one.

Rooting for you

ThanksThanksThanks

ThatCurlyGirl · 21/09/2019 11:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PurpleDaisies · 21/09/2019 11:20

brokenladyxx can’t be the op. Look at the posting history.

ThatCurlyGirl · 21/09/2019 11:26

Oh sorry my bad if not, apologies

ThatCurlyGirl · 21/09/2019 11:28

Have asked MNHQ to remove the post where I thought it was a name change and wanted to flag it. Sorry Thanks

bombomboobah · 21/09/2019 11:29

Brokenlady I'm so sorry that you are going through this 😔
could you start your own thread on here?
There are lots of kind, generous people on Mumsnet who want to help you💗

JuneSpoon · 21/09/2019 11:38

OP I read something on another thread here about guilt relating to a partner being abused in the past / mentally ill / whatever as a "reason" for being abusive to their adult partner.

It went something like: don't ask yourself why he does it, ask yourself if this is how you want your life to be.
Maybe someone can clarify that, I found the statement very powerful and truthful but can't recall it correctly.

brokenladyxx · 21/09/2019 11:44

@ThatCurlyGirl sorry hun no I'm a different poster xx
@bombomboobah sorry for jumping on this post I have started my own thread now so hopefully I can get some advice of my own xx

KUGA · 21/09/2019 11:44

Climb out of the window put something up to it so you can reach the baby.
And call the police if not possible.

Smotheroffive · 21/09/2019 11:55

OP and brokenladyxx ignore those swearing and telling you what to do.

Please don't feel you have to explain or justify yourself, this is already your life, to an extreme degree. It only shows lack of knowledge of the complexity of abuse. I thought all the 'why doesn't she leave' crap was well in the past,but no, seems not.

Of course you are scared, and a lot do understand how it is you feel you can't leave.

You are survivers, trying to stay alive each day. A wrong break at the wrong time, puts you and any dc at huge risk.

You know this, so its only possible at certain times. Its also taking a risk relying on police to take him away and make it stop. These men never stop, and the law means that they do still get access to women and dc even after half killing them.

These are extremely volatile and dangerous men, who have systematically worn down your defences and built your concerns and care for their well-being over and above your own, because of the consequences.

You have become worried at what will happen to this person who has opened up to you and bonded you to them through repeated trauma.

This is how it happens, and most women, all they want is for it to just stop. Sadly, it never does. We are a race of hopers, we live on hope, if we didn't have it we'd be dead.

If that hope is fed, the hopes and dreams of happy times where it doesn't happen any more, that he can just have some anger management, these are fallacies.

He knows all about anger management and its shocking to realise the love-bombing and gifts and sorries are all abuse too. The hoovering back up, the declarations of love that you hear through shocked tears in the aftermath of the trauma.

Very rarely do men reform, they don't want to lose their position of ultimate power and control. They use whatever means necessary to control, which includes the tears and emotional blackmail, trying to make you responsible for their damage and harm against you.

They will not take responsibility, you are to blame because you push them to it, or do things wrong, or just annoy them, etc, blah bla utter bollocks.

If they receive consequences then that's fair, finally.

Women and children don't have to receive consequences, abusive men do, and thats not the women's fault. If the abusive man hadn't been abusive there'd be no consequence.

He must be an adult, for once in his life, and take the consequences of his actions if he's ever to stand any chance of learning the error of his ways.

Women, need to let go, to step away whilst that happens, and relinquish their hopes and dreams, that were never going to be. To grieve the loss and the trauma of it all . To separate, mind and soul, and learn to put themselves first finally, to live and grow and be safe from further harm.

There is now power and control for you until you are away from the man that removes it from you. You have no power or control over him, so cannot do anything that would make this stop.

He has all the power and control, until he's not in your life.

There are safe ways to do this, where you don't risk yourself and/or dc.

Support is needed to do this safely, and quietly, so he has no idea.

Your life can be very different, but these are your decisions. None of this is your fault as he is abusing you. Your choices are diminished.

Speak to whomever you can, and be safe. Flowers

bombomboobah · 21/09/2019 12:04

To clarify, Brokenlady is not a name change fail of the OP, she has a separate thread here:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/3697789-can-t-take-anymore?msgid=90237533#90237533

chickenyhead · 21/09/2019 12:37

They will explain the process to you and direct you to help you need. They will let you know their experiences of this type of DV and they will support you.

If they feel that you are not yet safe or ready to get yourself safe they won't push you, because this magnifies the risk to you.

nowisthetimetochange · 21/09/2019 17:28

I was in the same position 11 months ago. Abuse that had started as emotional years previously had become physical. I did not know what to do. My whole life had become planned around making sure he didn’t get angry. To the community this man adored his children and was well respected. I knew I had to keep a secret bag with kids shoes in the car incase I had to get them out super quick - to them it was us going on a secret mission. One night I had had enough. I put a bag of his outside the house. He had left marks on me for the first time two nights previously. My children were now old enough to know it wasn’t normal to run out the house without shoes. My children were learning not to make Daddy angry.

My children were sleeping and I just decided to do it. He cried, he begged, it wasn’t the real him etc. I stood my ground.

The next bit is unpleasant I only write it as a warning.

JUst when I thought he would go (in tears) he came back d dragged me inside and strangled me. An alert brave neighbour saved my life (and probably my children).

Nearly a year on he has seen them 4 times and pays nearly no maintenance.

I and my children have never been so happy.

bombomboobah · 21/09/2019 21:38

nowis, that's terrifying, I'm so glad that you managed to escape
I feel I must reiterate
in the Minds of abusive and controlling men partners and children as people are primarily possessions and they will destroy them rather than lose them

ThatCurlyGirl · 21/09/2019 22:47

@nowisthetimetochange

You are so brave I am so sorry you went through that. You've been a brilliant strong mum to get your children into a safe environment now, I'm so glad you're all happy - there is a world of loveliness when you come out of the other side ThanksThanksThanks

ScrimshawTheSecond · 22/09/2019 18:01

How are you doing, Bubsworth, are you holding up okay?

Bubsworth · 23/09/2019 10:14

Massive hugs to the women here who have been through and are going through absolute hell :( Flowers

I am absolutely dreading tomorrow when the officers come round. Tried to cancel it yesterday but they said because of the nature of it they must come. All I can do is change the time or day. I feel sick to my stomach. Even now my hands have started shaking thinking about it. Still feel guilty too and like I overreacted. Have to keep looking at the bruise on my arm to remind myself I did the right thing to report him. I wish none of this ever happened. I hate to say it but I doubt he thinks he did anything wrong, he has made comments that are outrageous about some women push their men to do it by the way they act or talk to them. I was shocked. Blamed it on me, yet refused to admit he was blaming me. But he has also said sorry and that he won't do it again. I don't really believe him. But I still don't want to talk to the officers tomorrow I want to pretend this is all just a bad nightmare.

OP posts:
Weirdgifter · 23/09/2019 10:21

Bubsworth

Oh bubsworth, darling.. :(

He will do it again. He only said that thing because he is paving the way for himself to not take responsibility for his actions.. and wants you to instead feel guilty..

It means he will do it again. Please believe that. Trust your instincts and judgement and don’t be clouded with feeling guilt and fear.

Look, to help you deal with guilt, just realise if they arrest him, after you are sorted you can drop charges when you feel safe. Even though he doesn’t deserve it..

You aren’t destroying his life by rescuing yourself. What kind of antagonist relationship is that where you have to destroy yourself to help someone feel good?? Can’t you see it this way?

We will help you here deal with the aftermath emotions of tomorrow. You aren’t alone..

Just plz let tomorrow happen. Everything will be ok

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