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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

Boyfriends mental health taking its toll on me now.

88 replies

sarah2801 · 20/03/2021 16:49

He is struggling with his mental health and has done for a long time. We are both 20, hes my first boyfriend and he lives about 2 hours away from me. I've been back home for about a week after being with him for 3 weeks, we've called every night, just like we have done for the past year but this weeks its just been a bit tiring. I feel bad going to sleep because I dont want to leave by himself upset, but he refuses to sleep until 5 or 6 in the morning.

Hes been drinking every night now hes been paid. this annoys me when Ive been giving him money and borrowing money to give to him and leaving myself with nothing.

I feel like part of my recent frustration with him comes from the way he was when i visited him. He would constantly wind me up by laying on my to trap me, tickling me, pulling duvet over my head whilst i struggle and beg him not to. hes always done this stuff and its usually funny. But he just seems to not know what stop means anymore and will carry on whilst Im visibly frustrated and upset.

I want to be clear that i care about him and love him very much and will always support him with his mental health problems, but hes refusing to get professional help and I don't know what to do for him anymore. Im not sure what the point in this post is, i guess i just want to rant.

OP posts:
TurquoiseDragon · 21/03/2021 17:12

[quote sarah2801]**@EarthSight acutally when you put it like that, it really does make me think Sad . It makes me angry, i love him to bits but I dont want to end up trapped a few years down the line in an abusive realtionship.[/quote]
You are already IN an abusive relationship.

I met my ex at the age of 18. he was almost 26. I was too naive to see the red flags he was displaying.

He had depression, and acted the way your BF is doing. And I can see now that @EarthSight is correct, it IS all about control and exerting power over you.

Your BF will get worse, it won't get better, and whiile talking to him may bring about a temporary change, it won't be permanent.

I am 52, and I finally left, with our DC, at the age of 49. By the time I left, he was verbally, emotionally, financially and sexually abusive. I was raped more than once. I was broken, and our DC have MH issues, although they are now recovering.

I wasted 30 years on my ex. Don't be me. You need to end this relationship now, and maybe get counselling to understand how to have a more healthy relationship.

WisnaeMe · 21/03/2021 17:30

OP I'm confused. This guy lives TWO HOURS away, he drinks and is abusive, he takes your money leaving you penniless, but you cannot leave him?

you don't even live with him, what's to leave?

just BLOCK this loser.

colouringindoors · 21/03/2021 20:45

OP I know the propspect of being alone is too awful. I really do. I moved back home after Uni. No friends apart from bf. I had a deep down sense he wasnt right for me. But I couldn't face being alone.

Fast forward 25 years. I'm divorcing him. He didn't have mental health probs until after we were married. They got worse, much worse. Almost successful suicide attempt. Massive psychotic break. I have ptsd. My ds has ptsd which is so bad he can't walk.

While I have compassion for the 20-something me who decided to stay with him.

I Really wish she hadn't.

colouringindoors · 22/03/2021 22:01

oh great. I've killed the thread.

Dery · 22/03/2021 22:43

@colouringindoors - you haven’t killed the thread! Your post is very powerful. Sorry to hear you’ve had such an awful time. I hope you and your son start to recover soon.

WisnaeMe · 22/03/2021 23:45

@colouringindoors

oh great. I've killed the thread.

Nooooooo, glad you escaped 🌺

sarah2801 · 23/03/2021 02:05

@colouringindoors

oh great. I've killed the thread.
Hey you didnt kill the thread, your post was really insightful and useful. I'm glad you got out and i hope you can enjoy life without him.
OP posts:
thosetalesofunexpected · 23/03/2021 02:53

This really minds me of when he messes around with your duvert ect !

This really reminds of emotional abuse of when a abusive Partner puts his woman/partner in her place
By treating everything as Joke, such as Scarastic Jokey put downs comments or back handed comments
Its a manipulative way under a guise of play fighting !

Its kind of Subtle !

Emotional abuse Does not have to be so obvious in your face type of thing !

Skyla2005 · 23/03/2021 06:48

You won't have a happy life with this person. You are so young get out now and move on you can't help him. He won't change.

Unescorted · 23/03/2021 07:17

My dh has mental health problems and has been institutionalised from time to time.

What he doesn't do is refuse professional help or continue to do things when I ask him to stop. He knows he has a problem and is working to fix it - this is not my responsibility and never has been.

MH is not a licence to be an areshole. Your boyfriend is being an arsehole. You are so low down his list of priorities behind him and his wants.

You will make new friends, you have financial independence, you have your own place to stay. There is nothing keeping you in this relationship other than a misguided notion that it is your role to make him better. Even if he was the most lovely person in the entire world that is not your job. The only person who can fix him is him.

TurquoiseDragon · 23/03/2021 20:02

@WisnaeMe

OP I'm confused. This guy lives TWO HOURS away, he drinks and is abusive, he takes your money leaving you penniless, but you cannot leave him?

you don't even live with him, what's to leave?

just BLOCK this loser.

The issue is the mindset, in many cases.

It's very easy to say "leave". It's way harder when you're in an abusive relationship. You get the gaslighting, the manipulation, and so on. You end up thinking you have to help, that it's an obligation. You feel that everyone will judge you for leaving, when often that isn't true.

And when this is combined with the expectations placed on women by society, that we have to be looking after everyone else and putting our own needs last, and it's easy to see how the toxic combination can cause a vulnerable person to feel trapped and unable to leave a relationship.

I've been there, and the key to leaving was something triggering a shift in the mindset.

colouringindoors · 23/03/2021 21:21

Thank you x

WisnaeMe · 23/03/2021 23:43

The issue is the mindset, in many cases.

It's very easy to say "leave". It's way harder when you're in an abusive relationship. You get the gaslighting, the manipulation, and so on. You end up thinking you have to help, that it's an obligation. You feel that everyone will judge you for leaving, when often that isn't true.

And when this is combined with the expectations placed on women by society, that we have to be looking after everyone else and putting our own needs last, and it's easy to see how the toxic combination can cause a vulnerable person to feel trapped and unable to leave a relationship.

I've been there, and the key to leaving was something triggering a shift in the mindset.

its not a mind set.

it's a genuine question.

this guy lives over 2 hours away? 🤔

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