My DM is an anxious kind of person, we all are in our family. Her fragile mental health has always had a big impact on our family, is treated as a given by everyone else, but we never raise it directly. If we ever try, my dad protects her and closes it down. God knows what he thinks would happen if we just said it out loud.
She has always had form for extrapolating what I tell her and presenting her exaggerated worries about me and my life as gospel truth to others. She does this to and about others too, not just me. It is annoying, ocasionally upsetting, and means I don't really trust her with anything important.
Several years ago, we moved to Australia. She was very hurt and angry but refused to acknowledge it. Since covid, we have only spoken over Skype and with the kids. We speak regularly, share lots of photos etc but stick to very safe/shallow topics.
She has taken to sending me nasty emails and letters. She often includes articles from UK press that are critical of Australia, e.g. awful immigration detention, useless climate policy (all stuff that gets plenty of criticism in AU press btw). Usually they are accompanied by a snipey note. I generally just ignore, occasionally reply to an email with something I hope is diplomatic. I always continue to speak to her on Skype as if nothing has happened.
Last week, an absolute howler arrived in the post. It is toxic nonsense. She had mulled over coverage of the new AUKUS defence pact thing and then written this poison about how Australia will introduce the DRAFT and my kids will be conscripted and it will all be my fault. I mean WTAF???
I have had enough. I want to call her on it and make her stop. Perhaps she actually needs help for these delusions.
Has anyone else ever dealt with anything similar? WWYD??