Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Unable to raise anything without being told I'm mentally unwell

78 replies

Cawlanddaffodils · 23/02/2024 21:59

So obviously there is a backstory and more issues but there would be far too much to go into.

Basically I'm unable to have any discussion, raise any issue or ask for any help without being told I'm mentally ill, there's something wrong with me and I need help. I can see through his behaviour. Ever since he cheated on me he can't cope with people seeing him as less than perfect and seems to hate me. He's determined to get me on medication. Let Me say I am categorically not mentally unwell (not that there is any shame in mental illness but within my relationship it's used as a means of control).

He used to threaten to not come home and say if I didn't apologise for being crazy/a horrible person then he'd leave me and I'd never cope and I'd have no money. In the end I stopped engaging and responding to the paragraphs of abuse and just said "if you don't want to come home, that's your decision" he'd then go on, I'd repeat the sentence and eventually he'd say "you didn't apologise, so I'm not coming home. I'll be back tomorrow " he'd walk in the next day groping me as if nothing had happened.

I'm struggling that we share a child and I can't bring up any issues or concerns. He's taken to putting our young child on Xbox for hours a day. I wanted to address this but knew he'd be angry. I spent days thinking about how to discuss the issue. I text him (he refuses to talk to my face) and nicely said I was concerned about our son being on Xbox too much but that I wanted his opinion, what did he think was reasonable. I think maybe we should set a limit etc. He messaged a while paragraph basically saying "no I won't give him a limit because you have anger issues (I don't) and if he goes over the limit, you'll be mad etc etc. A bit more slagging me off. A few hours later I ask DP to have child for an hour. Child asks to go on Xbox and partner starts ranting, no you can't go on Xbox because of your mum. Your mum won't let you. She wants you to go out walking at night in the rain. I try to intervene and say I did not say this but he never lets me speak, talks loudly over me and ranting about how it's my fault child can't use Xbox (all in front of child).

This brings me to today; I honestly think he wants to elicit anger in me in a hope I'll look crazy. However I refuse and walk away if he starts trying to argue. I also no longer read or respond to horrible texts as I couldn't cope. He's determined to get me on antidepressants.
He said he was staying at his parents house last night as he had dentist at 12pm. I'm not sure I believed this but off he went for the night. I text him at 2.15 and asked what he'd been upto. He said he'd just got back from the dentist. I basically asked if he'd been at the dentist for over 2 hours and he basically just refused to answer me and sent me a paragraph of deflection stating I'm crazy and insecure. He has no idea how he puts up with someone as crazy as me, I'm mentally not well.
I just replied saying that I was making conversation, it just seemed a long time at the dentist, that's all. Basically, instead of just saying I also got lunch/went to shop/appointment overran, he just kept saying I was mentally unwell.
I honestly think he purposely orchestrates situations hoping I look nuts.
Also to note- he's a health professional and likes to assert that he's in control, to be worshipped etc. Even told me last week that he'a that man of the house and I put the kids first by cooking their dinner at 6pm instead of 8pm when he finishes Xbox.
Anyway, I didn't get a straight answer and his last message was him saying he hates anxiety and insecurity and none of his other exes were as mean as me (he often calls me horrible but refuses to tell me why or what I've done). He said I need sertraline and psychotherapy, unless the psychiatrist states I have personality disorder and then we are doomed.
I'm absolutely fuming but I can't say anything. This is the way things always go.
I do NOT have personality disorder. It's something he started saying when I discovered he cheated on me to deflect from answering questions. If I don't question him on anything, try to only speak when spoken to them I don't get told I'm mentally ill.

He's obviously trying to condition me to "shut up and put up" but I'm not sure how to cope in this situation anymore.

OP posts:
MassiveOvaryaction · 23/02/2024 22:09

You don't need to cope in that situation anymore, you need to leave.

I'm sorry you're being treated so badly Flowers

FknOmniShambles · 23/02/2024 22:12

Is this really how you want your life to be for the next however many years? You write well, sound intelligent, etc...surely you know this is over?

magicscares · 23/02/2024 22:14

Oh goodness @Cawlanddaffodils hes awful. You really need to reconsider your relationship with this man. He sounds like a bully. How does he speak to your dc?

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 23/02/2024 22:17

Insulting and gaslighting and using your child in argumenta are all highly abusive behaviours. Nobody can 'cope' with this. The only way you can have any sort of life is away from this man. Please leave

DowntonCrabby · 23/02/2024 22:19

You’ll never be able to reason with an abuser.

You owe it to yourself and your son to get out ASAP, you know you both deserve better. Flowers

RandomForest · 23/02/2024 22:25

Just serve him with divorce papers and tell him your mental health will never improve with him, you need someone kind.

Out of interest did you tell anyone else when he cheated.

Cawlanddaffodils · 23/02/2024 22:31

In honestly I don't know how I cope with it. I don't really, I've just developed ways of coping and putting up an emotional shield. I don't engage with any of his text rants. If he said ridiculous things (like I'm mental unwell for leaving the hoover out) I just say "you're being ridiculous" and walk away. Honestly, he's led a very entitled and privileged life and has made it clear I'm beneath him as I earn a lower hourly wage.

He plays Xbox upto 10 hours a day, drinks every day. Imagine if I drank a bottle of wine every day (I don't drink at all), say playing computer games. He'd have me commited. I don't challenge him because I actually can't emotionally cope with the things he says to me. He is loud, dominant and talks over me. I don't even have a normal conversation anymore as it's pointless. Yet he says I talk to much and he can't get a word in. His communication is odd. If I (or anyone else) said for example "I played violin in school" he would interject and go on for 10 minutes without pause about when he was in school, what he did, what his friends sisters dog did etc". I tell him important things and he has no recollection.

He can get angry and I hate being shouted at. He's told me he wants to punch me in the fucking face etc and hasn't hit me but has got physical with me. He later denied it and said I put my fist up to him. It's a complete lie. I've never been violent or threatened violence. We weren't even arguing when he did it.

He goes on about my mental health and yes, he is a health professional. Yet ironically I have 2 psychology degrees, I work in a counselling related job, worked in mental health many years and am a trainee counsellor. I'm determined to not let him break me and when I told him this, he said "if I wanted to break you, I'd leave you. You'd never cope without me".

OP posts:
Morningtimeride · 23/02/2024 22:36

You really don't want to spend the rest of your life with this man. You would be so much better off without him. Just leave.

Cawlanddaffodils · 23/02/2024 22:37

RandomForest · 23/02/2024 22:25

Just serve him with divorce papers and tell him your mental health will never improve with him, you need someone kind.

Out of interest did you tell anyone else when he cheated.

Yes and this is when he "lost the plot" and went on a rampage to destroy me by telling everyone I'm mentally ill. I'm also very close to a family member of his (through marriage) who is a therapist. So he knows I've spoken her her, not like I've specifically told him obviously but he knows I'm close to her. His family are very much supportive of me and have told me I need to leave him.
He communicated quite odd with everyone, is very dominant in conversations.

OP posts:
Cawlanddaffodils · 23/02/2024 22:40

He has a big issue about me being disloyal and talking to people about our relationship. I've not told him that I've discussed our relationship with anyone but apparently he knows because he hacks my phone.

OP posts:
gamerchick · 23/02/2024 22:50

How can he have time.to play games for 10 hours a day as a health professional?

OP, you can post telling us the things he does and the way he treats you but fact is, he's abusing you and your child. You need to get your child out of that.

Stop trying to wade through his crap, try and decipher it or understand it. Listen to what people are telling you and save your kid.

AutumnFroglets · 23/02/2024 22:53

I can't read most of your post, it's horrible what you are going through. However I urge you to speak to your GP about your abusive relationship as they can signpost you to counselling and other areas of support. I had to do it myself and they were great.

I also urge you to contact Women's Aid. I used their email contact. Try to do it this weekend.

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/

I need help - information and support on domestic abuse

Not sure if you're experiencing abuse? Worried about someone else? If you or a friend need help, we are here. Learn more about our information and support.

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support

NewNameNumber43 · 23/02/2024 22:53

I read the first two paragraphs and the last paragraph of your OP.

You need to leave. Nothing you do will change him. Go now.

MrsKintner · 23/02/2024 22:56

You've posted a lot about how abusive and horrible he is to you and your child, what an awful person he is and how he cheats on you. But you haven't said why you want to stay in this relationship?

Why are you choosing this life? For you and your child?

Cawlanddaffodils · 23/02/2024 22:58

gamerchick · 23/02/2024 22:50

How can he have time.to play games for 10 hours a day as a health professional?

OP, you can post telling us the things he does and the way he treats you but fact is, he's abusing you and your child. You need to get your child out of that.

Stop trying to wade through his crap, try and decipher it or understand it. Listen to what people are telling you and save your kid.

He works VERY few hours for a high hourly rate. He also stays up until 2am. Better than the first few years of our relationship when he'd be up until 3am and in bed until 1pm I suppose.

OP posts:
Ruffpuff · 23/02/2024 22:59

Please look up coercive control. He’s displaying some seriously emotional abuse towards you.

Make that doctors appointment. Tell the doctor what you’ve put on here about him and seek help.

Cawlanddaffodils · 23/02/2024 23:00

For those asking; I've stayed because I love him and want the family unit. Although I do mostly feel hate and resentment these days. I want my child to grow up with his father around; although I now worry about him growing up having heard certain things. It's evident his dad says things to him to make me look bad.
Also, finances are an issue at the moment.

OP posts:
Cawlanddaffodils · 23/02/2024 23:01

The problem is that I'm not ready to leave. I think I'm trauma bonded and need to work through that.

OP posts:
Grimchmas · 23/02/2024 23:02

He's an awful person. What will it take for you to leave him?

Opentooffers · 23/02/2024 23:03

So why are you writing complaints on here and not leaving him as advised? Why are you ignoring suggestions to leave in preference to giving more details on his misdemeanours? Are you actually asking what to do about it, or just wanting to sound off - more fool you?

BillytheMountain · 23/02/2024 23:03

Couldn’t read it all, it sounds like a tortured existence and I would leave, go, run like hell, now.
i hope you can find the strength to make a peaceful life for you and your boy.

StickNMove · 23/02/2024 23:04

He’s abusive and you need to stop ‘coping’ and leave.

PussInBin20 · 23/02/2024 23:09

Christ on a bike, just leave this arsehole. He sounds like he has all the mental health issues. Why do you stay? What joy does he bring to your life? Your poor kid.

Opentooffers · 23/02/2024 23:11

Geez, the love at all costs attitude again - sorry, been on here too much, its astounding.
DC love, unconditional. Love for a partner, totally conditional, always should be and is on the condition that they enhance your life and treat you well, anything less, should give you the ick, and if it doesn't, it's because you have issues that require counselling. That's it in a nutshell really.
Sorry its blunt, but it's basic, and if that does not underpin relationships, no wonder they come unstuck.

LimeViewer · 23/02/2024 23:12

Your child does not need their male role model to show them being nasty to women, gaming am drinking all day are the right way to have a relationship. Leave ASAP.