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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

December 2024 - but we took you to Stately Homes

999 replies

AttilaTheMeerkat · 19/12/2024 11:07

New thread

OP posts:
Happyfarm · 24/12/2024 22:14

Happy Christmas and hopefully your day goes as event free as possible. I’ve currently got the flu so just sat up in bed cough cough coughing! Good thing is no one wants it so no one wants to come visit….bonus, thanks Father Christmas! The only visiting of family we have done today was those who are safely under the ground!!!

Spendysis · 25/12/2024 00:37

Merry Christmas everyone i hope you all have a drama free peaceful Christmas

SamAndAnnie · 25/12/2024 03:31

@CheekySnake I don't want to hurt them, I never did. I'm not a revenge type of person. Too lazy! And it's pointless really, how they feel isn't my business, so if I hurt them their hurt isn't my business either. I don't really understand when people get pleasure out of that. They must have a very different type of personality than me.

I've already emotionally disengaged, thankfully. It's been a long time coming. Last year did the last little bit of that. I stopped loving them years ago. Now I've gone one step further and let them go. I feel like I've done that Marie Kondo thing of thanking them for being part of my life (just thinking on the positives there, there have been some) and moving on from them. A bit weird to have done that to people, as if they were clutter, but there you go, that's how it feels to me. I just haven't actually gone NC yet, the final step.

I have some fond memories and even with everything that's gone on, if they were to be decent towards me I'd happily speak to them now. I don't forgive or forget but I believe the way to peace is matching people's energy, when the energy is positive. So if my mortal enemy asks a civil question they'll get a civil answer and not be told to go fuck themselves, even if they were trying to kill me last week.

Problem is although narc sibling can do that decency thing when they want to, they won't unless they want me for something. They're a user. So I'd automatically be on my guard if they got in touch. The only thing they tend to want is for me to appease the narc parents.

Narc parent unfortunately doesn't seem able to behave in a sensible manner at all. I guess because the one thing they want from me is the main thing I'm not prepared to give. So it's a stalemate and that relationship just doesn't work at all any more.

I'd be fine never speaking to either of them again. What bothers me is the scale of the tantrum that might ensue if I go NC and whether other family members might gets dragged into hating me for "causing" it (because how dare I have any say over my own life!🙄). Now if that happens there's nothing I can do about it, it would be their decision to choose to be dragged in and judge, their choice not to want to speak to me. I'm just trying to be prepared so nothing takes me by surprise. That's why I'm trying to understand things better. To avoid being blindsided, because I tend to freeze when that happens, which is no good when I need to take some kind of action to put a stop to whatever it is. I'm trying to counteract my weaknesses so if I need to act then I have a plan already and don't need to think of one on the spot when I'm in freeze mode. I'm hoping by not going out in a "blaze of glory" when I go NC but drift into it instead, they might have also chosen to discard me, since I'm of no use because I won't give them what they want, so then hopefully no huge drama tantrums. If anyone thinks that's a terrible idea please do say.

Christmas Eve went well for me, no problems so fingers crossed for Christmas Day now. I'm not spending it with the narcs but there's always the possibility they'll try to pressure me to go along. Not happening! Hope everyone else has an ok day today and tomorrow too.

I'm finding the feeling of being alone weird. Sort of like being an only child and orphan.

@wonderingwonderingwondering she blocked you so in my world that means don't contact her. I don't care if that's what she really means or if she wants you to chase her. I don't play others mind games, they can play by themselves! So I would not accept any fallout they send your way. Also you don't want to contact her so it's important to stay true to yourself.

CheekySnake · 25/12/2024 11:43

@SamAndAnnie with my narc parent (father) I found that all he really cared about was being able to say to himself (and convince other people) that nothing was his fault. That was his priority. He would throw a bomb and then blame everyone else. He loved bullying other people into apologising. When my mother left him he said to me (I shit you not) 'ive been thinking and I've realised what's going on here. Your mother is only leaving me because you've finally bullied her in to it. If you'll just stop we can go back to being a family.' I totally blew my top and screamed at home that all of it was his fault. It was the one and only time I ever stood up to him. He never spoke to me again.

My mother isn't a narcissist but is an enabler. Enabled him, enabled the second husband (in a different way - he was an alcoholic and she encouraged him to drink).

What that's left me with is so much anger. She latches onto someone who wants to be enabled and then nothing and no one else matters except in how they can be used to support the enabling. I don't think she even knows she does it.

CheekySnake · 25/12/2024 11:48

Happy Christmas everyone! Hope you're all having a good day.

I am trying my best. Patience ran out last night. She won't stop bloody talking at me about crap I don't care about and if I leave the room, follows me round the house to do it. If I hide in a private space like our bedroom, DH gets grumpy because 'ive left her sitting on her own' when what he really means is that I have to sit with her so she doesn't latch on to him. She keeps coughing without covering her mouth which has massively given me the ick. Complained that the bed is uncomfortable. Said various other utterly stupid things. The rest of the time she's constantly on her phone. Scrolling and tutting and sighing. It's not normal. Why did she even want to be here 🙄

binkie163 · 25/12/2024 13:40

Happy Christmas everyone xx im waiting on the oven so just popped in. NC Xmas for me is one free of anxiety, guilt and aggro.
@CheekySnake I say this kindly do not be an enabler to your husband, don't let him guilt or use you to sit with your mum, she is there at his insistence not yours. Stay strong he will do it again unless he is made really uncomfortable.

Twatalert · 25/12/2024 13:52

Have a peaceful Christmas everyone as much as possible. I'm enjoying the day alone, but without anxiety, the egg shells and all the rest. I'd rather have it that way. I'm just happy I'm not a crying mess in bed like last year. Goes to show how much I have processed over the past year.

Watching The Six Triple Eight film on netflix, which is good so far.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 25/12/2024 14:02

She wanted to be there snake so she could be waited on hand and foot. Please do yourself a huge favour and never have her darken your door again. I would tell her to leave, where she goes is not your concern.

OP posts:
CheekySnake · 25/12/2024 14:57

@AttilaTheMeerkat yea you are right, it is definitely at least partly about being waited on. She does absolutely nothing, doesn't offer any help. Ignores the kids and has barely spoken to them. It's all about wanting to make sure she was babysat at Xmas.

I have this weird mix of embarrassment and also awareness that she's always behaved like this, even when I was a child there was an expectation of caretaking.

And she won't bloody stop talking for the sake of it 🤪

Never again

EducatingArti · 25/12/2024 15:19

Happy Christmas everyone.
Mine has gone rather differently as mum admitted to hospital as an emergency. She is having surgery today.
Not doing too badly myself but suffering on day 10 of this virus with sinusitis!

CheekySnake · 25/12/2024 15:35

EducatingArti · 25/12/2024 15:19

Happy Christmas everyone.
Mine has gone rather differently as mum admitted to hospital as an emergency. She is having surgery today.
Not doing too badly myself but suffering on day 10 of this virus with sinusitis!

I hope you're ok. Hugs.

EducatingArti · 25/12/2024 15:43

Thank you @CheekySnake
In some ways it has been a bit easier than the happy family Christmas. Though uncertainty about care going forwards

AttilaTheMeerkat · 25/12/2024 15:56

Wishing you well Arti.

OP posts:
SamAndAnnie · 25/12/2024 15:57

@CheekySnake how long is your hair? Long enough to hide earphones, I hope! Then disengage and play the yes/no/really game.

@EducatingArti I don't know what to say. If you needed a break from her then I guess you've got one and if she's you favourite person I hope she gets better soon.

CheekySnake · 25/12/2024 16:03

@SamAndAnnie I have been saying 'I don't know' a lot 🤣

Twatalert · 25/12/2024 16:12

@CheekySnake is she still talking your ear off? You do sound a bit brighter today despite all. I hope that's the case.

My family, especially the men, have an incredible ability to zone out and just not hear anything. They'd watch TV and 'not hear you'. Or just sit there and you'd have to work extra hard to get their attention. It's mostly annoying but probably handy for situations like yours.

EducatingArti · 25/12/2024 17:37

@AttilaTheMeerkat
@SamAndAnnie
Thank you
I do find her a difficult person but she is also quite frail these days. It is easier than being with her 24/7 for sure also a stress in itself. We have just heard she has come through the op ok!

Happyfarm · 26/12/2024 07:34

Well yesterday for us was fine, only had a video call. Little one has a cold, we never seem to avoid being ill at Christmas.

I on the other hand feel like a twat for reacting to his mum the other day. It’s just been years and years of being othered, of visiting and never being spoken to, avoiding eye contact, just made to feel invisible through it all really and second to golden family. Always unimportant if we couldn’t attend gatherings and having them on days we can’t attend. This not being able to look at me has been bothering me for a while. Not offering me anything to drink or even saying hello, it’s just basic stuff. Well at least it won’t bother me anymore. I just feel so stupid as now I’m the trouble maker. I can see how these people operate now. They are very covert, pushing buttons and basically ignoring you and any normal person looking for normal relationships would be confused. Then you react and they can tell everyone it’s you and they look clean. God I was stupid.

Happyfarm · 26/12/2024 12:39

I watched such a good you tube video about whether a narcissist loves you by dr Ramani. She explains that it’s not that we aren’t lovable, it’s that they don’t have the capacity to love. Loving outside of their own needs has never developed. How sad for them to never feel real love and joy. There is no meaning to life outside of this. I can’t imagine going through life never feeling bad for someone, being ok leaving people out and hurting them. I thought it was a helpful watch.

CheekySnake · 26/12/2024 13:08

@Happyfarm they don't want the be around people because they love them, it's because they need someone they feel safe to bully. They need the bullying to feel better about themselves. Strange as it sounds. My idiot father (who I am convinced had full blown NPD) fell totally apart after the divorce, when his 'safe to bully' people were no longer available. Had a breakdown and was sectioned. He also did the think where he would provoke people into losing their temper/crying/making a stupid choice and then step back and say it was proof that you were 'not right in the head'

DH's patience has just run out here, he's now hiding with the kids 😶 I'll have to remind him of this next time he starts saying I've got to have her in the house and why can't I just ignore the upsetting behaviour and not let it bother me.

CheekySnake · 26/12/2024 13:11

FWIW I can't send her home today because she lives at the other end of the country, there aren't any trains today, and it's not really possible to drive there and back in a day. If it was just a couple of hours I would be suggesting it.

Happyfarm · 26/12/2024 13:15

CheekySnake · 26/12/2024 13:08

@Happyfarm they don't want the be around people because they love them, it's because they need someone they feel safe to bully. They need the bullying to feel better about themselves. Strange as it sounds. My idiot father (who I am convinced had full blown NPD) fell totally apart after the divorce, when his 'safe to bully' people were no longer available. Had a breakdown and was sectioned. He also did the think where he would provoke people into losing their temper/crying/making a stupid choice and then step back and say it was proof that you were 'not right in the head'

DH's patience has just run out here, he's now hiding with the kids 😶 I'll have to remind him of this next time he starts saying I've got to have her in the house and why can't I just ignore the upsetting behaviour and not let it bother me.

Edited

Oh shit that must have been stressful. I’m hiding in the bath whilst other half’s taken daughter to visit them. I see no point in going. I am not sure what to do with my feelings about my little daughter being used by her. She wasn’t interested the whole time until she could talk and now MIL is OTT. It’s grating on me that she is using her for supply. But what can I do unfortunately. I suppose in the long run she has a mum who doesn’t require supply from my kids so I hope they’ll all be ok.

Families….urgh!

Happyfarm · 26/12/2024 13:31

@CheekySnake I don’t understand why they want people around to bully when surely if you bully people then those people just stop being around you? It’s not a supply that will last. What do they gain bullying people out of their lives? Or can they just not help themselves?

CheekySnake · 26/12/2024 14:00

Happyfarm · 26/12/2024 13:31

@CheekySnake I don’t understand why they want people around to bully when surely if you bully people then those people just stop being around you? It’s not a supply that will last. What do they gain bullying people out of their lives? Or can they just not help themselves?

Once you've got the right victim pinned in place, bullying can go on for years. I'm convinced that narcs work through multiple people - some will see it straight off and immediately back away, others will take a long time to realise, if they ever do. It starts with love bombing (which only works on some people, other people are creeped out by it) and then it's a gradual slide into the bullying, where the narc blames the other person for making them angry and the other person works very hard to either fix it or prove that the narc misunderstood. There's a degree of magical thinking involved (the idea that if you can just say/do the right thing, the love bombing version of the narc will return).

The point of the bullying is to prop up the narcs low self esteem and to prove to themselves that they aren't broken, everyone else is. It's also a power trip. When you live with a narcissist parent they control the whole family because everything is about trying to manage their moods (which you can never do)

CheekySnake · 26/12/2024 14:12

I also think that narcs bully because they enjoy it. They get a kick out of making other people upset. It proves they are clever and others are stupid.