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Relationships

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Unkind Sister

16 replies

Sunnyday55 · 27/06/2026 19:45

I’m a middle sibling. My older sister has always disliked me even since we were children. She was very clingy to my mum. And I was more independent and out seeing different friends a lot who lived down my road.
we grew up in a difficult household With a mother who probably had BPD and an alcoholic depressive stepfather who was often violent. So there have been difficult dynamics there. I was the one who tried to make sense of all the difficult stuff going on and used to be quite a rescuer and helper in the family, which I’ve stopped doing as I’ve got older. I think I used to be naturally quite outgoing and very sociable. But as I’ve got older, my older sister has actually ruined most of my relationships. It started from when we were children she would tell strange lies about me and I remember one of her boyfriend’s calling me a slut. I was only 14 years old and had never even thought about dating a boy that she had made up these stories.
These stories continued, different stories to different people, that seemed to fit her narrative of pushing me away and feeling more important. I get this comes from a place of insecurity but I now no longer have a relationship with her, my younger sibling, or my estranged real father. None are massive losses because each had very difficult personalities but I find it very upsetting because I miss my nieces and nephews. She seems to paint a narrative to put people off me even if she has to become a victim in doing so. I have children of my own that I’ve grown up and off doing exciting things in the world.
But I cannot help feel loss. I love her very much and I have always enjoyed parts of her personality, but I cannot understand why she hates me so much. I live quite differently from her in the fact that I am independent. And always have been. I have set up my own business been very successful work wise but privately is been hard for me at times without support.I’ve been a single parent all my life. I’ve had relationships, but my sister has actually intervened in most of them, and over involved herself in their lives and clearly being attracted to a few. I didn’t even see her very much back then, and she’s still managed to get involved. I don’t really see her anymore since I accused her of being a gossip and bully after she said I was belittling her but couldn’t give any examples.
Should I reach out to her again or leave things as they are? I can see that she has manipulated other relationships that I don’t have as well. People that she has got to seem to think I am difficult orseem to pity me. But I am living a life I love and am grateful for the good few friends that I have and the close relationship I have with my children.She has never wanted to really get to know me or be part of my life. Just judge and criticise my life or me as a person. She’s quite happy to make up all sorts of wild things like I am dating married men or how I’ve hurt and upset her when I haven’t done anything to her. She seems intend on destroying any good in my life, even from a distance without contact. She’s even hit me as an adult when I was dating someone I think she quite liked and we all went away for a weekend and her and I were just talking sitting outside and she seemed very agitated and angry to see me happy.

Should I reach out to her and try and mend things? I’ve said I’m happy to talk to her again if it can be kind, but I’ve not heard from her. I’ve only seen her once and she was very cold with me, I made sure I remained kind and pleasant to her, but I am fed up with this and the lies she tells. She hides behind being a Christian and thinks it automatically means she is a good person.

OP posts:
itwasyourshowallalong · 27/06/2026 19:53

You want a relationship with someone who, in reality, is a nasty, manipulative cow. She isn’t going to change, no matter how much you want her to

Save your energy for elsewhere x

Yogabearmous · 27/06/2026 19:57

You’ll be doing ground hog day if you contact her. Make peace with yourself, she will never be the sister you want her to be .

Sunnyday55 · 27/06/2026 20:04

Thank you. I just miss my nephews and nieces and a few other people in my life. I fear she has poisoned them against me. She also seems to rewrite history to a new narrative and doesn’t seem to like me being around as I know the truth. She is nice to me in front of her husband, which is for him, not me, as they are both Christians.

OP posts:
Cloverroll · 27/06/2026 20:26

Yogabearmous · 27/06/2026 19:57

You’ll be doing ground hog day if you contact her. Make peace with yourself, she will never be the sister you want her to be .

^ This.

whippersnapper55 · 27/06/2026 21:37

Honestly I fail to see why you would want her in your life. She's only going to cause you more trouble. You have a nice life now so just live it and let the past go. You can't fix her, she doesn't like you or care about you so why on earth would you go back for more?

Sassylovesbooks · 27/06/2026 21:50

In short, No. Your sister, regardless of her reasons, is nasty and manipulative. She brings absolutely nothing to your life, other than stress and anxiety. You can't make your sister, be the sister you wish you had. She's simply not that person.

I suggest you have some therapy, to work through your emotions, so you can make peace with the situation with your sister.

If you try to make peace with her, I can guarantee you will regret it. Sometimes it's better to leave a situation alone, because it's the best for us.

Calendulaaria · 27/06/2026 21:55

My sister sounds very similar to yours. She has disliked me since I was born and always made up nasty stuff about me to make herself the victim. She isn't content with just disliking me, she has tried to turn the rest of the family against me to with lies. It's heartbreaking. I have no relationship with her now, after many years of trying. If the other person doesn't want resolution, there's no point. I would just let the relationship go, if I were you. Yes, there is grief, but there is also a sense of peace.

FriendlyGreenAlien · 27/06/2026 22:11

Having been no contact (in reality very low incidental contact) with my rude, belittling and argumentative sister since last year, I can definitely say there is more peace in my life as a result of no longer getting 10-30 text messages a day, and then being berated for not responding to every single one no matter how batshit crazy they were.

Bring peace into your life by removing her from it.

Twobigbabies · 27/06/2026 22:18

Please have some therapy (more if you've had some already). Your story is so heart-breaking, I'm so sorry. You probably need to feel anger towards the people who should have given you a proper childhood and who should have nurtured you and your relationship with your sisters. Then you need to work through this. You need to grieve for the relationships you should have had with your sisters, father, mother, niece and nephews. Please step away from this awful, toxic relationship with your sister. It's not your responsibility to fix. Sadly, she sounds like a deeply unhappy, damaged person who is looking to hurt you as she thinks it will make her feel better about itself. I think it's pretty unlikely she'll get any insight and you can't have a relationship with someone who abuses you. Surround yourself with kind people who care for you and make you feel good about yourself. Focus on yourself, your children and healthy friendships.

Portakalkedi · 27/06/2026 22:28

My sister is also nasty and manipulative, mean and dishonest. We haven't been in contact for years and I don't miss the negative stuff that came with her. I am sad that my 2 nephews are deprived of an aunt, especially as they have no other direct relatives, but her choice to be so awful.

lollypop42 · 27/06/2026 22:33

dear op i really feel for you. could you contact your nieces and nephews independently? they might be missing you

Rocknrollstar · 27/06/2026 22:36

Calendulaaria · 27/06/2026 21:55

My sister sounds very similar to yours. She has disliked me since I was born and always made up nasty stuff about me to make herself the victim. She isn't content with just disliking me, she has tried to turn the rest of the family against me to with lies. It's heartbreaking. I have no relationship with her now, after many years of trying. If the other person doesn't want resolution, there's no point. I would just let the relationship go, if I were you. Yes, there is grief, but there is also a sense of peace.

I am the middle one and now have absolutely no contact with my older sister. I wish things could have been different but I have completely cut her out of my life. A therapist suggested to me that she was probably very jealous when I was born but suppressed her feelings and this warped her personality. Her last email to me (and sent to many other people) was actually libellous. Over the years her nastiness spread to other family members including our parents.

Arltan · 27/06/2026 22:37

I also have toxic sister. I do think people like our sisters eventually reveal their true selves to many of the people around them but sadly it can take a long time. I am now close to some of my relatives again after big sis let her mask slip around them.

MNLurker1345 · 27/06/2026 22:55

I am a middle child of girls. I am also what they call an ‘Irish twin’ with the sister older than me.

She absolutely hated me as a child for all the reasons you stated. She even hated my now husband when she met him many years ago and told him so.

I am more confident, I am more intelligent and I am a nicer person (even she says it).

We are 59 and 60 now.

She actually used hit me and do horrible things to me. For some reason I have never been traumatised by her. I suppose I have always felt a bit sorry for her.

I do keep my distance from her and realise that she has many other problems over and above me.

But she did reach out the other day and we arranged and had lunch together and had a wonderful time. She is even talking about us going on holiday together.

I don’t hold a grudge. But I do watch my back though!

Calendulaaria · 28/06/2026 13:28

Rocknrollstar · 27/06/2026 22:36

I am the middle one and now have absolutely no contact with my older sister. I wish things could have been different but I have completely cut her out of my life. A therapist suggested to me that she was probably very jealous when I was born but suppressed her feelings and this warped her personality. Her last email to me (and sent to many other people) was actually libellous. Over the years her nastiness spread to other family members including our parents.

It's a heartbreaking situation. I'm sorry you've gone through it too. I wish things could have been different too x

Sunnyday55 · 28/06/2026 17:01

Thanks everyone for your comments. It is reassuring and I know I can’t change her and just need to accept that, I just wish others could see what she is like and what she’s done. I feel like she’s ruined so much of my life.

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