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Emotional Abuse Support Group
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Emotional ForumsGeneral & SupportWas my ex emotionally abusive?Feel very lost.
04/11/2012 02:55 PM
mem7697

Hi there.I am just looking to see if my ex-partner was been emotionally abusing me.

I was with my partner for 14 months and i noticed that he had trouble with his anger,anger which culminated last year in him getting very petty and emotionally aggressive and dumping me but then making my life hard after it.Anyway we subsequently got back together and he accepted that he had a problem and would get it sorted and his behaviour improved significantly.However,that behaviour had regressed over the past couple of weeks or so and he had put me through emotional hell.

There had been tension between us lately and i told him a few weeks ago that i had become afraid of his anger emotionally (not physically as he would never hit me) and he reacted badly to it.He wouldnt take my phone calls and was non contactable for a day or two.We were supposed to go away that weekend and he hadnt gotten back to me about arrangements so when he finally did it was to tell me that he was going by himself.I then asked him if we were over and he said yes.I told him that that was ok and that i wished him the best and i was getting petty texts back.anyway 5 mins later he rang saying that he didnt want us to finish.he also told that he had been taking anti-depresants fo self diagnosed depression that he had gotten from his mother and he demanded that i take partial responsibility for that which i would not do.i told him that i would consider taking him back if he was going to change and he said he would.

However after i sent him a text following morning clarifying a few things on me going back (which admittedly may have come across as abrupt) he rang and verbally attacked me again and eviscerated me for giving away a ticket that i had gotten him for a play after he dumped me.He also called me stupid in this conversation.He calmed down later and was easy to deal with but he started up again yesterday and it culminated with an abusive voicemail.

During the relationship i have been told to shut,f**k off,called a bully and an overreactor and he said things to me that he knows would undermine and hurt on numerous occasion in argumentative or dispute like situations.In situations like this he had a tendency to make seemingly banal comments like "you take too much of an interest in my family","you overcompensate with the amount of times you tell me that you love me" and "the way you slurp your coffee annoys me and my mother" (but later said that he was lying about his mother thinking that.All seemingly banal comments but all very clearly intended to undermine me in a situation he didn't like.

Over the weekend a few weeks ago another situation developed whereby he accused me of making paranoid (this may be to do with the fact that i asked that we only spend weeknds together for the foreseeable future until i get myself back on track after his abuse),he gave out to me for not wanting to go to a birthday party with him (i didnt want to go as there were friends of mine there who know whats going on and are concerned for me as i keep taking him back and also i wanted to ease my way back into the relationship and not be playing the happy couple)he told me that the present situation was about him,he asked me if i had told anybody about his behaviour (hie is very concerned with what people think of him) and he accused me of being not supportive enough of him despite me being incredibly supportive of him to which i very respectfully replied that if he felt unsupported the maybe he might have a decision to make and ended the conversation by ending the relationship with "we're done".I contacted him the night after to sort things (as i always do) and he accused me of playing mind games with him because i went out to the birthday party that he wanted me to go with him before he dumped me as i didnt want to be home alone yet again crying because of his behaviour.

A few nights later he rang crying and sounded very remorseful about his behaviour and was very honest with himself and things that he was feeling which seemed to have been causing the behaviour so i took him back.

Unfortunately a week after this i lost my grandmother suddenly.He was great that week,so good, but a week after i buried her he started up again when i tried having a conversation with him over the way i felt due to his behaviour.This continued on the next day and he was quite emotionally aggressive so i decided for the first time to end the relationship.I told him i wanted things to be amicable but he didnt want that and i asked him if he would contact me with results he would be getting for an STD test which he said he would be getting (he told me that he was getting this test when i took him back which i found strange as he had told me months before that he was fine as i am very cautious about these things but he said he knew that he was fine but he was just getting it for peace of mind) to which he replied "i'll think about it".I was shocked that he would play off our sexual health like that purely to get at me.Bare in mind all of this a week or so after me burying a family member.

Anyway a few nights after i broke down crying and (unwisely) texted him asking why he would treat me like that and the conversation ended with him accusing me of various inaccurate and baseless things.

I am now feeling the extent of his treatment of me on being away from him and i do feel abused but i guess what im asking here is if he was abusive to me emotionally?I wasn't perfect of course (nobody is),i do have a tendency to go on about things and i have OCD which led to me being quite cranky and snappy with him at times (not a huge amount of times though and he wasn't abusive to me in these particular situations).And i am now asking myself if i was abusive to him in the OCD related situations that i have just mentioned even though i certainly never sought to hurt him.Or maybe i am overthinking wildly as i have been since the split possibly due to the trauma of realising the extent of his abuse and it's effect on me.Since the split i have realised the full effect of his behaviour on me and my OCD has gotten crazy in terms of overthinking in terms of was i partially to blame?,did i in some way drive to his treatment of me at times?,was i abusive?,did i fail him in some way etc. eg did my OCD play a part in some of the argumentative incidents us which led to some of the comments (though i know in my heart and soul that that wasnt the case,i recognised that there was something that needed to be spoken about and i was only trying to solve this with him).And even if OCD was related surely it was no excuse for his behaviour?I feel very robbed at the moment and decimated and have lost some of identity and self worth after him.Also,when i got angry with him or snapped at him as a knee jerk reaction to my OCD anxiety the times i did that did make me abusive to him?I certainly never sought to hurt,undermine,control or diminish him like i think he did to me.Even when i got angry in those OCD situations it was never to hurt him,it was just fear and anxiety re the OCD.I loved him very very dearly.Help please!

P.S. apologies for the length of the post.Just want to present the situation as accurately as i can.Would love some feedback.

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/11/2012 03:17 PM

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/11/2012 05:00 PM

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/11/2012 05:15 PM

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/11/2012 05:51 PM

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/14/2012 06:03 PM

Reply

04/11/2012 04:46 PM  Top
Lanna
Lanna
 
Posts: 1903
Senior Member

diemcarpe,Yes,you are being emotionally abused and it is not okay.Abusers do NOT have a problem with anger.They have a problem with YOUR anger.They have a problem with needing to control you and the relationship.They get angry when they feel they are losing control over you.That is when they become abusive.The pattern of abuse and apologies is very common too.Obviously he is not sorry for the way he treated you because the abuse continued again and again.The words don't matter.Actions do.Emotional abuse often escalates to physical abuse.So please click on "General & Support."There you will find links for making a safety plan and the mosiac threat accessment test.Make a plan.Take the test.It is good to be prepared.

HUGS.Lanna


04/11/2012 04:53 PM  Top
mem7697

I just want to clarify that he was never abusive to me in the OCD situations in which i got angry with him which prompts the question to me if i was abusive to him even though when i got angry with him it was a knee-jerk reaction to OCD anxiety and fear.I didn't get angry with him in these situations to hurt him or anyhting like that as i loved him dearly,it was just due to the anxiety caused by my OCD.And maybe it's my OCD overthinking after the split that is causing me to overthink this as the condition has worsened since i left him.But when he got abusive with me it was clearly aimed to hurt me,or undermine me,or control or diminish me etc.There was very clear intent behind it.I never could have done anything like that to him.The love i had for him was a very pure,real,genuine love.There was very little that i wouldn't have done for him.

P.S. Thank you so much Lana.

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/11/2012 04:56 PM

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/11/2012 05:53 PM


04/11/2012 05:03 PM  Top
Lanna
Lanna
 
Posts: 1903
Senior Member

diemcarpe,Believe me when I tell you with ABSOLUTE certainty that you were abused by him.It had nothing whatsoever to do with your OCD or anything about you.This was HIS problem NOT yours.Emotional abuse leaves bruises and scars on your heart and soul.These wounds often take longer to heal than physical ones.Emotional abuse is NEVER okay.No amount or form of abuse is EVER okay.You did NOT deserve it.It was NOT your fault.I believe you loved him.Unfortunately his behavior towards you was NOT loving.You deserve better.

Lanna


04/11/2012 05:04 PM  Top
Lanna
Lanna
 
Posts: 1903
Senior Member

I think it is important that we make a distinction between what love is and what abuse is.

THIS IS LOVE:

Love respects you.

Love does not try to control you.

Love does not harass you.It respects your choices.

Love does not hurt you.

Love is not a constant struggle.

Love does not try to change you.

Love does not attempt to manipulate you.

Love does not try to hold you down to build itself up.

Love does not make you wonder "Am I crazy?"

Love makes you feel good about yourself.

Love encourages you to interact with friends and family.

Love is always there for you.You can count on it.

BY CONTRAST ABUSE:

Abuse disrespects you.

Abuse tries to control you.

Abuse pesters and harasses you.Does not respect your choices.

Abuse makes you feel hurt and confused.

Abuse is a constant struggle.(Why is he acting this way?Why can't he just treat me better?Is something wrong with me?Why can't I stop loving him even though he hurts me?)

Abuse tries to change you and blame you.

Abuse manipulates you to get what it wants.

Abuse tears you down.Puts you down.

Abuse makes you think your crazy.

Abuse makes you wonder "What is wrong with me?"Destroys your self-esteem.

Abuse isolates you.Is jealous of your contact with anyone other than him.

Abuse disappears when things get tough.Puts it's needs ahead of yours.

How many of these things apply to your relationship or former relationship?Is what you are feeling for him REALLY love or something else like addiction?Just because you FEEL something does NOT mean you have to ACT on it.Sometimes we have to let feelings PASS.They need to pass because they are leading us down the same old destructive path.

The definition of "crazy" is doing the SAME thing OVER and OVER even though it has not worked in the past.Doing the SAME thing and expecting a different result.Abusers do not not change.They see ANY contact with them as encouragement.It is important to maintain no contact.It is important to make the distinction between love and abuse.

LOVE AND ABUSE ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

Lanna


04/11/2012 06:43 PM  Top
Meg1129
Meg1129Posts: 11184
Group Leader

Hi and welcome to the group! Lanna is right. You are being abused. There is no excuse for his behaviour. He knows better. His anger is not the cause of it as you have found out. Abusers never change, even with therapy. That's because abusiveness is not the result of anger or poor communication skills. It's the result of a warped value system that includes a sense of entitlement, a need for control and a low opinion of women.

I urge you to read our group bible, "Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men" by Lundy Bancroft. Bancroft has worked with thousands of abusers for nearly 20 years and really knows how they think and what motivates them. Before you are even halfway through this book, all your doubts and confusion will be gone. It's like finding out how a magician does he tricks. This book has been life changing for many of our members.

Below is a link to it on Amazon, where you can read reviews of it and a chapter for free right now, but you can get it anywhere, even your public library. If your library doesn't have it, ask them to get it for you via inter-library loan.

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Does-He-That-Controlling/dp/ 0425191656/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334194679&sr=1-1


04/12/2012 11:50 AM  Top
mem7697

Thank you guys for your advice.Just to clarify too that i am a guy,it was a gay relationship.Not that that makes any difference but just thought i'd clarify it in case anybody was confused.

04/12/2012 12:08 PM  Top
p92868
p92868
 
Posts: 2069
Senior Member

I second the suggestion to get a hold of the book Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bankroft...you will find your abuser in most descriptions if not all and it gives their behaviour some sense of being abusers...they are all the same....Meg1129 states very accurately that if we were to ex change abusers we will not notice any difference...this resonates soooo much when I find so identical the abusers behaviour.....I left my abuser 9 months ago and the tapes my abuser downloaded in my brain are still playing...I feel the urge of calling his name in my mind...repeately...and gives me some sense of comfort....if I would not know any better I would feel in dispare and lost...but since I know this is part of the healing process I am doing awesome....due to I allow myself to do it and also to love my abuser from the distance....if I would not know any better I would think I am going crazy....but since I understand that my feeling are not negotiable I accept them and welcome them...I am helping myself heal.....hope this makes sense.....I check the book from my library...it is very popular.....diemcarpe...keep it up....you are healthy and you have begun your healing by asking questions...the more I miss my abuser the more I read and come to this website.....also there are abusers at work and all other places...so I dont feel lost any more...I just know that yes this is normal and I am developing my bounderies and now I welcome other peoples rejection....it is very weird, I never before wanted to be rejected (even by abusers!)...now I welcome their rejection......I am healing and I am having a good time....as long as I have sense of direction and feeling not lost...I will do fantastic....I am connected to my energy source where peace and happyness is it all!.....continue to ask questions and dream of where you want to be....in time, you will!....Hug, Patricia

Previous discussions I participated in:
Is this escalation?
Am I the abuser?
hi

04/12/2012 12:14 PM  Top
mem7697

Maybe this is due to my OCD/overthinking nature but was i abusive to him when i got angry with him in the OCD situations where he did nothing wrong and i got angry as a knee jerk reaction to my anxiety?I certainly didn't seek to hurt,control or dominate him or anything like that in those situations,i loved him too much to ever do that to him.I just let my OCD anxiety get the better of me.I hope that i wasn't as i never would have sought to hurt him in any way.

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/12/2012 12:18 PM

Post edited by: diemcarpe, at: 04/12/2012 12:29 PM


04/12/2012 12:33 PM  Top
Meg1129
Meg1129Posts: 11184
Group Leader

No, you were not abusive to him. Bancroft's book, which I don't have handy right now, has an excellent observation on this very subject. He says that everyone can have a bad day. Abusiveness is not defined as one or two isolated incidents. Instead, it's a pattern of disrespect that is designed to instill fear in you. Reacting to abuse by losing your temper is not abuse. It's a reaction. There is a HUGE difference.
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