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Relationship This is a rant - save yourselves & look away now!

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ByrnesT

Bronze Member
Apologies this is definitely going to be an epic rant, incoherent & waaaay too long! I know it may seem selfish to talk so much, but just venting is needed right now. So I won’t be offended if no one reads this, it’ll still do me good to have an outlet.

I’m feeling totally overwhelmed by all this now & it’s consuming me. It’s the middle of the night, I have work in morning & I’m wide awake & mind racing.

I am ranging from despair, to sorrow, to such frustration that I’m losing myself to this. I know I’m not alone here in being accused of things that aren’t true. But having it day in, day out for 2.5 years is finally really taking its toll on me. I’m struggling to rise above it like others here do. It hurts too much.

My sufferer, who refuses therapy & still isn’t doing anything to address her issues or even get a diagnosis, today sent me an article on how to live with someone with PTSD (So clearly she thinks she does have something going on with her!). I could point to about 80/90% of this article that I actually do even tho I’ve had zero help with this. But she sent it to me to show me how crap I am & how little I get right. Our problems are down to my failings as a supporter. She genuinely blanks out the vast majority of what I do for her, it’s like she’s blind to any positives. And all the while clearly ignoring the part of the article that says that traumatised people need professional help!

She refuses therapy because it’s “no help”. It “doesn’t do anything”. And this is a girl who has just quit her job to study Psychology! Not sure what I can even make of that. She says cos she understands what therapists do (through her previous job) that it wouldn’t work on her. I’ve tried to point out that even therapists can go to therapy. But she’s above it all.

I’ve been afraid to say this stuff out loud before because it makes ME feel bad to even think it; but she can be so self-righteous & arrogant at times. From things like the therapy to virtually anything she talks to me about/accuses me of. I’ve seen another poster mention the self-righteous thing; is this a common thing? I can’t lie, right now, I despise it.

She rings me, I talk to her, I’m calm, I’m empathetic...it’s nothing but rage straight back. From the offset. As soon as it’s her turn to speak she’s raising her voice, she’s swearing, she’s saying I’ve said things I haven’t, she’s telling me it’s ME who’s unwell...(to be fair, this last week, I probably am starting to feel unwell tho!!)

She’s immediately shouting & full of attitude for no reason. I interrupt purely to ask her to not fight me again, to talk & not shout...now I’m controlling her, not letting her speak, so she shouts more & more. And criminally I end up getting sucked into this tornado, pleading with her to stop but having to raise my voice in order to be heard. I’m now shouting just to ask her to stop shouting. And that makes me an idiot.

But I’ve also tried every other tactic & nothing stops her rage. I have asked her a million times, “if you’re getting angry/triggered, what can I do?” She’s never once given me an answer. She just lists off whatever I did the last time as something else not to do. I guess cos she doesn’t know herself probably. But then I’m the one being punished for not knowing.

I’ve told her I started to see a therapist myself last week, 2nd session today. I’ve told her I write in a forum for advice & support. This has triggered her paranoia. No one knows her so any advice is worthless. It’s only my side of the story (of course, yes this is true). Why am I even seeing a therapist or talking to strangers? Just to tell everyone how awful a person she is? Just to belittle her & moan about her & tell everyone how wonderful I am?

She wants to know what I’m saying to my therapist. Actually, more specifically, she wants clarification that I’m there to work on me. To sort out how much of a mess of a person I am. Cos it’s not about this undiagnosed/untreated illness as much as I make out, it’s about how crap & messed up a person I am. (Granted, tonight I am starting to feel like that messed up person for the first time!)

I told her that I’m seeing a therapist to address “everything”. Me, her & us. But that due to her aggressive tone & her attitude towards me seeking help that she hasn’t made me feel comfortable enough to divulge any more than that. It’s MY therapy, it’s my chance to reflect & what I choose to share is up to me. And maybe if she was making it an environment where I felt I could share then maybe there would be a time where I can discuss more with her, but not while she is behaving this way.

In fact, my answer to her question when I left therapy this morning was that I needed a little time to think & reflect. She immediately responded with the instant “goodbye forever” cos I was “keeping her in the dark”.

Only this last few days since telling her that I’m writing here & seeing a therapist has she started to repeatedly ask “yes, but what are you doing to fix YOU?!”. Not that I think I need fixing in the first place, but, this seems an odd question in response to that information?! The answer is simple - I’m working on me by writing in a forum for advice & seeing a therapist. But same again, “no, what are YOU doing to work on YOU?!”. This is puzzling.

Maybe she’s right that I attribute too much of our problems to this supposed illness she may or may not have. But then if I take away the illness like she wants, it really does not show her in a very good light at all. I’ve defended & forgiven a lot of her behaviour by thinking she’s not well. But she insists that tho she may have C-PTSD, she’s a wonderful, kind & generous person with good morals who doesn’t need to change, she’s happy with who she is. Which all sounds very great & positive.

Except the person she is, on several occasions, has shut me down & spoken over me & even physically walked away from me as I tried to speak with her about the death of my mother, whom I had been a carer for for 4 years. And when I calmly explained why I looked sad, was told to “f**k off out of this house!”. I basically had to give up trying to share the most significant period of my life with the person who’s supposed to be the most significant person in my life, my partner.

The person she is, is so furiously jealous about me having any contact with other women that she tells me she could go f**k my best friend in an instant just to teach his partner a lesson for posing in a photograph on Facebook with me.

The person she is dumped me & embarrassingly blocked me & all members of my family from her Facebook & then advertised herself on a dating website because when she asked if she could ring me one day, I said I was momentarily busy & would ring her ASAP.

The person she is let me spend time & money on decorating a bedroom in my own home purely for her 2 children (before I’d even met them) to then be told that I in fact did that all for myself. And nearly 2 years later, she’s still never once brought them here to stay. Tho she’s angry if my father or a friend stays in that room, because “that’s my children’s room”.

When her 8 year old son wiped urine on my top rather than wash his hands & I told him he shouldn’t do that cos it’s naughty, I was later told that she simply did not believe me that it had happened. And that she would always believe WHATEVER her children said over me. And for keeping my composure & simply telling him not to do that, well, I was a raging monster & “parenting is not a boot camp”.

The night I finally, after 2 years, had to encounter her ex husband at her son’s birthday party after a lot of anguish on his part about me “the new boyfriend”, I simply asked that she support me a little by making sure I was a part of things with her, that we were a couple now. As soon as her ex arrived, a man she despises, she literally walked away from me, sat herself with him & his family & left me sat alone for the rest of the party, barely checking in on me at all. Later when I pointed this out, I’m selfish for trying to pull rank at her son’s birthday party.

The person she is was trusted to go on a wkend trip with her ex husband & their 2 children only a few months into our relationship, only to blank me during that trip & make no contact with me while she shared accommodation with him. Why? Cos I met up with my best friend & went for a few beers.

The list goes on & on & on & on & there’s probably worse moments that I can’t even recall right now.

So maybe, yeah, I’ve been defending her too much by using this illness as an excuse. And maybe she is happy with who she is. But I know that with all the accusations she has thrown at me, all the things I’ve been told I’ve said & done, all the ways I’ve supposedly made her feel worthless, etc, I know I’ve never done anything on a par with her long list of mistakes. All I’ve ever asked of her is basic common decency & she so rarely delivers. But overall I’m happy with who I am too. (Maybe not tonight! But in general!)

And possibly what I’ve got to come to terms with is that maybe I’ve just been very foolish & I believed in the wrong person? I don’t doubt there is an illness here, but maybe there’s also just a selfish, arrogant, abusive, controlling & bullying person in there too.

Or maybe I’m just ranting & she does in fact need help cos it’s effecting her in all sorts of ways like I’ve always believed? But either way she’s doing nothing about it & insists her morals & personality are solid & kind & she has apparently given me “everything”.

And the biggest question of all...what the hell is wrong with me that I am STILL in love & believe in someone who can treat me this way?
 
I just went back and read your first thread....supporter or punching bag. You got a lot of good information there so anything I say would be redundant.

To answer your last question, there is nothing wrong with you. You are a kind spirit. Perhaps you see the inner person that would exist if not for her PTSD, perhaps it’s your nature to rescue others, perhaps you feel guilty....I don’t know, no one knows but you and none of that is criticizing or wrong. It’s simply who we are. I’m sure a couple of those apply to me.

The point being is that you must sit down and ask yourself a very difficult question. Do I want to live like this for potentially the rest of my life or not. Your answer will guide your path.

I am so sorry you are hurting.
 
It sounds much more borderline personality disorder or narcissism than PTSD to me.

I think she's an abusive, dishonest hypocrite and doesn't deserve your tolerance and support. She clearly doesn't value you or treat you with respect.

You are devaluing yourself by putting up with this. You will get more and more hurt and destabilized the longer you put up with this treatment because it's not fair!

I stayed with my abusive partner for 21 years and I was utterly shattered by the time I got out. I had children with him which is why I stayed so long. Absolute hell.

Don't make the mistake I did, of thinking you can reason with your partner, that at some stage she will become reasonable, that is unlikely unless she commits to being an honest, accountable person who demonstrates respect and care for you. And for that she must practice being accountable and truthful and fair.

You do have a lot of issues to address. You are clearly in a codependant and destructive relationship. You say you "love" her, but what is loving about allowing yourself to be treated this way? Do you really think you are doing her any favours by letting her bully and demean you like this?

You are enabling an abusive dishonest person who clearly suffers from a disordered personality and needs to feel the consequence of her anti-social actions.

Putting up with her abuse serves nobody, it damages you and encourages her to think the way she behaves is acceptable.

I think you will find that your therapist will want you to examine what it is you are getting out of this relationship because it is only you that you can change and it is clear to me that you have some serious and self-harming boundary issues to address and much self-care, self-compassion and self -love to develop.By focusing on her issues you fail to address your own.

I'm saying this because I suffered hugely from similarly abusive, dishonest manipulators and the damage they did to me was very extensive. I was stuck though, first I was the child of one and then I was a pregnant teenager with absolutely no support from anywhere. I had A LOT of self examining and cutting ties to abusive people to do. I've had and continue to do A LOT of therapy.

Your girlfriend sounds narcissistic and your attachment to her sounds very unhealthy.
Being a kind person isn't the same thing as tolerating unkind treatment and enabling bullying.

PTSD is not a disease of meanness, it's the result of trauma and you are traumatizing and undermining your self by making excuses for this emotionally harmful person. Be careful you don't end up with the illness that she professes to have. This is not love it is abuse.
 
My partner wants me to tell you something. He's had very similar hell with a couple of different woman. He had to come to terms with the fact that things with these sorts of partners will NEVER resolve.

She is not like you. She will not one day become kind, honest, fair and accountable so stop applying your values to her as if she has them, she doesn't.
She's not going to develop empathy for you if you show her how to be empathetic or how much the way she treats you is hurting you. She only wants to be able to manipulate you and possess you.

You don't need this. You need someone like you. Someone reasonable, fair, honest and kind. Someone who clearly values and respects you and doesn't constantly manipulate you and devalue you.

The first person you need is you. Start by being there for yourself and treating yourself like you want to be treated, as someone who's feelings have merit but who's in dire need of kindness and understanding, THAT you have control over. Her? She has no control over her own behavior but wants all the control over you. Love you first, then you will be able to be in a truly healthy, loving relationship with someone worthy and reciprocal.It starts with oneself, every time.
 
Hi @ByrnesT... I guess you should ask yourself are you happy?... Does your girlfriend support you.. Pull you up... Care for you...?

After what you have said and having a borderline personality disorder mother.. I agree with mumstheword... She ain't going to change.... Unfortunately they are very much wrapped up in themselves.... And always will be.

Just no you tried.... Don't stay if unhappy... Seriously they ain't worth it. Sorry...
 
Thank you everyone who’s actually read this thread. And of course those of you who have replied. I’ll be honest, I feel rather stupid now for ranting so much. But then I think I knew I would regret it, but I did it anyway cos I had to vent it somehow. So I’m sorry, but thank you.

@mumstheword thank you so much for going to the effort of replying so thoroughly, it really means a lot.

I feel so confused about what to make of me & what to make of her right now. Funnily enough, I ended my 2nd session with my therapist yday by starting to ask these questions of myself. Am I subconsciously seeking out a partner who is incapable of being pleased? Am I trying to see good in people I’ve become emotionally attached to to try & prove something to myself or others? Am I instinctively a carer & being too kind in the face of adversity? Or is it something more negative about me? Do I need to be around someone I know I’m “morally better” than?

I have absolutely no idea right now. But I’m asking myself the questions.

For her, I really don’t know what to think. I have zero experience of PTSD of any kind with anyone else so I really have no basis. I certainly see the abusive, controlling habits she has, I just don’t know what exactly is the root of them or how “treatable” they are. Ultimately I know it maybe isn’t important, it’s what is happening & what is failing to be addressed that matters.

For someone who is generally very strong minded, won’t take nonsense from people, logical & rational thinking...I seem to keep being drawn to something that I know for so many reasons is illogical.

The thing I’m confused by is I can see that she really does love me too. I am also aware there is a “need” for me mixed in with that love tho that is maybe less healthy. I just can’t comprehend how she can love me, treat me so poorly so consistently, take so little responsibility & blame me for so much. I know there may never be an answer, just finding it hard to let go of wanting one.

She has been victim of abuse both 2nd & 1st hand. She hates the thought of anyone abusing anyone. She has held jobs based on this & is now studying this whole area in her own pursuit for an “answer” as to why someone abuses another. Yet she cannot reflect on any of her own behaviour. And if she ever does for a fleeting moment, she absolutely never recognises the accumulative effect.

Sorry, talking too much so just going to stop myself now. I’ve terrible verbal diarrhoea at the moment!

Thank you all again.
 
Yes @EveHarrington , absolutely. That’s why I immediately followed that by saying “it’s what is happening & what is failing to be addressed that matters”. So wasn’t really jumping ahead, was questioning whether things would ever be “treatable”, in theory. IF she was ever willing to address anything.
 
Thank you as always @Sweetpea76 . I feel genuinely awful for saying this, but if I’m honest hearing people’s assessments on here of her behaviour does offer me some validation for how I’ve been feeling. Don’t take that the wrong way; no one here, including me, knows exactly what is going on with her. And I’m the last person in the world who wants to hear these unpleasant assessments of what she’s been doing. I’ve spent 2.5 years trying to love this girl the right way & waiting for her to show me the same. And at this moment I would still give anything for that miracle to happen. But it does make me feel like I’m not completely crazy for thinking this stuff is bad. Some of it to quite the extreme.

Haha, thanks @Sweetpea76 ! Patience?....stupidity??....it’s the toss of a coin really!! :joyful:
 
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