I was physically abused by each member of my family, a police officer even saw me bleeding from an attack by my mother. None of it was officially reported. My father beat me up twice, my mother (especially when she was taking methamphetamines and drinking alcohol) would fly into to rages and attack me from which I would usually escape. She would cry in frustration when she could not attack me. Sometimes I would wake up by her hitting me across the face.
As my mother was often very ill, my brother would start discussing what he would do with the money he inherited it. He actually even said, Would it be so bad if she dies? After going to anger management and dropping out, he had an episode where he chased me down the hall to my room by using his arms to keep the door ajar.
What is interesting is that after my brother came after me, he started saying that I attacked him (I was trying to shut the door to my room as he kept sticking his hands through the door trying to pry it open). My brother's significant other has a law degree (who was not in the house at the time he chased me and tried to force his way into the room). She took photos of his arm that was scratched by the door on his forearms, circulated them to people saying that I was the one who made these scratches. He changed the story to say I attacked him in the hall, I guess just on his forearms.. it was madness. My mother started calling me while traveling together to say they could press charges against ME.
My mother started calling the police saying I was abusing her while I was at work in another state. Absurdly enough charges were pressed against me and dismissed, but it was a nightmare. A short time aftewards, I was diagnosed with PTSD. I would have police waiting for me after work and I would have no idea what was going on. I was her primary caretaker and paid for her house so she would not lose it. The police would tell me to go into the house and take care of her that she was unstable.
Eventually I was picked up one day and charged with abusing an elderly person while walking my dog. She had dislocated her arm during a fall while she was drunk, as well as broke a rib and chipped a tooth. She claimed I did this. Apparently she was calling an organization everytime she injured herself and saying I was responsible. To my *horror* I would watch her hurt herself while under the influence and felt powerless. The charges were dismissed. I have never been in trouble my entire life and was trying to get her into rehab as she was taking painkillers, uppers, downers and drinking and I thought she would not live long. The dynamics changed when my brother started getting serious with a wealthy stylist. My mother wanted items from her, my brother wanted finanical security. I was running low on funds while looking for another job. My mother was is a borderline personality I am quite sure.
I never looked back and have realized my brother and mother were a danger to my safety. I was fortunate to have caring people approach me and explain how it was imperative that I never see my mother or brother again, to have no contact with them. I took my dog, got on a plane and left my hometown/where I grew up and spent most of my life. While people warned me prior that I was in danger, I could not see the forest for the trees. I thought people, never mind my family, would ever do this to me. I had always been successful, reliable there for everyone, hosting holidays, going to hospitals, taking care of my mother after releases from the hospital while working but there was resentment when I struggled financially between one transtition.
My mother even took out a restraining order on me (all the paperwork was completed by my brother), and she proceeded to call me, write letters asking for money, send bizarre packages all of which I would not receive or respond to. She even called the police to say I was violating the retraining order and at her door demanding she open it and I get my things when I was living across the country. When someone tried to explain that she could not talk to me, it appeared that she did not understand at all. She was high/wasted/not on this planet. She even would send the police to a friends house to harass them when I was not even living in the state, just to say I was there and it was in violation of the restraining order. She worked the system and she seemed to have no penalty when she was caught lying. In fact, I have been and am the scapegoat, what thanks for always being there for everyone! And the police seemed more than happy to assist these abusers, in fact one of the arresting officers was her friend, a former tenant with issues with steriods.
That is my experience with how well the law punishes abusers. Even the medical profession failed, she was pink papered and sent home. Sorry if I sound cyncial, but obviously, after a policeman sees scratches and blood on me from my mother lunging at me and just leaving after asking ME to go somewhere while she "cooled off" I really am speechless. The police even picked her up for driving under the influence and returned her home, yelled at me, when I had NO idea she was out driving AND returned the wine she purchased! To this day they still hold to their "stories". I have to get clearances for my jobs so this was quite serious to me.
Not to help the situation, I was staying with two people who work for the court system and believe it is perfect. The entire time I was coping with this ordeal they would be telling me to plead out to something I did not do. When the charges were dismissed, I felt the resentment that I had not complied with the prosecution's wishes. The prosecution did not know what actually happened!
In the meantime, my brother has done his fair share of illegal things, while never being caught. My mother as well... outside of phsycial abuse! But they were the first to call the police on others, even if it was to stir the pot. My mother would even call and pretend to be other people complaining and it would be believed by the authorities. Oh I could go on, the insantity... thank heavens these people are out of my life. Even if they are family members, how could I ever get well around them?
I was left with PTSD and spent months and months sobbing, shocked, terrified going to my therapist each week. My dog, ironically is who keeps me going, I am in the process of making her classified as an assistant dog. To this day, I struggle with anxiety, ups & downs, and taking positive steps to get well. I won't even get into the abuse I suffered with the police officers.
