The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
On Thursday, in a wave of loneliness/horniness, I made a Tinder. Ex-ABF has apparently already been all over Tinder and texts me "I saw you on Tinder." Tells me Tinder is none of my business but he's been on some dates. Then proceeds to be mad because I won't be home when he is available to come pick up his crap (which I'd already set outside in plastic bags in case of rain that was't forecasted for days but whatever). I rolled my eyes and deleted the Tinder account, realizing it wasn't worth the trouble, I'm better than this, worth more than this, most look douchey and are pictured with vast quantities of alcohol anyway, etc.... I turn back to my physics homework and Project Runway (because I heart Tim Gunn so much!) Then get a text saying "wanna have break-up passionate stuff." I contemplate some great come-back or enumerating all the reasons that's a stupid idea. Then I decide he's not worth it and respond simply with "nope." I get back, "just the way you like it." Which makes the bile rise in my throat. Then I realize there's a better way to handle this. I take a screen shot and send it to my friend who has been privy to all of this drama that I don't want because she's really good at handling other people's situations with humor. Her response, "I guess he didn't get laid on any of those dates!" Then I felt better.
I sent the screen grab to my mom the next morning (she's making me tell her how I am every morning because she's extra worried about me) and she tells me all the things a mother would say like "you're better than Tinder" and "I know that it's hard and can be lonely when you're single" and all the mom things a good mom says. Then she comes up with the BEST come-back (background, he liked to masturbate and then wipe himself with paper towels and shove them in, under, and behind my sofa) "You should have asked, 'Did you run out of paper towels?'" I cracked up and thought this would be the end of it.
Of course not. He had to then text to make sure that his crap was in fact on the back porch as promised. "Yep." Then I get, "I just wanted you to know that I'm off my meds now because I was literally taking them to survive you. The disease that is you." Then a little later. "That wasn't meant to be mean. I know it sounded like it. But we just became different people who don't belong together anymore." Bile rises again until... Delete, block, send to mother, family deletes and blocks, sends on to friends who then also delete and block (also call him stupid). Then mom says, he's definitely trying to be mean and control your emotions. I said, "yep, and that's why I just blocked him. Because he has his crap now. No more reason for him to contact me."
Needless to say I had plenty to share in meeting the next morning. So then my friend that made me start going to meetings drags me to a show out of town. Which allowed me reprieve enough to let it drift off into the wind. Of course, I'm still obsessing about it because it was so offensive. But I'm working on giving up the insults to my HP because I recognize that I am powerless over the things he can say or think about me. But I do have the power to change whether or not I have to see and hear those insults.
Before program listening to the insanity of this disease and giving it any consideration in my life was a huge mistake i made . Alanon taught me to "detach" from the madness , focus on myself, see what I was doing that hurt me, own it and then I would recover.
Keep coming back
It sounds like you are pretty busy with university and jobs. have you been able to get to an Al Anon meeting? One of our slogans is that we don't have to attend every fight we are invited to. I keep much happier just ignoring people like that, because I know that everything they are doing is just trying to either make me feel bad about myself (and they might succeed), or to hook me into somehow feeling sorry for them and enabling them some more. Blocking texts works quite well for that kind of thing. So does blocking numbers.
Sending positive thoughts your way - I am reminded that what others think of me is not my business.....love that slogan. I recall a time when what others thought of me mattered more to me than me.....so grateful for recovery and the tools to put me first and the sanity returned that I am accountable and responsible for my own joy!
You are now free - I love the block feature on my mobile phone. I use it as needed to keep my sanity because I am number one now. There is enough madness in the world around me - I don't need to invite them to stay. Keep coming back - there is hope and help in recovery.
__________________
Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
Thank you everyone for your kind words. He has been blocked and some of my sanity has returned. Cleaning my sewing room (which looked like a tornado blew through it) probably helped as well. I've had a lot less anxiety since blocking him. It doesn't help that he still lives in the same apartment complex, but I have the landlord on my side as well as the local women's shelter just in case something bad were to happen again. But he also doesn't want the cops involved (he's been in jail before (never "his fault" of course, it's never "his fault") so I at least feel some security having him out and blocked. I'm just glad to have my peace back. And my cats are happier :)
I am so impressed by your courage. Making the decision, following up, and being so gracious about it afterwards is amazing - thank you for the example.
Also, I really like your mom.
Denizen
__________________
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says 'I'll try again tomorrow.'"
Good on you for making choices for self-protection/sanity-preservation. I am one who finds a ton of peace in cleaning/organizing around my home - it gives me a sense of accomplishment! Keep working it and keep coming back!
__________________
Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene