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Managing relationships

Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

So, around late May, I had a psychotic episode. He said he recognised it since he's been through one too. But he continually dismisses my reality. Examples:

- seeking a diagnosis for ADHD with sensory issues, ASD, OCD, complex PTSD, and possible bipolar so I can help identify my weaknesses as areas of growth that need to be changed. He's said things like "but are you an expert?" "Then don't say you're these things." Like excuse me cuttlefish (trying not to swear and I think I have a backbone stronger than him) I am an expert of myself with an extensive medical background of finished and unfinished degrees. Yet acknowledges that not all knowledge is gained from university and with availability of information, people can be self-taught.

- Focusses too heavily on my weaknesses or deficiencies such as financial literacy. So I have told him that people with high trauma backgrounds often lack developmental life skills. I have my father manage my shares, but hey, I do my own taxes, study and work casual. He believed I was financially illiterate since I don't handle my shares (I see that as a future learning need while I focus on uni), and for a while I thought my mobile service wasn't charging me as I was expecting to see it come up in my bank statements as Moose mobile but it came up as something else, so I didn't recognise it. Then in the holidays when I did do a few more shifts, (after pscyhotic episode and realised I need books and planners) I splurged on books and stationery, unsure which ones would best suit me (but I do have future uses for everything I bought), along with a few things for my cat to try (some cat took to, some didn't). He viewed this as financially irresponsible. He does not recognise the equivalency of exchange where time = money = effort = acts of service(like I used to do his laundry and folded them where he said but I never asked you for that, you just took it upon yourself). And often says things like, "You don't recognise how much I've spent on you, yet when you get some money you spend it on needless things. Like excuse me, I barely have enough for fuel and sometimes food at uni, so I use my other resources of time and acts of service to make up for it. So I spent the rest of my hard earned camel cash (instead of what I needed like psychiatric services) on groupon voucher for anniversairy dinner, only to realise they don't do bookings for it during school holidays which happened to be date of anniversairy. So I checked out eat club for another good restaurant. By the end of that I was left with $9 something to my name. He was salty because the menu I checked on eat club was different to the restaurant menu and so I tried giving options similar to the buffet menu I saw but he was just manchild. But hey, there was a bingo there and I won a $30 restaurant voucher which helped me pay for the meal.

- puts me down by saying I know lots of people that have it more put together than you and have it worse. Like no you cuttlefish, people have different areas of strength and growth. Recognise where I'm at when I tell you.

There's lots more examples that would be classified as mental, emotional and threatening physical violence (once, but he's a chihuahua with no teeth).

So I have made plans (he's currently living with me and parents) to present information to him and parents to get him out of the house asap if he continues his abhorrent attitude and behaviour. The only reason he isn't kicked to the streets immediately is because I don't think it's entirely fair to uproot him overnight. And he's not stupid enough to lay a finger on me in my parent's house (he's had far worse toxic exes (believe me when I say I haven't been toxic, but can't be bothered going into explanation. I do have a great ability to self-reflect and take accountability) and he didn't lay a finger on them and actually forgave them).

I think what I'm searching for here is general advice regarding certain legal procedures like timeframes to kick him out. He's been here since December 2024. No legal documents since Asian families consider paying rent for family members weird. So he 'pays' by helping cook(with me) 2 meals a week (he buys all the ingredients but rice we have in abundance) and does jobs around the house like gardening, etc., and contributes to the electricity since his PC use has made a dramatic increase. I'm currently planning on writing up a document for him to sign and go over it with parents like if he can behave properly then he as this amount of time, otherwise, if he continues to show abusive disrespect then he gets like 3 warnings and he's out immediately whereby I will contact his parents to come collect his things and have a document prepapred for "here's why". He also moved from around North Brisbane area and got a job in the Gold Coast to live with me, hence why I originally didn't think it fair to uproot him overnight. But if he continues to make me feel uncomfortable in my own home, he can drive over 100km to work. I don't care. Parents currently believe we're just going through a rough patch, but I do plan on telling them a more full story later. I just haven't had the energy for it yet with my focus being on uni.

Edit: I've used Grok to help point me in some direction and drafted up a notice to leave and behaviour agreement, and it gave me resources for who to contact, who I will be contacting to double check my document doesn't breach any tenacy laws. I guess I'm also looking for some advice on exactly what to say when I bring it up with parents because I'm really not good at finding the right words. Hence why I'd been focussing more on university and kind of ignoring him as much as possible.

42 replies

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In response to: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

@tyme Thanks again. I understand the grieving process and think this time around so far have been able to do it a lot more quickly and healthily than before. Yay enlightened mindset. Try focus more on future goals but still remember the importance of processing the past, to be able to move on.

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Hey @Weeb , glad to read that he has set a final date of the Saturday for moving out. Hoping that is a huge relief to you.

Glad you are feeling a little safer now than before, and hopefully there wont be any escalations between now and when he moves out.

Im not sure how it is for you, but I know when im angry I often want to say things or do things to communicate how angry I am at them or how I feel that they are responsible for the situations and hurt/pain. But I also know its not always helpful to do so, and sometimes it can even hurt me more in the long-run if I do it. Its feels "unjust" to not assert myself, but in some cases if I know the other person doesnt want to hear it (or doesnt care) and asserting myself again is likely to spark a reaction/retaliation, then sometimes it is safer for me to sit with the pain and injustice (or maybe debrief about it to a trusted wise person; a crisis line worker even?) than to speak/act.

Not sure if that helps or not, but its the hard learning ive had to have a bit this past 12 months.

If you do feel threatened or unsafe, do you have a safety plan of what you will do, and have any emergency numbers easily saved to be able to call?

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

@AlwaysMyself Thanks for the advice. From now on I'll only be communicating the essential or if I feel up to it, maybe an olive branch of some time together since he's still in my house. But will be okay if he doesn't feel up to it. I think that helps in healing for the both of us and to be able to be comfortable with mutual friends. And I do have people and services I can call. Thanks for your concern.

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Heya @Weeb ,

Well done for taking these big steps.

We recognise it is not easy at all. We hope you can stay in touch to let us know how you are going and hopefully we can ride out this little 'bump' in this journey.

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

@tyme @AlwaysMyself Thanks for your support through all of this. He moved out on Saturday. It was peaceful. I'm enjoying feeling safe in my own home again. My cat now occasionally joins me on my bed since before my queen bed wasn't big enough for me, him and cat. It took my cat a while to realise there's space again for him on the bed. But sometimes, I do watch anime before going to sleep and he finds it too distracting, so he goes off to his bed in another room, then joins me in the morning. This morning at the ungodly hour of 4-5am he pounced on my feet. That's the usual time my ex would wake up for work and feed him. I pretended to be asleep. Haha! He's just adjusting to a slightly different routine.

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

That is great to hear @Weeb 😊. Animals do learn over time and adjust; I'm glad your cat has realised the bed is now spacious again and joining you 😁.

Hopefully soon he will also learn that you don't give it attention at 4am, and it will just come snuggle up instead of meowing if it wakes early lol.

I admit I do the same with my dogs - "mums not ready to face the day yet. Im still sleeping." Unless my male dog continues to gruff incessantly which often meant he needed to toilet, so that was fair enough. But I get annoyed at him when he does it and doesnt need to toilet!! 😅

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Thanks for the update. It was a powerful move, but I sense that it spoke millions @Weeb .

It's so good that you have the space for yourself, your cat and your family occasionally.

Take a BIG breath (or sigh of relief?)

How have you been spending your days? Keeping busy?

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

@AlwaysMyself Haha, I'm glad my cat can just use his litter box. But he might still ask me at the ungodly hour of whenever to be let outside to do it, and I'm like, "I'm not taking you outside in the middle of the night! You can use your litter box unsupervised!" Cute how cat's think they're protecting you (and like to be protected) when they go to the toilet because that's when they feel they're vulnerable. When he was younger, he always let my housemates know every time I was in the toilet! 🤣 He's now getting a little less annoying and gives up sooner. So there's progress.

@tyme I've been focusing on myself and trying to find more clients. Took the rest of the trimester off from university and will just start again next year. Need to earn more money for doctor visits and upcoming vet bill where my cat likely needs more teeth pulled. Looking at uni/local free sports/exercise, catching up more with friends, and almost daily pulling some weeds from the garden (that's a never ending battle). Last week, 1 of my mates invited me to a singles fun night. There were lots of fun activities. I was their wing-woman. So we made a few new friends! I was there for friends without the benefits, and plan to stay that way until I finish my degree. This weekend going to go bush-walking with another friend.

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

That is great ot hear you've got lots of positive social events and exercise planned @Weeb 😊.

My dogs follow me to the toilet. 🫣

But at theyre quiet and dont tell everyone im there 😆😆 funny cat.

In response to: Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Re: Ex partner still living with me, break-up blindsided me and has an abusive manchild attitude

Sounds like a lot is happening for you @Weeb

Sorry to hear about your cat!

What are you studying at uni?

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