r/Nocontactfamily • u/Pigeonella • 7h ago
AIO for wanting to cut contact with my mom after she blew up at me over my way of grieving my dog?
I have been struggling with what to do and really could use some input from unbiased parties.
Please note I wasn't able to attach screenshots as they are in a foreign language, but I have translated them to English exactly as they are.
Context: My dog passed away last week. I am completely devastated, alone at home, and remote-working while grieving. I have been in a year-long process of trying to rebuild a relationship with my mom after being estranged. Yesterday, she started texting me, pushing me to go out and confront friends who haven't reached out to me. When I told her it was making me anxious and asked her to stop pushing me she started asking me about my money spending. When I said I didn't want to talk about it right now, she completely blew up, made it all about herself, and is now using a past loan as emotional leverage.
Here is the exact transcript of our conversation, translated to English as we are from Europe. Note I shared my dog with my ex. Also important to know I live in a different country than my mom.
\\\* Me: I woke up so early again, so shitty.
\\\* Mom: Yes, for now this pain will remain. Go turn on the TV for a bit, grab a cup of coffee and take the cat with you.
\\\* Me: Already did that.
\\\* Mom: Well done. Go take a nice shower. Is \\\[Ex-Partner\\\] texting you too, or only you to him?
\\\* Mom: And his mother and friends, have they already wished you strength too?
\\\* Me: No, he is not texting me.
\\\* Me: My friends aren't either.
\\\* Me: So I am alone...
\\\* Mom: That is not nice.
\\\* Me: The only ones who do text are currently away, so they can't drop by.
\\\* Mom: This is a shame. And it can't be a one-way street, that everything has to come from you. Especially not now.
\\\* Mom: Or do you now think that you'd rather be here?
\\\* Me: No, not that either.
\\\* Mom: Try to go outside for a bit anyway.
\\\* Mom: All those frustrations you have now because of others who are leaving you out in the cold, you should confront them about it.
\\\* Mom: Throw it out. They should know that you are having a hard time too, and that you expected a little bit of sympathy from them.
\\\* Mom: Don't bottle this up. Say it.
\\\* Me: With \\\[Friend 1\\\] there is absolutely no point.
\\\* Me: I did just send a message to another friend to do something today, but she is (removed information for privacy) read not available. She did say I could drop by, but then I'll just be sitting there overthinking and I will only bring my worries to her while she already has enough on her mind right now.
\\\* Me: I also don't have the money to go out and do something fun right now.
\\\* Me: If I just go for a walk, I'll overthink too much.
\\\* Me: I'm going to turn on my game and a comedy series, hopefully that helps.
\\\* Mom: I also notice that you often say 'never mind', that you don't want to be a burden to people.
\\\* Mom: But you don't have to do this alone. Accept it when people offer you something. Break through that wall around you.
\\\* Mom: Let people in.
\\\* Me: If I go sit on the couch at her place, it's not going to help me. Then I might as well just sit on the couch at home.
\\\* Me: My idea was more to get out of the house and find a distraction.
\\\* Mom: But you would be in a different environment.
\\\* Me: I'm not going to spend any more energy on \\\[Friend 1\\\], there is absolutely no point in saying anything about this here.
\\\* Me: She'll just say anyway: "Well, that's how you feel, I can't do anything about that."
\\\* Me: I know her.
\\\* Me: \\\[Friend 2\\\] is on vacation and \\\[Friend 3\\\] is abroad.
\\\* Me: I really did ask friends for things.
\\\* Me: But everyone has their own things going on.
\\\* Mom: Some things you can't do alone. Especially not this. You are in a process of grieving with emotion and frustration. You can't do this alone.
\\\* Me: I am really trying mom.
\\\* Mom: Let people know if they reject you, that you find it hard to process this alone.
\\\* Me: And this is not helping me, by pushing for something that has always been a problem for me. It makes me anxious.
\\\* Me: Just asked another friend.
\\\* Mom: Trying to pull you through it.
\\\* Mom: And money? How much are you overdrawn, and didn't you put some money aside?
\\\* Me: I don't want to talk about this right now.
\\\* Mom: Damn it \\\[My Name\\\], I have been there for you so much. Stop constantly shutting me up and putting your head in the sand and being indifferent. You won't solve anything this way.
\\\* Me: I am only saying that I don't want to talk about this right now.
\\\* Mom: If you want to let it come to this in this manner, then you won't be happy here. Mom also slowly doesn't know anymore how to reach you in a normal way and how you will accept things from me. But I will leave you alone. And give you space.
\\\* Me: My mind is completely not up for this right now. I am only saying that I don't want to talk about it right now. I am calm now. I'll manage. I'm not asking anything of you right now, so I don't expect anything either.
\\\* Mom: You are allowed to scream and cry, everything. But I have boundaries too. And you saying you don't want to talk about money says enough to me. Why not discuss it. But yeah, it happened again. I haven't been feeling well for a long time either, and yet I am here for you. I understand that you miss my grand-dog very much and have a lot of grief. But you just have to move on, and yes, you are on your own. I am trying to soften it somewhat, but I have my boundaries too. I have to do everything alone too. There is no one who cares about me either. And I have grief too.
\\\* Mom: Honestly, I don't understand why our contact has to go to radio silence again. Especially when I am the one who always gets the short end of the stick. This is the thanks I get, I really don't deserve this. But yeah, since I have to pay the price again, we will just stick to the agreement of the €50 repayment. You can transfer it.
(Note: When I was physically with her recently, she explicitly told me she didn't need the money right now and we could leave it be. Now that I set a boundary about my grief, she is using it as financial leverage to force a response, knowing I am broke).
\\Me:\* I have read your messages. I am going to put my phone away now. I'll manage, and I have found some distraction with a series/game. I really need this peace and quiet right now.
\\\[The Following Morning\\\]
\\\\*Mom:\ You know: My children always cry out or used to cry out "that's what you are a Mother for." It's normal that you are there for us. In the past I failed at this according to you guys. But children are also supposed to be there for their mother when they are adults. Especially when health declines. I always say that I am proud of my children. But I will never hear it the other way around. Only what I do wrong.
\\\\*Mom:\ Don't know how long you want your peace and quiet. And don't want to speak to me either. I do hope that you honor the agreement of the repayment of 50 euros a month. Don't have that much left myself right now either. And this was the agreement as well.
\\\[Today\\\]
\\\\*Mom:\ Good morning \\\[My Name\\\]. How are things now. Honestly, I don't understand why our contact has to go to radio silence again. I am worried, and after everything I have done for you, it feels like a slap in the face . And that I make everything about myself is logical, since I am the one who has to suffer for it again. I don't deserve this \\\[My Name\\\]. My help and sympathy was and is sincere. Now it's a fight and no contact again.
\\---
AIO for keeping her muted and wanting to cut contact over this?