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Before you can make things better, you have to stop making them worse... Have you considered that being critical, judgmental, or invalidating toward the other parent, no matter what she or he just did will only make matters worse? Someone has to be do something. This means finding the motivation to stop making things worse, learning how to interrupt your own negative responses, body language, facial expressions, voice tone, and learning how to inhibit your urges to do things that you later realize are contributing to the tensions.
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Author Topic: How to stop oversharing during a divorce  (Read 86 times)
mildseasonpan

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What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Romantic partner
Relationship status: married
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« on: October 27, 2025, 10:35:39 PM »

I’ve been quietly preparing to file for divorce, keeping it hidden from udxBPDH due to DV concerns.

I’m having trouble mentally preparing for the deluge of controlling questions that he’s going to ask about how long I’ve been planning this, what I plan to do in the future, why I’m doing it, what exactly every person in my life does and doesn’t know, etc. I know I’ll struggle switching from my default model of always telling the truth and overexplaining everything to only sharing what he needs to know.

Also, when he feels attacked he gets very controlling and my trauma response is to totally give in and do/say whatever he wants. I expect he’ll try to drain every morsel of info from me so he can turn it around to control me.

For anyone who’s gone through it, did you have canned responses to controlling questions?
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GaGrl
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Who in your life has "personality" issues: Romantic partner’s ex
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« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2025, 09:17:27 AM »

While canned responses can be helpful (repeat ad nauseam infinitum), the DV aspect is worth discussing with your lawyer. Depending on what has happened before, you might want to file for a protection order at the same time the divorce is filed, then thereafter communicate only through your lawyers.
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"...what's past is prologue; what to come,
In yours and my discharge."
PeteWitsend
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« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2025, 09:18:55 AM »

...
For anyone who’s gone through it, did you have canned responses to controlling questions?

It might help to know the circumstances.  are you going to have to continue cohabitating with him during the divorce process?

Do you think he might get violent?  Knowing it's ending, could he escalate conflict out of a desperate desire to change the outcome?  

He's probably going to treat anything you say as an "opportunity" for him to rewrite the script and get you to do what he wants, so the best option is not to play the game with him at all.  Simply refuse to talk about it.  

In my case, I didn't respond to anything she asked.  For one thing, we were now, or shortly would be, in an adversarial proceeding in court.  Anything I said could and would be used against me! For another thing... why?  This person was never honest or up front with me, and was extremely manipulative & nasty to me throughout our marriage.  Why did I owe her ANYTHING?  And why did I think anything I said would help?  She would badmouth me regardless of whether I gave her an answer or treated her fairly.  

I think if you're not in the same room with them, you can just ignore them.

You could also just say something like "It's over.  I'm not talking about it.  Nothing we say is going to change how this ends."  Maybe you could offer something like "After it's finalized, if I feel like talking about it, maybe then."

Keep the proverbial door shut.  Don't give in to weaselly attempts to get something out of you... once you start talking, they'll start gaslighting, and the cycle starts again.  
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TelHill
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« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2025, 05:22:12 PM »

I went through with a divorce from a BPD man and experienced DV. I called 911 and he was arrested.  He never returned so I  filed.   Unfortunately, he stalked me. You should prepare yourself for that possibility.  Men like this consider you their property. They won't leave quietly.

I agree with GaGirl to talk with a lawyer and to best prepare yourself to keep safe while you tell him. The most dangerous time for a DV victim is when they break up with their abuser.

The Women's Law Project might be able to assist you too. They attorneys dedicated to women with DV in their relationships. They've helped countless people stay safe.
https://www.womenslaw.org/

IME, there's nothing to explain. They know why you're breaking it off. Again, get all the help you can to extricate yourself from this person safely.

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