I came across this story, and it really stuck with me. A mom shared how she’s been struggling with anger and nightmares about her in-laws, even though she hasn’t seen them in months.
Her in-laws have been obsessed with her kids, to the point where it scared her. She’s had nightmares about them trying to take her children away, and these dreams feel so real that she wakes up in a rage. Then, she lies there replaying old memories and wishing she had told them off when she had the chance. The anger doesn’t go away, it just builds, and it’s exhausting.
She’s in therapy, but it doesn’t feel like it’s helping enough yet. She knows it might take more time, but the combination of bad dreams, sleepless nights, and the stress of taking care of her kids has her feeling completely overwhelmed. She doesn’t want her in-laws back in her life, ever. She just wants to forget they exist and stop feeling like she’s boiling with rage every time an old memory pops up.
*”My mom once told me she’d get full custody of my child if I died, even though my doctor said I was perfectly healthy. She told my whole family I was going to die in childbirth, even though it wasn’t true.
Because of that, I started having nightmares about my mom taking my baby away. The only thing that stopped those dreams was cutting contact. I haven’t seen my mom in almost two years, and I finally feel at peace.”*
The mom replied, asking, “How long did it take for the nightmares to stop? I’ve been no contact for about 2.5 months, which I know isn’t a long time yet…”
It’s heartbreaking to hear what this mom is going through. Cutting off toxic family members is hard enough, but letting go of the anger and pain takes even longer. For her, it’s not just about keeping her kids safe, it’s about finding peace for herself. Hopefully, as more time passes and she keeps working on healing, those nightmares and angry feelings will fade, and she’ll be able to move on. Healing is hard, but it’s worth it.