Share Your Story

We all have very unique stories regarding our parental alienation journeys. Rick’s story is highlighted on our website.  Although my story is not as extreem as Rick’s it is none-the-less just as real.

I was married for just a little less than 19 years when  my husband asked me for a divorce.  He had found someone else and was moving on with his life.  I determined to only answer direct questions from my daughters and not give them more information than they needed.  The girls were 14 and 16 at the time. When asked by my them why I thought their Dad had an affair I shared with them that I had seen a video he had made where he proposed to the other woman.  We were still married and he had not legally filed for a divorce or even moved out of the house.  Our daughers were understandably upset and the oldest confronted him about the video. He lied to her and told her that the video did not exist, I was just trying to make him look bad and that none of it had happened.  At the time he wanted to place the blame on me rather than take responsibliity for his decisions. You can imagine the wedge this put in the relationship with my daughter. Afterall she was daddy’s little girl and she was convinced that I was trying to destroy the relationship between her and her father.  Amazing that I chose the higher road – to not speak ill of my soon to be ex husband and the very thing he accused me of was what he was doing himself.  For years she tolerated me at best but most of the time was angry and wanted nothing to do with me.  I had no idea what had caused the rift but I was determined to love her in spite of her anger and resentment towards me.  Seven years later, I received a paniced phone call from my daughter.  She was visiting her father during a college break, found and watched the video (which he denied existed).  Needless to say she was not real happy with her dad. Although it hasn’t always been easy, we were able to start the rebuilding process from that point. It has been just over 7 years since her discovery of the truth and  I am happy to say that we have been able to put the past behind us and now at age 30 she is one of my very best friends.

What still amazes me even to this day is that someone you once loved and trusted would deliberately target  you and sabatoge your relationship with your child just to make themselves look good.  I know that most of you, like Rick, have experienced far more severe parental alienation than I did but the pain of those 7 years was and is very real.  I lost valuable time with my daughter during very pivitol teen years that I can never get back.   I am just so thankful that God has restored the relationship now.

If your experience is anything like ours, you have felt that you are all alone.  Family and friends although they wanted to support you really don’t understand what you are going through.  In our lives they were convinced that we had an extreme case, a bad judge and a particularly vindictive ex spouse.  But that for the most part the family court system was a good system.  Since starting Keeping Families Connected, we have been told countless times, by more individuals than we could count, from numerous countries around the world, that they felt they were all alone and just reading our story had comforted them.   With that said,  please share your parental alienation story to help others gain courage and support in their journey through parental alienation. Thanks. — Barb –

We ask the you please abide by the following rules:
1.  Keep the language clean
2. Delete or change the names of individuals involved including ex spouses and judges.

All stories go into the cue to be approved before being posted so please be patient if you story doesn’t show up right away.  :-)

{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }

51 Mom called she August 8, 2011 at 8:58 am

I once again thank you for the knowledge of PAS..I couldn’t stop it despite my every effort..I am now broke ..trying to fight to see my children..as he brings me to court over and over for things he doesnt comply with and blames on me..supreme court now..he lost in family..has not complied..and is trying in another venue..and throughout I have no contact with my children….with all this stupidity where will the money for their college be..he denied our son braces..not a need he stated in email…
Alienated parent could be a dad or a mom..
We cry for our children at night..and suffer knowing the pain they are going threw..with no power to stop it…
And all the time lies fed to them…no matter what you do..they will twist it..
So I found the strength to leave an abusive man..I will now go against my lawyers advice and nicely ask what I want in court…in the best interest of my children..

52 the mom called she August 18, 2011 at 10:35 am

Robert..I am so sry..I feel our pain. Because it’s my pain. My story is different..but i’ve dealt with the system..Lawyer says..consult the councelor..councelor says..what does your lawyer say…2.5 yrs now and he’s totally separated me from my children..I tried to fight..thousands of dollars but at the end my kids said they didnt want to see me…they live with him…..and the softball moms who oogled over him support his story….and the ones that know dont want to get involved.. Your words on women hurt me…I did nothing wrong….open ur mind to this goes both ways…

53 the mom called she August 19, 2011 at 8:36 am

I want to take a minute to thank Rick for this forum..I keep saying I’m not coming back..but i need to know i’m not alone…years go by and the hurt doesn’t stop…even when you have a most wonderful life-reconnected with my family he separated me from–have a good man now that treats me like a queen..but u still cant get past loosing your children……

54 the mom called Pat September 24, 2011 at 5:28 pm

Yes indeed, this happens to women and I am grateful that such websites exist so that you can know you are not alone. At the end, I wasn’t mom any more, I was Pat, I didn’t deserve the name of mom. I haven’t seen my son since 2006, fought for many years before that to stop the alienation of my daughter and my son. My daughter has developed an incredible hatred of me that it’s unrepairable, she is 20 now and so badly scarred and co-dependent still on her father, it would take a miracle from God to repair that relationship. I fought and fought, my ex and I shared custody, soon they children would say they weren’t coming – 2 months turned into 2 years and finally the judge said “she is 16 and I can’t make her go”, so much for the Hillsborough County Florida family court system. If anyone living there reads this, get out now. So a nice paycheck in child support resulted for my ex for my daughter and soon he increased the paycheck by withholding visits with my son. I couldn’t afford to have a place for them to even come and stay anymore with all the child support I was paying. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t abusive, I was and had been gainfully employed, never used a drug in my life and had managed to raise two straight A children prior to the alienation starting. The courts didn’t recognize this however, all they could see was that they needed to have the children paid for in some fashion. The best interest of the children couldn’t even be determined, after 3 or 4 counselors later, who again had no clue about alienation. They were also in it for the paycheck. The longer we had therapy, the more money they made. Vicious cycle. The mourning has not stopped and I know I have lost the best years of my children’s lives. The only thing that helps is that once my son turns 18 the day after I plan to go and see him. His father can’t stop me anymore and I will try and beg for his attention and a conversation to try and explain why I haven’t been able to be there for him. I have to try one last time….I can’t get to him now. Legal means have resulted in nothing and if I just show up on his doorstep, I will get hauled into court for mental anguish, so I wait and count the months and days. The mom called she seems to have a similar story. By the way most people think I am some sort of a maniac when they hear this story,,,how can such a good mother be away from her children, she must have done something to deserve that, the judgment is harsh. I have come to say that my children are grown and living in other states when I am asked if I have children, it’s easier. Thanks for the website, it’s a place for people to share their stories and much appreciated.

55 tammy foote September 27, 2011 at 5:38 pm

Thank you so much for these letters. I’m not crazy. I too have shed so many tears over this.. One weekend I was so excited to pick my son up for our scheduled weekend. As I was driving to his house my cell phone rang. It was my son crying, “Mom, I’m not coming to your house this weekend?” I said “Why?’ (my heart sank into my stomach) “I was rubbing my dog telling him I’ll see him in a few days, Dad said good luck finding someone to feed him” He told his Dad that he would bring him too ( which I have a big yard and home, no problem). Dad said “no, I bought him for you and he isn’t going to your mothers!” Now I haven’t seen or spoken to my son for 15months. I still have joint custody and my son won’t even talk to me. I’ve gone to court numerous times and the judge states to my husband that he is to encourage the relationship between the child and his mother. The end………….

56 Donna Hickman October 10, 2011 at 1:41 am

My ex-husband began alienating our daughter from me and her brothers while we were married. Of course, he tried to keep all people in his life separated to a certain extent. Recently he went to the police and DHR to accuse me of physically abusing her. They did not believe him nor my daughter, so he went to the courts. His 5th wife, who I’ve never met, is going along with this charade even though there is so much inconsistency one would think it all such an obvious lie (as his whole life is a lie). He is also trying to sue me when he has cheated me out of money we agreed on during our divorce almost 4 years ago. He uses his charm to work on any women in the system (counselors, etc.). No matter what the court system decides, he is going to manipulate and orchestrate matters and my daughter from seeing me. He likes to make me think I’m about to see her then say she doesn’t want to see me. Even though he doesn’t follow through on his agreements with the legal system, he gets away with it and turns anything I do or don’t do against me. He is a master manipulator and his real estate businesses make it difficult for me to compete with resources for legal help. On a more positive, healing note, I would like to share that I have just finished reading The Shack. This novel gave me comfort. I also leave with a question: How can a build a website for my daughter?

57 Lila November 29, 2011 at 2:58 am

It is seven years now since my then husband William C. Bell and his lawyer Gregory Daniels of Athens, Georgia filed for an Emergency Hearing on the day of my daughter birthday, falsely accusing me of abusing my daughter Khalela. I have not seen my daughter ever since.

I am doing research to find out how to best dismantle the corruption and abusers at all levels that sustain parental alienation. So far Brazil is the only country that passed a law penalizing Parental Alienation. The law took effect immediately after the President signed it on August 26, 2010.

We can in fact be proactive in a meaningful matter and attack the root of the matter, The Judicial System through the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child.

1. Read the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the United Nations website or websites like Wikipedia.
2. Find the name, address, website, phone and fax number of the United Nations Ambassador to your country . Wikipedia has an update list of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations.
3. Send a petition to the United Nations Secretary General, United Nations Ambassador to your country and United Nations Ambassador to Brazil to:
a. amend the wording on Article 3-1 “The Best Interest of the Child”
b. include parental alienation as an abuse of a child right
c. write a brief explanation of why it is imperative to address parental alienation in relation to child abuse and amend the Rights of the Child, specifically cite Article 3-1, Article 7, Article 9, Article 10 of the Convention on the Right of the Child.

Example of contacts
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Ambassador Susan E. Rice
website U.S.Mission-UN
Fax 212 415-4053

Send your petition in paper copy, electronic mail, fax, leave a phone message, just be earnest about it. Call all your family, friends other alienated parents, send this message to parental organizations and any related group.

Let’s unify and focus our efforts in the proper manner to achieve the goal of erradicating parental alienation.

58 Cathy Conner December 9, 2011 at 9:47 am

I’d “share my story” if I thought anyone could comprehend it.

59 Traclyn T. December 9, 2011 at 12:51 pm

I am a mother of a wonderful (now 10 year old) boy named Nicholas. I raised Nicholas alone for the first 6 years of his life. Than because of the death of both of my parents I went through a difficult period and had a few problems. Nicholas’s father who was never around nor did he ever support Nicholas after the age of three because he threw Nicholas and I into a wall, I relocated under the witness protection program, three years later a judge from my ventura county would give the father sole legal and physical custody and I was permitted to see Nicholas once a week for an hour and pay 50.00 dollars to see him. The father got an order from a judge because they gave us joint custody and Nicholas was sick from the thought of having to go with his dad that I did not let him go because I had a doctor’s note saying it was best he stay with me and not go to his “father’s”. I was told I was a flight risk and lost all of my rights and could only see him through a supervised visit. It has been 4 long horrible years and the father has done everything in his power to keep me from nicholas, he puts us on speaker phone every call, which makes us both feel uncomfortable, he has banned me from participating in any school activities or awards, even though i have a court order to be apart of his school the father has lied and convinced the principle to not allow me to come on campus. He has done everything in his power to keep me from my child. My son is tired and wants to come home to me but I see he is giving up, I even have noticed signs of anger lately directed towards me from nicholas. I feel that my time is running out to be this special little boys mommy againand I am scared. The judges will not acknowledge parental alienation, I am a full time student with a grade point average of 4.0 and made the presidents list, my major is Psychology and my dream is to help children who are abused and would like to be able to educate the courts on parental alienation . My story is no different than all of you who also have suffered the loss of a child at the hands of a very disfunctional so individual who does NOT have the childs best interest at heart. I pray for us all and especially for all of the children subjected to this sad thing they call “Parental Alienation” . God Bless …. Traclyn T.

60 don nowell January 10, 2012 at 11:37 pm

I miss my son ,Noah and love him with all my heart.I havnt seen him in 4 years…he is 7 now…i weep and pray for you andyour two boys….i can see the love and pain in your eyes…have faith bro

61 Marc Acerra March 8, 2012 at 6:23 pm

“A bad, bad man, so she said”
By Marc Acerra

My story begins like so many other men in this country, with something as simple as a divorce. In October 2009, I moved out of my home and moved in with my mother about 20 minutes from my daughter’s home. From day one of my separation, the false allegations started. Parental Alienation kicked in high gear via my wife through then my 3 year old daughter. My daughter started accusing me of doing horrible things to mommy. Some examples for instance; “mommy says you give us no money, “mommy says Nana tries to hurt me”, “mommy says Nana is dangerous”, ”mommy says you tried to hurt her”, “mommy says you and Nana steal my clothes”, “mommy says I can’t be in ballet because you won’t give us money”, “mommy says you will leave me”.
At first, I couldn’t understand what was happening, why she was doing this. I then started educating myself. What my wife then was doing, was classic parental alienation. Parental Alienation Syndrome has three categories; Mild, Severe, and Compulsive. The psychiatric community believes parents who fit in the first two categories can get help and be treated, whether with medication or a combination of medication and psychiatric counseling. Unfortunately, people who are compulsive in pursuing Parental Alienation on a child there is no help that can be provided. It’s a psychosis that is too difficult to bring a person back from.
All of these acts of hate I was not shocked by. I had seen my wife malign people for years. She would do anything and everything to defame peoples character. So when it came to me leaving her, I was not shocked and prepared myself for the worst, so I thought……..
The lies that would be said about me, my family, and my longtime friends were so egregious; it would make your eyes roll. In civil law, every lie counts unless you can disprove it. In criminal law there is a little thing called “evidence” that has to be provided. Lies alone do not make someone guilty, not so in Civil Law.
In confusion and frustration, I sought out a Psychologist to help me understand the human psyche as it relates to divorce. In doing so, I met a great man who also worked as a Child Psychologist for the Mchenry county Civil courts. He assured me that I was doing the right thing by taking the high road and not ever reacting to my wife’s acts of evil, towards me and more importantly towards our daughter. Side note: Make no mistake about people; the only thing more evil then committing a sexual act on a minor is falsely accusing someone of it. Why? Because they are innocent but treated as if they are guilty. An accusation of sexual abuse of a minor strips you of all your constitutional rights. It is the only accusation in America that you are guilty and have to prove your innocence. An accused murder has more rights! Why is this? How the hell should I know I’m not an attorney or a law maker! Sorry, just messing with you. I actually do know! About 125,000 dollars later, I found out why this happens via my criminal attorney. A wonderful female senator who passed a law that stated “an accusation from a minor of sexual abuse is not privy to the here say law.” WOW, meaning, kids don’t lie. Kids don’t lie?, I guess there is no need for parents! Then lets vote a 4 year old in for president!

One day my best friend at breakfast asked me “Why is your wife doing this to you?”, my response, “because she can”.
After one full year of false allegations and the judge not paying any attention to my wife’s cries of bullshit, he ordered a trial date to be set. Trial was to begin in two months, my defense and more importantly my story, was about to be told….. So I thought…….
In the weeks prior to my trial, my daughter started acting very strange around her Nana and I. The things she was saying were very concerning to both my mother and I. You see, Brooke was always around her Nana and I, and never alone with me. Why you ask? I’ll tell you why. Three weeks into my separation, my wife said to the courts that I tried to murder her! That’s right, murder her! How you ask? She stated that before I left her house with my daughter, I turned on all the pilot lights on the stove. Yeah, I know, right! Pretty clever of me! I asked my buddy is that even possible?? Isn’t there a chemical in gas that makes it smell so it alerts you to turn it off? He said “yep”. Then we both started laughing and thinking where is she getting this stuff from? I then realized that my nightmare was not close to being over.
So with the botched murder attempt (False Allegation), my attorney advised me and more importantly gave me rules of engagement as to how to handle people like my wife. They are as follows:
– Stop all verbal communication
– All communication should be done in text and or emails. (I.e. documentation)
– All visitation pickups should be done with a stand by police officer
– Never sleep alone with Brooke
– Always have a third party around Brooke and me
After I was given the rules of engagement, I told my attorney that I never sleep with my daughter, but why the rule? I asked. He told me “I have been an attorney for over 40 years and your wife fits a profile of a person who will call DCFS to get her way on custody”. My response was “what the hell is DCFS”?! He said “Department of Child Family Services.” “Anybody crazy enough to yell murder is crazy enough to call DCFS”. My heart sank, and from that moment on, I did everything my attorney asks of me.
As the year went by, the false accusations continued as outlined above. Despite it all, it never stopped Brooke and her Nana and I from having the most amazing visits. Swimming in the summer, picking her favorite colored leafs in the fall. Baking cupcakes with her Nana, going to Monkey Joes, lunch at The Rain Forest Cafe, the Disney store, and pink ice cream at Baskin Robbins, just to name a few.
As I’m living my new life with my daughter, my wife has made my daughter a spy, a classic symptom of parental alienation. Anything we did with family and friends, she pried out of Brooke. This doesn’t play well for an upcoming trial of which most of my family and some of my friends were going to take the stand in my defense. What’s a mommy to do when all you have is lies and a judge who is ignoring those lies because he has heard it all before? What do you do? You take the power away from the Judge and Call DCFS, that’s what you do!
On November 5th 2010, one year from my separation and two months away from trial, my nightmare got worse. My wife called DCFS and said I sexually molested my daughter. My family and I were not shocked and thought we were prepared for what was yet to come. As it turned out, we were not.
My wife had systematically done the unspeakable, the unthinkable and in doing so, took Brooke from not only me, but from my entire family forever! You see, when you make an accusation criminal as it relates to a minor, the civil courts are powerless to do anything. What my wife did happens on an average 20 percent of the time in custody battles in America. By doing this, it takes all the power away from the civil courts and insures total victory for the accuser. That is why civil attorneys and civil judges call it “The Nuclear Option”. The Nuclear Option blows everything to absolute shit. The worst part is that no civil trial can be taken. You see, if you go to trial while potential criminal charges could be forth coming, false or not, your attorney advises you never to answer the questions about the allegation. Plus, a civil judge is not prepared to handle the accusations and sites your divorce case to the Supreme Court of Illinois. When that happens you are not going to trial to get divorced, you are on trial for your life!!!!! A chance, falsely accused or not, men do not take!
In the end, the check box on the DCFS report “FOUNDED” was never checked off. The pediatrician report wrote “Negative of sexual abuse and fatherly neglect of any kind, with a side note of “custody battle ensuing”. As for the police, it’s been 16 months and no charges have come down.
Meanwhile, I’m left with a gut wrenching pain knowing that my daughter every day drives in the back of mommy’s car, going past her Nanas house on the way to school and wondering why she is never allowed to go there. I’m left with the thought of my daughter asking “mommy, why can’t I ever go and see daddy and Nana?” and her mother smiling and replying, “because Nana, and Nanas house are very dangerous, and daddy…… well….. daddy……he is just A BAD, BAD MAN”!
How does this happen? And who do we blame? Some would say the corrupt cowardly courts are to blame. Some would say the False Accusers are to blame. Some would say the politicians are to blame. I don’t believe this for a minute. We are all to blame for this happening. When men like woman (i.e. MADD) get together politically and start making some noise in Washington DC then and only then will we see change in our Civil Courts as it relates to equality for men in divorce.

62 Rene April 3, 2012 at 7:10 am

Cathy, Share your story…It does not fix or change things…but there is some comfort in telling people who get it…

63 Rene(mom called she) April 3, 2012 at 7:23 am

It’s now been 3 yrs and a month. 3 years….three years……if I could only hug them…a hug before the divorce….

64 Rene(mom called she) April 4, 2012 at 7:19 am

Yesterday was a really bad day. We all have them. I wonder how many really bad days my children have had because of what my ex has done.
Cathy-sharing your story will not fix things…for me it has helped on some lvl..and if anyone is going to comprehend what has happened..it is the people that come here.
Tammy-your not crazy. I was called crazy also..among many other things.
Tracyln-Right after I asked for the divorce I made an appt. with a councelor for the children…he showed up at the school as I was waiting to pick up our children for the appt.-he loudly said your not taking them..this is my day(we hadnt even been to a lawyer yet)…the security guard came over..I said”I dont wanna cause a problem” and before I could even explain..the security guard said “you are causing a problem..it’s his day!” I didn’t know what to do so I left…in retrospect perhaps a wrong decision.
I also tried to continue to attend my daughters Softball games…but as soon as I would show up my ex would run over to the coaches..there would be looks and pointing..and when my daughter would make a mistake shed throw her hands up and point to me.
Later..I was repeatedly taken off the school mailing list…I met with their councelor who assured me shed keep me updated..never a single call. All my msgs to her and my Daughters coach were not returned.
I could tell you all so many examples of things that happened along the way.
I do believe..that when the alienator is as hell bent as mine is..there is really not much you can do that they won’t counter.
I try now to focus on getting msgs to them however I can…so they know I haven’t given up…
And hope they are smart enough to see throu the lies…
Ironically..I got a txt from one of the family members that keeps me informed on what she can…she had just gotten off the phone with my exs mother..who lives in Florida(now…not before the divorce)..and his mom stated how happy she was they were coming to visit…cause when I was there they couldn’t..because I never wanted to go to Florida.
Every time I think i’ve heard it all..and this is the Mom that just sent me another card saying sry and how much she loves and misses me. I do understand that she needs to try to believe this…but this is also what he is telling our children.
We always talked on going but never had enough money…which also is ironic because he has been out of work for months and just claimed bankruptcy.
Again…I hope they are smart enough to see things. I believed for sure they were before. But after this length of time, and their vulnerability,and his family backing him up…I’m not so sure anymore.
So that’s my update…
I so wish that there will be a day, I can come back here and post that I have contact with my children again.
Or I can see a post where any of you have :)
Until then we just gotta keep trying…

65 Ellen April 18, 2012 at 5:37 am

Thank you, Mr. Nischalke, for the encouragement to publish a website. I just did that a few moments ago; I’ve been wanting to do it for awhile. An incident on Monday with our ex-daughter-in-law prompted me to do so. She has held our two grandchildren Philip (15) and Sydney (13) “hostage” for almost three years now, even though we live in the same town. Our son lives here, too, and even though the custody order permits him to see his children, she has literally poisoned their minds against him and he doesn’t see his children. The list of incidents is too long to mention here; suffice it to say my son receives absolute grace from God in dealing with this situation. I am amazed at the strength of his restraint. I pray God will continue to protect him and that someday his children will open their eyes and return to their father and their Father.

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