TheLongMum #3 Life couldn't be harder, I ponder from Lake Garda...

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Chattymamabear said:
I think the thread may be being targeted by a person/people who actually know her and wish her genuine harm. I'm here for a moan and a gossip but ultimately I have been feeling a little uneasy on this thread of late - tbh not on what's being said - but the motives behind some peoples presence here :/ anyone else?
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I am feeling like it goes both ways. There seems to be some people overly on the attack but lately also seems to be some people overly defending.
 
If I’m one of the posters anyone is referring to regarding causing discomfort on Anna’s thread, then I do apologise as that was never my intention. I don’t hate Anna or wish her any harm. In fact I genuinely wish that she gets the proper help that she so obviously needs. Anna’s behaviours often infuriate me as I feel that she just doesn’t really help herself and I guess as an impatient person, the whole crying poor/I’ve got bailiffs at the door gig followed by lip fillers/shopping trips/solo city holidays is infuriating. If she acknowledged that she had a problem with spending money that she doesn’t have and explained what steps she is doing to help herself or talked about making a plan to sort her debt, etc I’d have no issue with her.
 
Slothgang said:
I am feeling like it goes both ways. There seems to be some people overly on the attack but lately also seems to be some people overly defending.
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yes I see that too

JellyDonut said:
If I’m one of the posters anyone is referring to regarding causing discomfort on Anna’s thread, then I do apologise as that was never my intention. I don’t hate Anna or wish her any harm. In fact I genuinely wish that she gets the proper help that she so obviously needs. Anna’s behaviours often infuriate me as I feel that she just doesn’t really help herself and I guess as an impatient person, the whole crying poor/I’ve got bailiffs at the door gig followed by lip fillers/shopping trips/solo city holidays is infuriating. If she acknowledged that she had a problem with spending money that she doesn’t have and explained what steps she is doing to help herself or talked about making a plan to sort her debt, etc I’d have no issue with her.
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and no not you, I do agree with everything you've said too
 
Honestly this seems like one of the tamer tattle threads. If you think anyone on here is overly on the attack then try stepping into the Mrs Hinch or Jack Monroe threads… some of the conspiracy theories on there are WILD.
I just don’t think a lot of her “woe is me” shtick is sincere. A lot of parents that are genuinely struggling don’t want to advertise it because they are terrified of being seen as an inadequate parent and losing their kids, even though most of the time it’s a completely unfounded fear. Anna had no qualms about things like announcing that after spending a couple of extra nights with her kids due to her ex’s household isolating with covid she threw a tantrum and booked herself into a hotel and insisted he stay in hers with them. There’s no shame, no signs of post confrontation anxiety or regret, she actually seems proud of herself when she describes something like this.
I see lots of honest parenting accounts where they have messy houses and days spent just trying to get through to bedtime and mums hair no longer needs a bobble to stay up in a pony tail… and Anna comes on with her make up done and her hair coiffed and her house in the background is lived in but perfectly acceptable and they’ve been for a day out, and then she tells us all how awful her life is and she cannot cope.
It just doesn’t ring true for me, and for me personally it does feel like she exaggerates some of her issues.
 
Bunbun1 said:
Honestly this seems like one of the tamer tattle threads. If you think anyone on here is overly on the attack then try stepping into the Mrs Hinch or Jack Monroe threads… some of the conspiracy theories on there are WILD.
I just don’t think a lot of her “woe is me” shtick is sincere. A lot of parents that are genuinely struggling don’t want to advertise it because they are terrified of being seen as an inadequate parent and losing their kids, even though most of the time it’s a completely unfounded fear. Anna had no qualms about things like announcing that after spending a couple of extra nights with her kids due to her ex’s household isolating with covid she threw a tantrum and booked herself into a hotel and insisted he stay in hers with them. There’s no shame, no signs of post confrontation anxiety or regret, she actually seems proud of herself when she describes something like this.
I see lots of honest parenting accounts where they have messy houses and days spent just trying to get through to bedtime and mums hair no longer needs a bobble to stay up in a pony tail… and Anna comes on with her make up done and her hair coiffed and her house in the background is lived in but perfectly acceptable and they’ve been for a day out, and then she tells us all how awful her life is and she cannot cope.
It just doesn’t ring true for me, and for me personally it does feel like she exaggerates some of her issues.
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no you're right in all you've said. I have been at the depths of depression before and didn't wash myself let alone put make up on. She does look awfully well put together for someone who 'can't cope'. I do understand that depression can look different for everyone but personally I often can't fathom how she manages to put herself together day in day out
 
I agree that everything does seem like she’s exaggerating. I’ve said it a few times recently but I do think a lot of it is to build her profile up. It must be so so exhausting all the time thinking what content can I use today, imagine the constant taking photos and thinking of captions. I’m sure that alone could drive one crazy. Instead of living in the moment it’s a constant stage show of pleasing an audience of strangers. Very strange world we live in now. Talking into a phone to ppl you don’t even know. No wonder more and more ppls mental health is deteriorating
 
Clementine said:
I guess we’re all individuals and see things differently? As long as we’re not being rude to each other about it, surely that’s ok?
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That’s clearly not happening. The couple of times I’ve offered a dissenting view I’ve been jumped upon with those tired old tropes of ‘make a rave thread!’ and my favourite, ‘YOU MUST BE ANNA!’

There are numerous posters who only post about Anna and they are very keen to control the narrative that she is a dreadful person and mother. It makes the thread a boring pile on when other opinions aren’t tolerated.

I find Anna to be a fascinating mix of intelligence and absurdness with a huge side of mental health problems. I don’t find this thread reflects those nuances, where many threads on Tattle are interesting discussions.
 
Slothgang said:
I am feeling like it goes both ways. There seems to be some people overly on the attack but lately also seems to be some people overly defending.
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I think I'm definitely guilty of over defending her but it's because there has been a lot of attacking posts here lately and it's made me feel uncomfortable because Anna is ill.

ETA I think Anna is a very complex character. I think it's really rare that women are as honest about struggling with parenting and she definitely struggles with it, the whole thing of being a mum seems to take an awful toll on her psyche and it's uncomfortable to watch.
 
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Chattymamabear said:
no you're right in all you've said. I have been at the depths of depression before and didn't wash myself let alone put make up on. She does look awfully well put together for someone who 'can't cope'. I do understand that depression can look different for everyone but personally I often can't fathom how she manages to put herself together day in day out
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I have to say I've been living with depression / OCD for 22 years (just counting that up made me feel weird). I'm one of those strange people who outwardly would seem very functional. My makeup is on and I'm working a good job, managing a team. I go through long periods of time where my house and finances are a mess. I struggle to connect and live in my emotions / head. Not always a nice place to be. Or easy to be around. For me makeup has always been a mask - I have to wear it to go to the corner shop as I can't face the world without it / feel like a monster. My husband is still shocked that I won't answer the door without it. Sometimes a full face can be deceiving.

Anyway isn't a thread about me - but hopefully an insight for those of you who are the opposite or don't understand how she could be depressed with a face of makeup on. X
 
Chattymamabear said:
I think the thread may be being targeted by a person/people who actually know her and wish her genuine harm. I'm here for a moan and a gossip but ultimately I have been feeling a little uneasy on this thread of late - tbh not on what's being said - but the motives behind some peoples presence here :/ anyone else?
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Yes all of this - I've felt like this from the start and have been vocal about it at times. Partly why I frequent this thread more than any other on here. It made me feel weirdly protective of Anna as she does seem so vulnerable and the vibes made me feel that some people in her life are really on the warpath. X
 
NoseyParker2202 said:
I have to say I've been living with depression / OCD for 22 years (just counting that up made me feel weird). I'm one of those strange people who outwardly would seem very functional. My makeup is on and I'm working a good job, managing a team. I go through long periods of time where my house and finances are a mess. I struggle to connect and live in my emotions / head. Not always a nice place to be. Or easy to be around. For me makeup has always been a mask - I have to wear it to go to the corner shop as I can't face the world without it / feel like a monster. My husband is still shocked that I won't answer the door without it. Sometimes a full face can be deceiving.

Anyway isn't a thread about me - but hopefully an insight for those of you who are the opposite or don't understand how she could be depressed with a face of makeup on. X
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Oh I totally agree that some people use make up etc to mask their struggles… like literally putting on a mask and going out looking out together but inside everything is falling apart… but Anna isn’t masking is she? She’s constantly saying that she’s overwhelmed and can’t cope and posting photos of all her overdue bills and debt collection letters. She’s not trying to hide behind the dresses and make up.
 
I don't think any single person has been swaying the narrative at all. There's plenty of people here ready to defend Anna and plenty who think she's a twit, and lots inbetween. I've found some of these posts immensely interesting and informative. Right at the beginning of the old threads people were discussing her possibly having narcissistic personality disorder and I loved the discussion it prompted. I still think she's a huge narcissist and while I sympathise with mental illness I agree with the above posts saying she exaggerates a LOT and I find her insincere and desperate a lot of the time. She borderline hates her children and only seems happy when she's away from them - a fact made worse because she openly brags about it and thinks it makes her edgy and relatable. You know the Unmumsy Mum? She talks about the chaos of raising three boys but the warmth and love she has for them literally radiates out of her posts. Anna's just come across as cold and hateful and I pray to god her kids never see them.

A lot of stuff doesn't add up, and as someone who struggles financially I'm going to stop watching her stories as frankly her jet-setting artisan bakery lifestyle is irritating me more and more.
 
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