Emotionally Abused by my Mom

[Guest]

I’m 16 years old and constantly emotionally abused by my mom. I have severe anxiety and depression, and whenever I get panic attacks she just makes it worse, by saying how awful I am, and then makes it about herself. She gets mad at me when I’m sad and asks me what’s wrong and I try telling her but she gets mad and won’t let me talk. I’ve tried therapy, but again, she never lets me talk and makes it about herself. I feel like there’s no way out. I know for a fact I can’t run away, because I have no where to go. I feel like the only thing left to do is kill myself, and I would’ve done it already, but I have a dog who is the only important thing in my life (sounds stupid, I know) and wouldn’t want him to end up in some shelter because I know how sad that would make him. I’ve tried to look into emancipation, but I know I need to prove I can take care of myself financially. I don’t have a job, and I can’t drive because my mom has never taken me to learn. I’m pretty much hopeless at this point, and would like some sort of resources I can call to help me figure out how to get the hell out of here.

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are very sorry to hear that about the way your mom has been treating you. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made.

You mentioned that you feel as though killing yourself may be the only option. Your life matters ! Although you are going through a tough time right now you are not alone. Talking to someone about how you feel could help. The National Suicide Prevention Life (1-800-273-8255) is a great resource for support. It sounds like you really want to leave home but you aren't sure how. You could try asking your mom if she would allow you to stay with another family member or close friend. As I previously stated you could also contact CPS. You stated that you can't runaway because you have no where to go. If you decide to runaway, there are youth shelters and transitional living programs that may be able to assist you. However, if you leave home without your mom's permission, she has the right to file a runaway report. With a runaway report, if the police find you they may return you home. If you would like direct resources, please contact us via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.