Is my running away justified?

[Unregistered]

I'm 17 and I've been thinking about running away for a while now. However, I don't want to leave permanently. I was just thinking about leaving for a few days to give my mind a break. I have severe anxiety and depression and my parents make it worse. My dad often criticizes things I do and shoots down my ideas. When he gets angry about stupid little things like not being able to find a flashlight or something, he gets angry at my whole family and basically acts like it's our fault. He yells at my mom sometimes, and sometimes she ends up crying. He has an unreasonable dislike for my boyfriend, and my mom tries to help me deal with that, but then guilt-trips me about how much her sacrifice for me is hurting her relationship with my dad. Basically, it's all little emotional and verbal things from my parents that have added up to the point of me dreading going home. If I left, I could stay with my boyfriend's family and it would be fine. I'm just wondering if what I talked about is actually a decent reason to leave.

[ccsmod7]

Re: Is my running away justified?

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. It definitely seems like things at home are stressful. You shouldn’t be in a position where you dread coming home. It must be very frustrating to be the brunt of your dad’s anger for things that you don’t have control over. Are your parents aware of how you’re feeling? Do you think they would allow you to leave for a few days to clear your head? Assuming that they wouldn’t, maybe there’s a way that you can communicate with them how much stress their behavior is causing you.

That’s great that your boyfriend and his family are supportive and willing to let you stay with them. We aren’t legal experts here, but it’s important to keep in mind, that your parents could file a runaway report if you leave home without permission. Although running away isn’t a crime, whoever you may stay with could be at risk for harboring a runaway if your parents choose to press charges.

We hope this information is helpful and we are here 24/7 if you would like to call us to discuss your situation in more detail.

Best,
NRS