leaving as soon as possible after i turn 18

[Guest]

my grandma is and always has been very verbally and emotionally abusive. she has hit me in the past but not since i was 12. but honestly with the things she says to me and the way she always screams at me and slams my door and threatens me, i think i'd rather get it. i don't know who my dad is and my mom isn't fit to raise children, i've been with my grandma since i was a baby except for from age 12-14 when i finally got away for a bit and lived with someone else. well i ended up back with her in the summer of 2016 and i thought she had changed but she didn't. recently i've just gotten sick and tired of the manipulation and empty apologies. i got DCS involved at the beginning of 2017 and all they did was stick me in therapy and tried to convince me that my grandma wasn't intentionally hurting me. my family doesn't care, they watch me sob after she screams at me and calls me names and they don't do anything about it. i will be 18 in October this year and even though i'm anxious about being on my own, i would 100% take dealing with being an adult over living with her any longer than i have to. i've never had a job and i don't have my license or a car, and i have no one helping me. my only options for being able to leave right after i turn 18 are going with my friend who has offered to room with me, there is one other person i could stay with but they have a child so i'd rather not burden them. i just wanted to know if i felt unsafe in the process of moving out if i could get a police officer to be there with me while i pack my things? my grandma really doesn't like the idea of me leaving and thinks i'm going to live with her forever so i don't know if she'll lash out when i tell her after im 18.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you so much for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. I’m so sorry to hear about everything that you have gone through. It seems like you have endured more in 17 years than most people do in their entire lives. It’s brave of you to reach out for help.
Nobody should have to live in an abusive environment. Your current environment with your grandma sounds harmful and destructive. There are specific resources to support you if you are interested. We’d encourage you to contact the National Child Abuse Hotline. They can be reached over the phone at 1-800-422-4453 or over the web at childhelp.org. Talking through some of these issues with a trained counselor can be really beneficial – whether that’s through one of these hotlines or a trusted adult at school. These counselors can also help you to report the abuse if you wish to take that route.
With regard to leaving home, you can always call 911 if you feel like you might be in danger. It sounds like you are scared that your grandma will hold you back and prevent you from leaving. Know that once you turn 18, your guardian has no right to force you to do anything.
Finally, we’d encourage you to utilize our other National Runaway Safeline services. First, we have a telephone hotline that you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929). We also have a chat service that is available through our website daily. We will be best able to assist you through one of these services.
Thank you again for contacting us. You’ve been through a lot but your strength and perseverance will continue to help you through. Take care of yourself and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help.
-NRS