I'm 11 and want to run away from my mother.

[Guest]

I've been dealing with my mother yelling at me for about my whole life. One moment she'll be hugging me, the next she raises her hand and slaps me. I don't do anything wrong, she just doesn't care. I don't want her around me, and every time she's around me, it makes me afraid for my well being. She leaves stuff out that's dangerous to my dogs because she hates them. She told me she "accidentally left a tub of bleach from cleaning" in the kitchen when I was using the bathroom. One of my dogs almost drank it and I had a panic attack. She blames me for everything, and I don't do anything to her. I don't get it. I just can't wrap my head around why my mother hates me so much. We don't have a dad in the house and I usually assume just because of her not having a lover that she takes out stress on me. I always did. I snapped today, and I've been in my room for 5 hours crying and watching videos about what to do when stressed. She scares me. I don't know what to do and I also want to take my two dogs to safety, because without me, they'll be hurt. She's a horrible person, but I don't want to call the authorities. The reason why is because most of my family resents me because, even at a young age, I'm pansexual. They don't support me and I'm scared to go anywhere near most of them. I just want to run away and start all over again.

I've been thinking about going to "Turn-Around Ranch" for 100 days just to get away from her. I suffer from mental things like depression, but it'd mainly be to just get away from her and make friends.
My grades have been failing to go up to standards because of lack of sleep, and I have nightmares about her constantly. I just need some advice, anyone, please. I don't know what to do anymore. I just need help.

[ccsmod10]

Thank you for reaching out to us and telling us your story. It sounds like you are going through a very difficult time right now. You’ve been very courageous to reach out for help and try your best despite the circumstances. We want you to know that no one deserves to be abused, and you should not have to go through that. You do have the right to report the abuse you’ve been experiencing, even if you think your family will resent you. If you want more information about abuse reporting or if you want to file a report, you could call Child Help at 1-800-422-4453.

Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do. We’re not legal experts here at NRS. Generally it’s not illegal to leave home, but your parents could file a runaway report, the police could get involved, and they could bring you home. The people you’re staying with could potentially get in trouble for having you stay there if your parents file a report.

If you don’t feel safe and feel like you need to get away Nationalsafeplace.org provides a safe location for you to meet a staff member who can take you to a designated place where you can discuss all options about how to stay safe. You can text 44357 the word “safe,” and your location to find a safe location in your area. Once you arrive let someone who works there know you need help connecting with a staff member. Not sure if they will have places for you and your dogs, but you could always ask.

You mentioned stress and depression. If you’re not currently getting mental health resources, it can be really helpful to get treatment. As your mental health suffers, you have -limited ability to handle the other stressors in your life. You can contact SAMHSA to connect you to mental health resources at 1-877-726-4727 or samhsa.gov. You may also want to talk to your school because they should have a counselor for you.

It can be difficult to manage situations like this and you don’t have to do it alone. We would love to talk more about the details of your situation so that we can work towards a solution you find acceptable. If you would like to share more, please feel free to call our 24 hour hotline at 1-800Runaway (786-2929) or use our live chat. We hope this information was helpful and take care.

-NRS