Family Drama Stories

Lately I feel like I live with someone who has already decided I’m the villain before I even open my mouth. My daughter is fifteen, and I know, I know, people love to say, “Teen girls are hard,” like that sentence is supposed to cover everything, but some days the way she talks to me honestly feels personal. I’ll ask something normal like, “Hey, did you finish your homework?” or “Can you put your plate in the sink?” and she’ll hit me with this exhausted eye roll and that sarcastic little “Oh my God, can you not?” like I just ruined her entire life by existing in the kitchen at the same time as her. It sounds small when I type it out, but when it happens over and over, morning to night, it wears you down. Last week I reminded her to bring a jacket because it was cold, and she snapped, “I’m not five, stop acting like you own me.” I wasn’t even trying to control her, I was literally just being a mom. Then later that same day, she texted me asking if I could drop off the charger she forgot, and of course I did, because that’s what I do, but she barely looked at me when I showed up. She just grabbed it, muttered “thanks,” and ran back inside. I sat in the parking lot after that and thought, wow, when did basic kindness become too much to ask for? The messed up part is that she’s not like this with everyone. Her friends think she’s hilarious. Teachers say she’s “spirited” and “smart,” and family members still call her sweet because she can turn it on when she wants to. So then I start wondering if this is just what she saves for me because I’m the safe person, or if she actually resents me in some deeper way and I’m too clueless to see it. People say, “She’ll grow out of it,” and maybe they’re right, but that doesn’t really help in the moment when your own kid is talking to you like you’re some annoying coworker she hates. And yes, before anyone jumps in, I have tried being softer, stricter, more patient, less naggy, more understanding, giving space, having heart-to-hearts, all of it. I even told her once, very calmly, “You don’t have to like me every second, but you do have to speak to me with respect,” and she laughed, which somehow felt worse than yelling. Maybe some of you have been here too;

What makes it harder is that I’m not pretending I’m some perfect parent who has never messed up. I have lost my temper. I have repeated myself too much. I have probably asked too many questions when she clearly wanted to be left alone, and I know teenagers hear concern as criticism half the time. When I was her age, I thought my own mom was “doing the most” over everything, and I definitely said a few nasty things I wish I could take back, so part of me tries to remember that and stay fair. Still, there’s a difference between normal teenage attitude and feeling like your child has contempt for you. A few nights ago we were in the car and I asked how school was, just trying to connect, and she said, “Why do you always act fake interested?” That one really got me, because I am interested. I know the names of her friends, the teacher she can’t stand, the singer she has on repeat, the fact that she likes her toast barely toasted, the way she gets quiet when something is really wrong even if she says she’s “fine.” I carry all these tiny details because I love her, and yet somehow I’m the person she talks to the worst. Her dad says not to take it so personally and that she’s pushing boundaries, testing independence, all the classic parenting-book stuff, and maybe he’s right, but he also doesn’t get the full blast of it like I do. There are these random good moments that keep me from going completely bitter, like when she fell asleep on the couch last month and still looked like my little kid for a second, or when she showed me a dumb meme and laughed so hard she snorted, or when she had a rough day and let me rub her back without shrugging me off. Those moments make me think the real her is still in there, and maybe this is just a brutal phase neither of us knows how to handle. But I wont lie, it hurts. It hurts to be the person making the meals, buying the shampoo, remembering the dentist appointment, staying up until she gets home, and then getting treated like I’m this huge problem. Has anyone else had a daughter act like this and then eventually come back around, or is there something I’m missing here? I’m trying really hard to stay balanced and not turn this into a “kids these days” rant, because I do think being a teenager right now looks exhausting in ways my generation didn’t deal with. But I’m also a human being, and some nights after she goes to her room, I just sit there thinking, why is my teenage daughter so mean to me?

My family life isn’t the most perfect. My mother and my stepfather married when I was just born. She married him to get a visa and for financial stability. They were and still are more strangers to each other and don’t really do things together. They don’t even share a bedroom or sit in the same room for longer together. He’s also much older than she is by around 25 years.

In my eyes he is my father because he literally brought me up and I do love him. But it seems like my mother really doesn’t trust him. When I was younger like in first grade, she didn’t allow me to like hug him when we were in bed. I did it once around that age and she ignored me for the next hours till I apologised to her for that and said I won’t do it again.

Another instance was when I was around 11 years old. She and my stepfather had quite an awful dispute during that time. She was rarely at home and just somewhere out leaving me and my stepfather at home. She then asked me out of the blue if he ever did or does anything weird when she isn’t here and that I should tell her if there’s anything going on. I was confused and obviously told her there isn’t anything wrong.

Then a few months ago (I am in my last year of high school) she asked me again. The last time was longer ago but it’s weird that it happened again. She asked if there’s anything going on and if there aren’t any “secrets”. That I should tell her immediately if there’s anything. And that she said, I quote: “I can’t know what’s happening here when I am away. I also didn’t know what’s happening when you were younger and I wasn’t here.”

I am just confused and I am not sure what to think of it all if I should just ask her or leave it be. I think I just needed to get it off my chest.

I’ll start here>> My dad is very experienced with technology, so naturally, I’ve had it limited a lot more than other people. From the first second I got my first computer, my dad checked my web history daily and knew how to actually shut off the internet completely for specific devices, or the whole thing just in general. As I’ve grown up, I’ve watched the other kids around me getting phones at a young age, and becoming popular because they had social media and other things I wasn’t allowed to have. I just accepted the fact that popularity has always been reliant on material things, whether people accept it or not. Today in one of my classes, the teacher asked what age everyone got an iPad and/or a phone. We shared it with her and the class (optional but I chose to). While the rest of my class said around 3rd grade for an iPad, I said 7th. And for the phone, a lot of my class said around 5th or 6th grade, and I said 8th. I came to a realization that, for the most part, a lot of other teenagers got a chance to grow up and experience this responsibility while I was held back because my dad said that devices are dangerous for me and will rot my brain like a zombie. I never believed him or cared, I just wanted to feel normal. Another question my teacher asked was when kids in my class got social media. A lot of them said when they got an iPhone, I still don’t have it. My dad always complains about me sneaking onto social media, but, I mean, can you blame me? I’ve been disconnected from the kids in my grade from this and lost my chance of having a big social circle just because my dad (and mom) couldn’t handle the idea of me on social media. They say it’s because I used to sneak around with it, but, again I’ll say it, it’s because I had to take advantage of the time that I had. Tonight I told my dad that I still didn’t understand why I didn’t have social media, because I’ve been overly safe with it in the past and would like to have it on my phone, but the kids in my grade use it way less maturely and safely than me and still have it. I blamed it on his knowledge of tech. Even if it is safer, I need to be able to learn from my mistakes, and if having social media is one like my parents said, I’ll learn. They can’t hide me from the real world forever.

i am 17 and i already know my family is rotten in the most boring and stupid way possible!!! not movie evil, not dramatic rich people evil, just the same ugly garbage every day!!! my mom acts nice in front of people and then comes home and starts picking at everything i do!!! my dad talks like he is some expert on life when really he just likes hearing himself be loud!!! my older brother copies them because being cruel is easier than having a brain, i guess??? they talk to me like i am a problem sitting in a chair, like i am some broken thing they are forced to keep around!!! if i stay quiet, they say i am rude!!! if i answer, they say i have an attitude!!! what exactly do they want then??? a wall that says sorry???

the worst part is how normal they think this is!!! they insult, mock, watch, judge, and then pretend it is just family stuff!!! they say i am too sensitive, but that is lazy trash people say when they do not want blame on them!!! every small thing becomes a lecture!!! i leave a cup somewhere, suddenly i am useless!!! i get a bad grade, suddenly i am ruining my future!!! i get a good grade, suddenly it is not enough because someone else did better!!! there is no stable rule here!!! the rule changes every hour depending on who wants to dump their bad mood on me!!! does that sound like care to you??? because to me it sounds like control with fake concern glued on top of it!!! i watch them carefully now, and it is always the same pattern!!!

so yeah, i want to escape from them!!! i am not even being dramatic, i am being practical!!! i do not mean i want some giant revenge scene or a speech or one of those fake healing talks!!! i mean i want out!!! i want a door that shuts and stays shut!!! i want one room where nobody checks my face, my phone, my tone, my steps, my food, my time, my friends!!! i save what money i can, which is not much, and i keep a list in my head of places i could maybe go when i turn 18!!! maybe work, maybe a tiny room, maybe some ugly apartment with thin walls and bad heat!!! honestly that still sounds better than this house!!! at least a bad apartment does not insult you at breakfast and then call it love!!!

i am not saying i am perfect!!! i get angry!!! i say sharp things back sometimes!!! i stop caring sometimes too, because what is the point of acting nice with people who feed on it??? but being flawed is not the same as being the cause of all this!!! that is the lie they keep pushing because it helps them sleep!!! i do not know if leaving will fix everything!!! maybe i will still feel messed up after!!! maybe i will doubt every calm person because this house trained me to wait for the hit after the smile!!! still, staying here feels worse and dumber every month!!! so i look at them like a fact, not a family!!! toxic people, limited value, high damage!!! simple enough!!! and if you are reading this and thinking i should just forgive them, based on what exactly???

My life has been pretty miserable. I believe in fighting until you can't fight anymore so I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, although I really wish I could. I've been dealing with depression since I was 11. My family dynamics are pretty much my dad controls everything and everyone, my mom enforces his will, and we obey or get shunned. I'm isolated, so the only way to escape is to run away and I promised myself I wouldn't do that until I can take my younger siblings with me. No transportation, no outside family, no friends no connections. I was taught from a young age that everyone is evil, and that they can benefit me nothing. I don't believe that, but it has made it very hard to trust people and be honest. Being isolated from the outside world+your family being the most influential people in your life creates a very "interesting" environment to put it nicely. Its like a tide. Everyone adopts the same way of thinking as my parents have, and if you make a mistake, its very easy for it to feel like you are the worst person to ever exist. They don't believe in mental illness, and anything that cant be physically proven is pretty much scoffed at or joked about. If you are struggling from a eating disorder, you have too much food, if you struggle with mental health, you are weak, if you cant sleep and are hearing voices, you need to find god, If you want to get help, everyone is going to treat you like a freak...its going to ruin any chances of you having a good life. Because of this, I've stopped telling my siblings about alot of things (talking to my dad and mom is pointless). I've been looking online for remote jobs, but so far no luck. My mental health is getting worse. I've tried everything that doesn't require therapy or professional help (since I can't pay for it at this time) but it only transforms whatever is eating at me, and making it less obvious to detect. I go for weeks thinking I'm helping myself but I'm just hurting myself even more. I'm isolating from everyone, including my family. I had online "friends" if you can call them that but I cut ties with them because I can't maintain relationships anymore. I have no energy for anything or anyone. I wake up everyday and do something, even if its clean, although all I want to do is rot in one place. I want to be an actress, so thats been keeping me busy. I get these spurts of motivated though, and it feels so amazing. Its like everything is bright and my life is so perfect and I'm going to change the world If i were given the right opportunity to show the world my ideas. When I'm experiencing this its like the world has a filter. Everything is so bright, everyone looks amazing, It feels like I'm high. Then after 3 days it all ends and I feel like shit for the rest of the month lol then repeat. Its draining. I feel like every idea I have t are lies. I don't know how someone like me will ever get anywhere in life. As if fighting tooth and nail to study without education or the right resources wasn't enough, now I have the weight of low moods + other mental hiccups that make every step I take feel like I am dragging the world behind me. All of my life has been in poverty. And not to bash on my parents too bad but it couldve been prevented. But they are actually taking steps to make sure I cannot be independent, and if I want to be, its the hardest option to get there. They are sabotaging, but I cant do anything about it unless I run away, and if I run away I will have nothing. I know that life isn't rainbows, but fuck I'm trying to be the best person I can be with what I got but im losing myself. The person I used to be, in this quest of "fighting" and not giving up is killing the person I used to be. I don't recognize myself. I don't share my life story because I fear others will hear and just chalk it up to being "lazy". I feel as if my life was stolen from me, and now I'm trying to get it back, but I dont know if there is hope for me.

Does it sound like I'm blaming others for my bad luck, or does it actually sound like I'm trying everything I can do get out of this?

A couple of years ago, I had a fight with my dad over getting my device taken away from me. While I was leaving the argument, I slammed the door behind me due to how pissed I was. My dad proceeded to open the door, grab my wrists and give me a huge smack and yell at me. My sister and mum were away at this moment so I went to cry on the couch without an apology.

A few years later, we go to this cat cafe one day to shoot the breeze. He tells me he booked an appointment but going up to the receptionist, she says the appointment didn't register. He starts yelling and complaining while I'm just standing there awkwardly. I look over to the only customer in the waiting room and he looks awkward too. I remember while walking out of the building I heard him say something about leaving a negative review on the business' google page and I'm just over it. It was only half an hour later at a shopping centre where on top of that embarrassing moment he kept on yelling at me that I own barely any clothes that I broke down where he continue badgering me about why I was crying (read the room, dipshit).

Tonight I was eating dinner with my dad and sister, I put in yoghurt into my food and said to my dad "you put out yoghurt instead of sour cream" which we typically put on this meal instead. I give him sort of a joking-annoyed face and he suddenly goes ballistic about my attitude (the pot calls the kettle black...) and basically throws the sour cream and a spoon onto the table. I continued eating my dinner in silence and then went to my room. An hour later he comes in and apologises, which would have been fine but he gets anger at these small things so frequently that I'm having a hard time accepting it but basically says that its my fault for having an attitude.

These are only a few instances of shitty things he's done because if I listed them all, this post would be a novel. I'm just so sick of him. He's such a miserable sod and so damn hypocritical that I'm surprised my parents are still together when its obvious my mum is afraid of him too (for instance, after another 'yelling at employee' incident, my sister starts to complain and mum basically responds with "let's just see how he goes" instead of doing anything about it). I like to think I'm a forgiving person and I try to give the benefit of the doubt but he makes it so damn difficult. It feels like I'm walking on eggshells every time I do something remotely mean-spirited. I honestly might just dump him in a retirement village when I'm older if this continues.

I (19-year-old male) told my mother I was gay today.

To start with, I've know i was gay for years yet I've never told anyone, not a friend, not an acquaintance, and especially not a family member. The though of coming out was near paralyzing to me, i feared so much. I feared I'd be shunned, i fear they'd treat me differently, i fear they'd kick me out, I fear loosing the people I loved(my family).

However, recently I started watching a show, Heartstopper. It's quiet a warm pallet cleanser of a show, and yet It gave me the push of courage i needed. As such, I decided I wanted to tell my mother, the person I love and am closest to in my family.

I tried to temper my nerves the night before, I wrote motivation on my arm(I'm ready, I'm wonderful, & I'm strong), listened to music, prepared words to say, etc... and yet my nerves didn't loosened much(I could barely fall asleep). Even with these nerves, i managed to push myself through the anxiety and start the talk.

Now it wasn't smooth, it wasn't perfectly direct at first, but It was the best I could do. I literally started it with the question "Are you good at keeping secrets?", thankfully my mother seemed to sense that I wanted to say something. Eventually, after much internal struggle I managed to get to the hardest part, just saying "I'm gay".

She actually reacted with such kindness that I didn't expect. She didn't deny my feelings, she held my hand, she said "I love you". I'm honestly getting a bit teary just thinking of this. In my head, I had so many fears and doubt about how she might handle this, yet she took it so well.

She even said she "kinda suspected it", that she had a hunch from when i was 2 and i pointed at a hot guy on the cover of one of her romance novels and said "I like him" which is so silly. I don't ever think I felt so relieved as i did in this moment.

Now don't get me wrong, my body was still in fight, flight, or freeze, and so i kind of ran away soon after to process everything that just happened.

Overall, I just wanted to share this recent moment of my life that touched me deeply, and gives me hope within my many fears and doubts.

I’ve given everything for my family for as long as I can remember.

We used to live in the countryside, and by the time I was seven, I was already working in neighbors’ orchards and farms. My parents always told me to give my best, even though they were very strict. When my brother was born, I accepted him happily. He got more attention, but honestly… I didn’t mind.

Back then, they were always working, so I was left alone most of the time—with my grandmother or my uncles. Looking back now… I realize I was pretty neglected.

As my brother grew up, my parents noticed he was rebellious, lazy, always complaining. I was about ten when my little sister was born, and I was genuinely excited. I always got along better with girls—there were more girls than boys in my town, and I struggled with severe social anxiety and shyness. But with girls, things felt easier… more natural.

So having a little sister felt perfect. Taking care of her, loving her—it came effortlessly. She grew up taller than me—she’s about 1.80 meters now. I stopped growing at thirteen… I’m only 1.50. Both my siblings are taller than me.

But there was always a problem.

When my sister was born, my father had a stable, well-paying job. Still, my parents would always say they were “busy”… even when they weren’t. So I became the one who raised my younger siblings. Whenever my friends invited me to birthdays or parties, I always said no. I couldn’t go. I had to stay home and take care of them.

At fourteen, my youngest brother was born… and it was the same story all over again.

In high school, I got a scholarship for studying in a public school. And like always, I gave everything to my family—I didn’t keep any money for myself. I kept working too. Since I was twelve, my main job has been working as a night guard in factories and warehouses. That’s where most of my money came from… money I gave to them.

One day, I wanted to tell my parents I wanted to learn how to play the violin. But they spoke first. They said it would be great if I learned guitar. So… I never told them the truth. I learned guitar because they wanted me to.

My real dream was always to become a writer… and an animator. Even though I was the only one in class still using a button phone, and my computer could barely even run.

But my family pushed me to learn modern technology. So I did. I learned programming, web development… I even became a computer technician.

One day, my mother saw me writing in a journal I had made myself—from old papers and thread. She criticized me for wanting to be a writer. I didn’t argue. I just accepted it… and abandoned my novel.

What frustrates me the most… is that they always complain. They treat me like a burden—like I’m some kind of parasite who only asks for things.

Which is ironic.

Because with my scholarship and my job, I pay for the gas, the electricity, the food. I buy clothes and shoes for my siblings… while I still wear shirts from when I was twelve. I only have two pairs of shoes—one broken pair for work, and an older but slightly better pair for important occasions.

And still… they call me spoiled.

They say they don’t have money, yet they buy expensive, branded things for my siblings. On my birthday… I didn’t get anything. Just a message from my friends. My own family didn’t even remember.

I’m twenty now… and I feel weak. I go hungry a lot because of the economic situation in my country. Sometimes, I secretly give my food to my family. When they ask, I just say I’ve already eaten.

Lately, I’ve been getting headaches. One time, my sister saw me almost collapse. But I refused help. I just keep going—working all night, then going to university from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There’s something I never told my family.

I had a girlfriend. She was taller than me… and she used to be one of my babysitters. She was about eight years older than me. We started dating when I was eighteen.

When I turned twenty, I went to her house in secret… but no one was there. Then her mother called me.

She had been hit by a car.

I ran to the hospital—it was about a kilometer and a half away. When I got there… I saw her. Pale. Broken.

She apologized to me.

She said she was sorry she wouldn’t be there for my graduation… like she promised.

That night… I stayed with her.

And she died in my arms.

She was the only person who ever truly supported me… the only one who stayed when I went through moments—crises—that almost destroyed me.

When I got home… I did what I always do.

I wiped my face… and smiled.

I went to a theater school, so pretending comes naturally to me. Acting happy… acting normal.

But my little sister looked at me… and said something that froze me:

“Your eyes… they don’t shine anymore. Are you okay?”

I almost broke right there.

But I just smiled… and told her everything was fine.

And now… I keep working. Keep studying. Trying to be the perfect son my parents want.

Even though they still say I do nothing for this family.

When in reality… I’ve given them everything.

The last time I bought something for myself… I was nine years old.

After that… I stopped living for myself.

I am a freaking rat who shouldn't be trusted with peoples secret like few days ago my cousin told me something about my other cousin lest's say cousin a and b so a told me that b has a secret a big one and a is like she did this and i don't know if any of it is real but the fact that cousin a told parents of cosin b and they all are plotting something or idk what they are doing just observing or whatever me being a dumbass clearly gave some signs that cousin a shouldn't do this to cousin b but a didn't listen so i told my older sibling to warn cousin b in a subtle way so that i don't have a say in it like cousin b shouldn't know that the warning came by me but my sibling told cousin b that i told her so now i am pissed that my sibling didn't care about what position that would put me into because i care about both my cousins and my siblind told me today because cousin b called me that is why she told me and i was so pissed at her but now cousin b will ask me all kinds of question when we meet or whem we talk and i don't want to but now i know that the future will reveal the truth cousin a trusted mr but i broke the trust and i made it perfectly clear that i didn't want any involvement but they dragged me into it i am really pissed i hate myself more now thanks to my sibling and i regret ever telling her how can i trust anyone now what do i do when

I'm a Demiboy lesbian who has open minded parents but it was this one and only time when I had tried to bring up the LGBTQ Community and they had shut their mouth immediately, so I felt awkward and never told them about myself, I'm still in my teens and am really confused, pls help me...

Okay, so here's the deal: it's been a real mess at home lately. My parents have been at each other's throats non-stop for the past three months. You know how it is. Like, my dad lost his job and it's been tough on all of us. But he’s started drinking a lot, and that's set the whole mood on fire with constant arguing. I’m 17, and honestly, I’d much rather be doing anything else than playing referee in World War III every evening. It’s exhausting, man! Sometimes I wonder if I should just lock myself in my room and play loud music, but that doesn’t really solve anything, does it?

Being 17 in this family circus means I’m stuck in between – too young to really leave, but old enough to get what's happening around me. When they're in their shouting match mode, I try to disappear. I'll hide out in my room or take a long shower. But then, there's times when I feel like I have to step in and play the peacekeeper, which just sucks. I miss the times when things were normal, or at least more chill, before all this job loss and booze-induced madness. It’s like walking on eggshells, and you never know when one’s gonna crack and set everything off again. It’s frustrating as hell. Honestly, sometimes I question why I even bother when they're both acting like children.

I guess I'm trying to figure out the best way to navigate all of this. It's not like there's a manual for surviving parents in a never-ending argument. I've tried distracting myself with my friends and school stuff, but it only lasts so long. So, I've started journaling, which helps me untangle some of the emotional knots. I get to pour it all out on paper – anger, sadness, confusion, you name it. It gives me a sense of relief and a chance to see things clearly. Plus, finding some calm in this chaos lets me think of ways to help, but you can only do so much before you have to protect your own sanity. I still hang onto hope that they’ll figure it out; maybe this is just a bump in the road, not the end of the line. Got to stay positive, right?

I’m not a therapist, but sometimes I feel like one. It’s rough when you’re the kid turning into the adult because the grown-ups aren’t able to hold their own. Honestly, if anyone reading this has been through the same, what did you do? In those moments when it's too much to handle, I remind myself that it’s not my responsibility to fix everything. Sometimes, people just need time and space to work through their chaos. But still, it’d be nice to come home to a couple of smiles than another round of screaming. I guess I’ll keep hoping for peace, writing my way through the mess, and grabbing any slice of normality I can find. It can’t be this crazy forever, right? 🤞

[Translated from Ukrainian. Reminder: IIWIARS is English only]

I stayed silent about this for a long time. A very long time. But, apparently, the time has finally come to tell the truth. Not polished, not “neat,” but real.

These two years of my relationship were not just a difficult period for me. They were two years that broke me morally, emotionally, and psychologically. And I know that many people do not even realize just how deeply.

It all started beautifully. Truly beautifully. It was happiness, joy, teenage passion, the feeling that I was needed, loved, chosen. I believed in him. I believed in us. I believed that if a person looked at you a certain way, said certain words, promised certain things, then it was not for nothing. Back then I really did love, and I gave myself sincerely.

Then I got pregnant. And from that moment, a completely different reality began.

It was not just shock. It was fear, guilt, panic, an inner rupture.

The choice of whether to keep or get rid of the child. And at the same time, his pleading to keep the baby. His words that he would stay by my side. That he would do everything for us. That he would not leave. That he would handle it. That I would not be alone. That he would be a man, a father, a support.

I believed him.

And then reality began to completely destroy me. His broken promises, betrayals, lies, screenshots of messages, unfamiliar girls in our home, while I was in labor, when I was in my most vulnerable state and was texting him about how scared and how much pain I was in. Every new betrayal tore me to pieces, every lie was another blow to my psyche.

Financial dependence was finishing me off in its own way. When you are morally exhausted, with a child who needs constant attention, and you realize that your stability depends on a person who keeps hurting you, it is a trap. You live in constant fear and tension. The fear of his outbursts of aggression, of broken things, haunted me all the time.

Taking care of the child also became a heavy burden. Because of stress, I lost my milk at six months. I felt guilt, confusion, and despair, because I wanted to give my child everything, and I could not. That only added even more inner tension and a sense of helplessness.

My inner world was collapsing. Questions kept spinning in my head: “Why am I alive?” “Maybe it would be better if I were gone?” And these were not just sad thoughts. It was the scream of a psyche that could no longer endure it.

Self-harm became a way to survive. At first it was pulling out my hair, then a failed suicide attempt, then cutting. It was despair, a scream inside myself, an attempt to let out pain that could not find a way out. And it was a real, honest feeling that shows just how deeply broken I was.

And the worst part was that in those moments there was no one who could fully accept me. I wrote to ChatGPT. It was the only way to speak out, to pour out all the brokenness, fear, betrayal, despair, nervous breakdowns, financial dependence, fear of explosions and aggression. I wrote to it when I did not know where to put all this pain, when I wanted to simply stop the whole world and feel nothing.

Every day was a battle. Every minute was a test. I was fighting him, the fear, myself, my own emotions. I was losing peace, health, inner safety. I looked at the world through stress and a constant sense of danger.

Many times I waited, many times I forgave, many times I hoped he would change. But reality was merciless. And it was not because I was “not enough.” It was because not everything can be endured, even if you give a person everything.

Now the situation feels like it is on the verge of ending. I do not know exactly what stage the relationship is in, but I feel that the end is near. And that brings both fear and relief at the same time.

These two years taught me an unbelievable amount: about myself, about pain, about boundaries, about my own strength. I understood that even among fear, betrayals, financial dependence, stress, and self-harm, it is possible to preserve yourself. And I am holding on, because I know: I will be able to live on, even after everything that happened.

P.S.

“Teenage passion” — because it started when I was 15.

I got pregnant at 16.

I gave birth just before turning 17.

I will be 18 soon.

And the scariest thing in this story is that all of this was lived through not by a grown woman.

But by me — a child.

My family is messed up. We weren’t the perfect family but we loved each other, we supported each other however everything went downhill when my father lost his job unfairly a while ago. Since then there has been constant fights, our relatives cornered us because we don’t really have any “importance” anymore. And to make matters worse our dad cheated on our mom! He swore on us that he would never do that ever again but 8 months later, me and my sibling caught him doing it again! How wonderful.

My mom can’t even divorce him and leave because my mom never really got to finish her university education and does not have the financial stability. Me and my younger sibling are still students thus we are still UPSETTINGLY dependent on him, even though I do part time jobs it can’t ever be enough to cover up the costs.

I don’t understand, he says we don’t give him time but we try despite our busy schedule as students. I have to manage scholarships + 2 tuitions + my own studies together which barely gives me time to sleep but I still try to be there for them, all of my siblings do and so does my mom. But it is never enough for him. He is a good dad but god I don’t even want to keep connections with him after I leave this household.

I feel hopeless at this point, I wish I could run away with my siblings to a happier place away from my family nonsense. I genuinely wish my parents never got married and had us, sometimes it feels like it’s making everyone miserable.

I'm 15 (almost 16) and it's been years that I see the same pattern going on with my dad. Whenever I ask for something I have to earn it, even if it's going out with friends, and as soon as he doesn't like something he will start threatening about not permitting me to do it anymore. An example is that I have been asking to go to a concert of a singer I like and after a while they finally said yes and as soon as they said yes he's been threatening to send back the ticket if he feels like I didn't study enough or that I could be disrespecting him (to him disrespect is even only raising my voice a little, huffing or not hearing him or answering immediately when he calls me). It feels like for one nice thing I get I also have to get a thousand bad ones. I searched online and it says that it's like manipulation or emotional abuse. Also tbh I'm like less excited about the concert (which would've been my first one ever) now that I'm getting threatened for every single thing and I'm starting to think maybe I shouldn't have asked at all even though I literally just got it.

I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster. Everyday literally, I feel annoyed, frustrated and angry. Now I do think the depo shot plays a huge role in my moods. But I also think it’s the life/people around me. I need to get rid of people, and situations I feel like in order to fully grow and prosper. I feel like everyone comes to me for their problems, and I hve helped and fixed so many.. with a huge pile of my own. No one is there for me the way I am, emotionally, or financially. I have endometriosis & have to take depo to stabilize my pain etc. but I do wish I can get off of it just to help me a little. My girlfriend hasn’t worked in idk how long. For a while now I have been paying every single bill plus all life expenses. Plus my own debts and tickets etc just everything. I’m overwhelmed! I express my financial struggles and just my stress to my partner and it seems like she doesn’t even listen or hear me. I have been raising my 6 year old nephew for 2 years now, because my sister just doesn’t have an interest in being a mom. She ignores him and doesn’t tend to him at all, stays on the phone all day and just rather party and drink and be outside. I took him in, then later had to take her in because she was in a domestic situation. Now I’m stuck with her, and feeling like I have 3 kids not just one. Even with her present, she still doesn’t play her role at all!!!! I do it all, from feeding him, to buying everything he needs even with her working full time, to just taking care of him overall as a whole. Then my gf I feel like just thinks I’m rich. It’s like in her head I ALWAYSSS have money. Someway somehow she just thinks always that I have somethingggg even if it’s 5$. And she has gotten so comfortable just using my card and money. I feel like she just sets me back in life and makes me back track and tbh I feel like with everyone around me, if they leave and I can be alone for a while I will flourish 10xs harder! My gf has put me in so many bad financial situations, causing me debt etc. on top of years of her talking to other woman etc. now I’m over everything and just disgusted with everyone. I stayed with her cus love. I have attachment issues. And honestly I’m just comfortable with her. It when she’s around all I feel is anger and resentment. Then her back tracking me no matter how much I say what’s going on with money etc she still doesn’t care. I’m so drained mentally and emotionally and physically by everyone around me.