AITAH for wanting to cut connections to my birth mother?
Hello, I am (27F) and currently live with my great aunt (71F). I’ve been taking care of her for the last couple of years due to her declining health rate. It’s also beneficial for me bc I don’t pay large bills except for when she needs help covering her bills. I get to focus on my smaller bills while making sure she’s taken care of.
(Small context about my birth mother) My birth mother and I have been estranged since I was young due to her drug usage and absentee as a parent but she’s always open and more loving now that I’m older. She wants to have the relationship that we were never able to have when I was younger and I’ve been accepting of that as well as trying to do my part of being present in this relationship. She always talks about if she was in a better place she then it would be the two of us and she would actually take care of me like she wasn’t able to before.
A few weeks ago, my great aunt and I both had a heated exchange with each other and as of now, we’re not talking. I’m debating on moving out but I know she can’t afford a nurse nor depend on her boyfriend (70M) because his health is even worse. But I also can’t pretend to be okay around people who have said hurtful things and I’ve had an explosive outburst with so I’m on the fence right now.
My problem is, after the heated exchange with my great aunt, I called my birth mother (46F) and told her everything. I do try not to severe connections with others so I told her that if she wanted to continue talking to my great aunt that she could.
I feel like such an idiot because that wasn’t my true feelings. I honestly wanted her to completely take my side and have my back because the things my great aunt said to me wasn’t something you should say to anybody. As my actual mother, I don’t want her to be okay with people treating me like dirt because I feel like that makes them think it’s more acceptable to do since my own mom isn’t standing up for me and telling them off. I am an adult who can protect myself, but I still believe it’s part of a mothers duty to protect her children in any shape or form. But I was trying not to come off as a brat so I said the opposite. She’s here now to visit and yet she hasn’t came to check on me, talk to me, or make sure I’m okay. But she’s with my great aunt and I can clearly hear them laughing and having a great time as if nothing happened. It doesn’t make me feel like she has my back if she’s Kumbaya-ing with someone who has hurt me. Mind you, this isn’t the first family member who has hurt me and she’s still cool with all of them. I feel like this is my final straw. I don’t feel like I should have to ask my mother to not be cool with people who hurt me. I honestly feel like that’s valid and I would sever ties with anybody who hurt her or my future child.
So long story short, I want to know… am I the asshole because I don’t want to be connected to either of them but specifically my birth mom?
Posted Sep 3, 2025, 6:26 PM UTC