I don’t know how to regain control in my life
I’m a young adult living with an abusive mother. I feel like I have no control over my life, and it’s always been this way, but it seems to get worse over time and it’s disconnecting me from living. I can’t control basic things like when I go to sleep or expressing my opinions. She has never valued my input or even asked for it. Only her opinion matters, and she treats it as the only correct one. She tries to destroy anyone who disagrees with her. If someone isn’t on her side, they become her enemy and she turns everyone against them. Anything I or others enjoyed that she didn’t like was labeled as stupid, obsolete, or silly. As a child and teenager, I wasn’t allowed to do things that didn’t fit her vision or preferences. Most arguments with her are complete nonsense where she just insists everyone else is wrong, mixed with toxic behavior and verbal abuse. When I was younger, she also physically abused me when no one was watching. I could witness something firsthand, but she would create her own version of events. She constantly manipulates me with statements like she’ll die alone, I’ll abandon her, I’ll die without her, and other disturbing things. She never asks about my feelings—she only tries to extract information she can use against me, which she does. I stopped sharing anything with her about 10 years ago. In group settings, she mocks me and diminishes my worth to the point where I don’t believe in myself. She destroyed her marriage and was so abusive to my dad that I’ve never witnessed or heard of anything comparable. He escaped, as did my brother, with whom I have no contact. I’m constantly forced to do meaningless things just so she can control me. I’m scared to have fun or do anything in my free time because I feel she could walk in at any moment, see me “doing unimportant things,” and force me to do whatever she decides. I only feel alive when I’m away from home, but I’m afraid she’ll call me or interfere, which happens regularly. I’m scared to leave because there’s substantial wealth I could inherit(a house) that would make life easier, which she always brings up during arguments. In my country and city, the housing situation is terrible—even with a good job, it’s nearly impossible to afford an apartment larger than two rooms. My dream is to have a family and not spend my life sleeping on a couch with a mortgage(which even I wouldn’t get right now) until I die, so this terrifies me. If I had to explain every situation and how manipulative and toxic she is, I’d have to write a book—it would be that long. I’ve never met anyone so toxic in my life, and I don’t think I ever will.
Do you have any advice, books or anything I could take?
Posted Dec 7, 2025, 10:46 PM UTC