Feeling trapped by my mom’s spending, guilt trips, and control - am I wrong for not wanting to pay for her?

Parenting & Family

Problem/Goal: Hi, I’m F25 and honestly feeling really drained by my mom, and I don’t know if I’m overreacting.

She spends a lot on travel and luxury stuff, and often offers to pay for me, my siblings, tito, tita, etc., even though we don’t need it. Earlier, I messaged her about her monthly loan dues and that we have to pay today (she used my Gloan and Sloan and is paying for it monthly). After that, she randomly sent me lists of all her expenses, which felt like she's guilt tripping..

Aside from that, she has been asking me to help fund her monthly car loan. She also wants me to eventually pay for a housing loan in the future, when we get a house for her/the family. I don’t feel like I owe her any of this money, and I’m still trying to save for my own future.

If we decline her offers for travel or other things, she gets mad and says we’re required to go anyway. On top of that, if I ever try to set boundaries, she tends to have a breakdown and has even threatened her health in the past - she’s been known to send herself to the ER when she gets too upset.

I’ve always wanted to move out because of this, but doing that would probably trigger another mental breakdown. At 25, she still monitors where I am and gets angry whenever I don’t tell her where I’m going.

I feel stuck between wanting to protect my mental health and not wanting to trigger her, because if I do, everyone at home is gonna be affected because of her toxicity. I don’t think I owe her money, and I shouldn’t have to manage her spending—but I feel guilty just thinking about it.

Has anyone else dealt with something like this? How do you stay sane without constantly walking on eggshells?

Posted Jan 30, 2026, 5:18 AM UTC

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