AIO for moving and distancing myself from my parents?
I grew up Mormon in a small town where everyone I knew was Mormon. I always felt like I was supposed to fit into this Mormon mold and to always be obedient, agreeable and righteous. If I didn't fit the exact version of me my parents expected, they made me feel inferior, like there was something wrong with me. I eventually stopped believing, but for a long time I felt like I had to pretend I still believed all of it to avoid the disappointment from my parents.
Anytime I wanted to do something my mom didn’t agree with, she would relentlessly guilt-trip me and play the victim. I felt like she convinced me that if I wasn't the person she wanted me to be, then I wasn't good enough.
I also pushed away the few friends I had, and I honestly don't know why. I didn't really have anyone to talk to. When I tried to express how I felt to my parents, I'd be called dramatic and sensitive. It felt like they could never see things from my side.
I usually knew I was loved, but I was constantly afraid of disappointing my parents or making mistakes. I'd rehearse conversations in my head and try to predict exactly how someone would respond before I said or did anything, just to make sure I'd get a “good” reaction. Even small mistakes could send me into a huge guilt and self-hatred spiral because I felt like I should have known better. My parents rarely apologized when they were wrong. Any disagreement or argument usually ended with their yells, me trying to explain myself, them not listening, everyone shutting down, and then pretending nothing happened afterward.
One example was when a friend asked me out. I turned him down because I didn't want to date him, and my mom screamed at me, called me a jerk, rude, selfish, and a nasty kid. She stormed out and didn't come home until the next day. Then she acted like nothing had happened. This was kinda the last straw and I really want out of this house.
So AIO for wanting to seriously distance myself and limit contact with my parents? Or is this just normal family drama?
Posted Sep 29, 2026, 2:25 AM UTC