"Everyone is going through something, you're not the only one" being used as invalidation.

Am I Overreacting?

My mom was making a big decision about moving. She had made it sound like it was set in stone. Then yesterday, she was making me feel overwhelmed by calling me all throughout the day when I was extremely busy. She got upset at me that I didn't respond to her calls because it was very important. I told her today that my mental health takes priority, that I was extremely overwhelmed, that I responded as soon as I can, and that I needed time to unwind from everything. So I didn't have a mental breakdown.

That's when she said: "Everyone is going through something. You're not the only one. Especially because of covid. You're an adult, so I don't know why you keep bringing it up. I won't contact you anymore unless you call me. "

It's not like I'm a baby who needs my emotions validated in a coddling way. It's just that each time I don't mean her expectations of communication, she responds the same similar ways. She even called me a baby two months ago and to stop throwing my toddler tantrums. She told me to grow up when I set boundaries and communicated frustration. I get she's upset. But it's not my fault I'm the only one she has for emotional support in her whole life. I have strained myself mentally to be the only person she has to talk to. Am I being an a-hole?

I just told my mom I feel my feelings are being invalidated. She said there's no point trying to explain or talk to me if that's how I feel.

Update: She claimed she wasn't invalidating my feelings. That she "validates my feelings all the time". She's still beating around the bush and refusing to discuss what she wanted to talk to me about in the first place.

Second update: She told me over voicemail that she refuses to speak to me for the next few weeks. She also still refuses to discuss what she contacted me about to begin with. She says it's because "I don't understand" and "Can't come close to understanding". That feels very patronizing.

Posted Jun 4, 2020, 11:39 PM UTC · edited

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