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I can't tell if I was emotionally abused and if I was I think it might have affected me

 
 
Reply Mon 27 Aug, 2018 08:36 pm
I just realized that this was longer than expected I'm sorry I didn't mean to write my whole life story it just turned out that why. I understand if you don't all of it.

My sister and I lived with my step mom for four years since the 8th grade and that first year was okay she just had a strict parenting style she took our phones away every time we made one little mistake for a week or two it made us feel like we couldn't make any mistakes but we also could have been overreacting and all of us had to be in the living room together and we couldn't have our phones in our room but eventually I feel like she started to become controlling. In high school I started to wear black and listen to rock music, I wasn't sad I just liked it, and her and my dad told me that I looked like a freak and that people will think that I'm a drug addict she then started picking out my clothes and my hairstyles but eventually I was able to make choices about my appearance again. She also took away our social media then around our junior year we barely had our phones and we could rarely text people we were also not allowed to talk to our family members because she said that they were bad influences we couldn't even see them at my baby cousin's funeral until she talked to them but she didn't let us sit with them and she told us that we shouldn't get upset cause she lost her daughter and we just only lost our cousin. When she was off her cigarettes cause we couldn't afford them, she would make fun of us and when my dad called her out on it she got mad. When we told her we were unhappy and she told us that she did understand why when she opened up her home to us and cares for us and if we told her why she would get upset and say we hate her. She even tried to get me arrested at one point because we were keeping our cats separated and I kept asking her if I could give my cat some water but she was and I already irritated her she said I hope that the cat dies and threatened to throw my cat outside then when I freaked out she took my cat outside then I told her that she can't do that cause that's animal creulty she then hit me at least 4 times while I was laying down and then my reflexes kicked in and I kicked her she then lost her balance fell into my dresser after that she treated me terribly for about two months I almost couldn't go to school the next day she told everyone that I got mad and kicked her across the room and when things started to get a little bit back to normal she threated to get me arrested every time I did something wrong. My senior year I realized I didn't really have energy to talk to people and I didn't really want to go do things. Sometimes at after school activities I would go to the bathroom and cry for at least 30 minutes and at home when I went to sleep and for some reason I stopped eating until I couldn't handle it anymore. I thought I would get better when I turned 18 and moved in with my mom I'm starting to have a little more energy to talk to people but I still don't want to eat, I apologize a lot when I talk to people, and I met this guy who I found out smokes and every time I smell smoke I think of her I don't want to be judgemental but I get scared every time I see someone smoke.

I don't know if I was emotionally abused or if I'm just overreacting and this was just strict parenting all my friends tell me I was abused but I really don't want to say that I was abused and I just really want to know if I should see a therapist.
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PUNKEY
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Aug, 2018 09:11 pm
Talking with someone would be of help. Everyone needs someone to listen to them and give some guidance.

Were you abused? From your description, your step mother sounds like she was under stress and overwhelmed with parenting teenage girls, for sure. For sure there was stress in the home.

How is it that you were living with your father and step mother at that time (grades 8 thru now)? Did you see your mother during that time? Do you feel that your environment is less stressful now?

I hate cigarette smoke too. It would be a deal breaker for me if a guy smoked. I couldn’t be around him.

MagicalGirl
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Aug, 2018 09:46 pm
@PUNKEY,
I couldn't live with my mom at the time due to something that happened when we were 11 but we were able to see her but my step mom didn't let me text her the only reason why I got see her was because it was court ordered

I could obviously tell she was stressed but I just can't get over the fact that she has done awful things to us then denies it has ever happened, tried to convince that I'm crazy, and has used my education as a way to punish me, and lied to people about why I accidentally kicked her to make herself look like an innocent, defenseless, victim and had all of her friends call me crazy and evil. My relationship with her needs to get better and of course she was struggling too but I just can't forgot the stuff she did to me especially when she won't own up to it and wants me to believe that I'm sick and horrible but she's innocent and perfect
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MagicalGirl
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Aug, 2018 10:00 pm
@PUNKEY,
It wasn't that I stressed I just felt really sad and down and I didn't care to do things and I feel less sad in my environment now and little more motivated to do things but I do stress out when it comes to eating I want to eat but at the same time I don't sometimes when I eat I feel ashamed and it stresses me out when I talk to people because I'm afraid I'll say something that'll upset them so constantly apologize. I use have to walk on egg shells around my step mom I guess I'm just use to it now
Ponderer
 
  0  
Reply Mon 27 Aug, 2018 11:35 pm
@MagicalGirl,
She defended herself physically against what you said about animal abuse. You shouldn't feel guilty because she couldn't control herself. Neither should you feel guilty about defending yourself. It is a natural instinct of self-preservation.
You can do this-
Stand in front of her, take both of her hands, look in her eyes, and say "I'm sorry I hurt you." She will probably say the same thing.
izzythepush
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Aug, 2018 01:17 am
@MagicalGirl,
She sounds terrible, you were emotionally and physically abused. You were a child, she was the adult who used violence and coercion to control and belittle you.

Try not to feel guilty, none of it was your fault.

This is something you should talk to someone about.

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MagicalGirl
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Aug, 2018 01:19 am
@Ponderer,
I have apologized numerous times it's just she will always believe that she victim and I am the crazy and violent person that abused her. I even confronted her about how she never apologized for threatening my cat, throwing me off the couch by my hair, making me question my sanity, and getting her friends and family to hate on me. She made an excuse for the first, denied the second one, and thought I deserved the last two. When she tried to get me arrested was lowest point in my life she used it as leverage every chance she could get, I was constantly scared and questioned everything I did cause my life will be over even if I just step a little bit out of line, I hated myself more than I ever have, and I had people call me a dangerous, violent, crazy monster. I think even if she did apologize I couldn't get over it I wish I could but I have never felt so worthless and been so degraded before
PUNKEY
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Aug, 2018 05:33 am
So now you are back in your mother’s place. And you are now processing everything that has happened these past years. You really need a counselor to help you sort out everything.

It’s not easy raising teenagers, especially when they aren’t yours. But her parenting does sounds abusive.

Children are not taken away from the birth mother unless something is very wrong in the home. So all that drama is a background for what happened when you came to live with father and step mother.

Where has your father been all this time? Did he see what went on with your step mother?
izzythepush
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Aug, 2018 06:24 am
@PUNKEY,
PUNKEY wrote:

It’s not easy raising teenagers,


If you love them it's incredibly easy. I raised both of mine on my own, and we get on famously.
0 Replies
 
Ponderer
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Aug, 2018 07:55 am
@MagicalGirl,
Well, then you did your best. We live in a crazy, violent world. No one understands the effect of violence except the victim. There is no way I can diminish the severity of you being thrown by your hair. That is a horrible thought because you are a young girl. I'm just saying that it helps to compare what you have been through with others. I don't know if you know what a jack handle is, but it is a steel bar about 5/8"-3/4". At 16, I had to block one swung full-force at my head. ( twice) The first time hurt. The second time didn't. At 20, I had to block a hammer. I've had my nose laid over sideways by a mugger in the dark and had to straighten it in a service station bathroom mirror. It took three "cracks". I have been pushed over backwards and slammed the back of my head on a concrete floor. ( I'm 6'1". That was a lot of momentum)Still, I think "I've never been shot. I've never been stabbed. (Incidentally, it took my heel in a guy's stomach to prevent that)
I've never had bones broken. I've never been beaten black and blue and red and left for dead in a ditch." This is only about what we have lived through to tell about.
I said that telling her you were sorry was the best you could do. Actually, forgiving her is the best you can do for yourself.
0 Replies
 
Ponderer
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Aug, 2018 07:59 am
@MagicalGirl,
PS: Don't let how some people treat you affect how you feel about yourself.
Look around. You are surrounded by people who love you.
0 Replies
 
 

 
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