i need help... well technically my mum does:(
my mother
shes always been like this, for as long as ive known her but its defi exacerbated over the years...
i think i was 7, the first time she said it to me... i hadnt studied for half an hour, and she was in a bad mood.. she told me to jump off the balcony and do the world a favour by getting rid of a useless waste of space... after that it only got worse... it kept compounding, with her saying even meaner things, hitting me harder too... now i am fifteen, clueless abt how ive come this far... bcoz im in 10th (im indian so i have extremely important exams this year), im being pressurized to such an extent and i genuinely cant study bro i have mini panic attacks every time i open my science book and im scared.
@deetz
This sounds horrid. Panic attacks are really scary I used to have them. I don't know if medication is an option that's what helped me the most. I do dbt too.
@deetz
Hi friend,
I'd Like to say that you are stronger than you think. It takes a very strong person to realize that these things are not your fault, but the problem of the person who is saying them. Remember that, when people say things to you, what they are saying is often a projection of themselves and their own insecurities.
Unfortunately, When we realize that even though these are projections of their own insecurities, it still hurts to hear them and we question ourselves.
It is mental gymnastics to keep yourself believing that what these people say to you is not true. Don't ever give up.
To cope through the stress:
Listen to music that mimics how you are feeling. Sometimes when you feel like you can't talk to somebody about how this makes you feel, music does it for you.
Take your study material and go study in a park (outside is good) or coffee shop.
I personally never wanted to study, but if I was in an environment such as a coffee shop where everybody else was typically working, it made me want to study more because I saw other people doing it. In a sense, I wasn't suffering alone.
I don't think you Will be able to help your mom yourself. I think she needs therapy and somebody who can understand why she feels the way that she does, which is probably connected to how her parents treated her and her past trauma.
@HopefulBrite123
thankyou so much for your advice and support, im super grateful🥹
i wish i could leave the house as easy as that tho
my mum is extremely controlling and considering we live in india, its not exactly safe.... so my only escape is school:(
abt my mum's trauma - i rlly havent a clue why she is the way she is... her parents were amazing ppl who encouraged her to do what she wanted and even now she speaks very highly of them....
for the rest of ur advice, i will definitely do my best to implement it in my daily life... thankyou soo much:)
@deetzI've had a single, terrifying panic attack in my life and it was the WORST.
I never wanted to experience that again, so you have to figure out what is causing your panic attack (It's right in your post) and you have to figure out how to avoid it as much as possible. See my above comment about remembering what people say is not actually about you, but likely a projection of how they are feeling.
It's hard. You have to remember that it's not you. When people close to you, like your mom, say cruel things like this, it's hard not to believe it. But don't believe it.
The second way to avoid it is to remove yourself from a situation where she can tell you these things as much as possible, which is why I suggested leaving the house to go study.
Don't be hard on yourself. Your studies are stressing you out, and it could take weeks, months, or years of practice to learn how to avoid anxiety without extra help from medicine or probably a therapist.
@HopefulBrite123
thankyou so much for ur support! its super enlightening to read this...
quite frankly, i dont have a lot of time till my exams and i dont have the option of not studying... if i dont perform well, not only will my mother's behavior towards me aggravate, but my chances of getting to a good college in the future will also reduce significantly... and ive really got a lot riding on this coz i want to get out of here as soon as possible, and be independent...
i'll try to be less hard on myself tho... dont wanna burnout.. thankyou soo much for the advice:)
@deetz I have many Indian friends and the pressure from the culture can be toxic.
When you are feeling down, remember:
"I am doing this for a reason," and that reason is for you to move out to a college of your choice, where a lot of mental toxicity will stay at home with your mom.
Just imagine the day you are (somewhat) free!
Apply to some colleges in California and I'll show you around if you get in!
Best of luck to you friend