I'm 18 and reaching the point where I don't know how much longer I can tolerate living at home. I've been trying to ride it out until college, but my mental health has been deteriorating, and feeling trapped at home is contributing to it.My relationship with my stepdad has been bad for years. I feel like he's controlling, intimidating, and disrespectful, and expects obedience without question. My relationship with my mom is complicated too. I often feel dismissed because she falls back on the "I'm the parent, you're the child" dynamic instead of communicating with me like an adult. I feel like I have little control over my own life, and being legally an adult hasn't changed much because I'm still financially dependent on them.I've wanted to move out for a while and have seriously considered leaving as soon as possible. I've experienced depression, suicidal thoughts, and frightening thoughts about hurting others. I'm worried about how much worse my mental state could get if I remain stuck. I'm not blaming everything on my family, but my circumstances at home are one of my triggers, and not having a clear way out makes everything feel more hopeless.I don't have many resources. I'm a high school senior taking college classes and working part-time for around $12 an hour. I can't realistically afford rent and living expenses on my income. Short-term leases are even more expensive, and a year-long lease makes little sense when I plan to leave for college next year. I have no car, no license, and no obvious alternative place to stay.I'm also worried my mom will react badly if I leave. I don't want to ruin our relationship, but I can't let fear of her reaction be the only thing keeping me here.Has anyone been in a similar situation? What resources or realistic options do I have?
>Has anyone been in a similar situation? What resources or realistic options do I have?Leave the house, like, right fucking now, and go to the homeless center. And never come back.Then, once you comprehend how terrible your current situation is, it will motivate you to ask one of your friends to stay at their house. Continue this lifestyle until you can afford the house.There is no alternative. I can assure you of that from experience.Your parents will NEVER become better people no matter how dire the situation at your house will be. On the contrary, their attitude will become progressively worse the longer you stay.They will be continuously trying to find new ways to demoralize you, until your only remaining options will be to kill yourself, or do exactly as I suggest, just a year too late.There is no bigger sin in life than ruining your potential for the future. Which is exactly what you are doing right now, every second you refuse to run away from your house.If someone advises you not to, don't listen to them. If you think there is a rational reason to stay, then stop thinking rationally. Just run the fuck away and never look back, while you still have the time.Because you don't have much time at all. Once you develop a slave mentality of "maybe it's not that bad" it's over. If you will still be living with your parents a month from now, you are going to be fucked.You, will eventually come to realize why every poster on this sub is over 30 years old. It's not going to get better.Stop whatever you are doing right now. Start doing research on the homeless lifestyle for teens. Separate your stuff by whatever you will need in everyday life. Make sure you have a good travelling backpack, and a bicycle. Then sell everything else, and get the fuck away.
Then make a plan before you act. You have zero shit, how have you zero savings? No goals to buy a car? Fix what can be fixed, suck it up and wait til you're stable to fuck off. You already work, minimise your time at home and you'll make it through. Make friends while you're at it
When you're an adult you can do what you want. Explain to your mom with therapy terms how you feel. Women respect that. With your stepdad, he's always gonna be that guy just avoid him when you get out. They'll notice, when they ask why, calmly explain it without insulting or disrespecting anyone. If they get mad, calmly explain how you didn't insult or disrespect anyone. Repeat that if it doesn't work the first time. It'll get better bro I promise
When I was younger I had a shit home life.Years of solid, diagnosed clinical depression, anxiety, hopelessness. I never didn't wish I was dead. Then I left home. Mind you, I had a plan, sort of. I had about 6k, work experience, a long term, long distance girlfriend and a place to live (with her). It took me about 4 months to get settled (moved to an area that got annihilated by a hurricane days after I arrived, and I work in tourism), and year to get comfortable.Since then I haven't had any mental health issues, or at least nothing noticeable compared to what it was. Getting out was the best thing I've ever done, for myself and the quality of my life but I didn't make a blind jump. I had enough cash, I had work experience and a place to go with someone to help. Be mindful of the resources you have and what you can access through your support network. Take careful stock of what you have, and what you'll lose when you leave. There are a lot of centers that focus on shit for homeless youth.People that'll sign you up for food stamps and give you a place to mail shit.Be careful, think hard. Once the options are succeed or starve you'll figure something out quick, trust me.Don't get stuck somewhere that you're just treading water and trying to survive, but that's a problem for a few years down the road. Work hard, learn everything you can.
