Spiker said 10 years, 2 months ago:

For the past four years my perscription drug addicted father has verbally, mentally and occasionally physically abused me. This past winter I moved home from college. I lost my only escape from reality.

In January he had a break down that resulted in my mother, brother and I couch hopping for our safety to stay away from him. He checked himself into the hospital last week to try to score my pain medication but it back fired and they kept him in for a psych evauluation. As usual, upon his release he says that my mother is paying doctors and he has continued the harrassing behavior. We don’t live with him as of last week but my family is still not moving forward.

I come home from student teaching and do everything I can to make my mom happy but she is just constantly upset and angry. I make dinner she says shes not hungry. I get a movie she simply says shes going to bed. I feel so alone since my brother works nights and I have no one else to talk too.

I hate my father for what he has done and I honestly don’t know what to do. I feel like I am trapped in hell. How do I move on when everyone around me is standing still?

TK said 10 years, 2 months ago:

You’ve broken one very important part of the cycle of abuse: You see the problem for what it is. It sounds like your family may still be in a lot of denial. It is very difficult to shed that denial, especially for someone that one loves. They may also be under the impression that the drugs cause the abuse, not the man himself.

Your mother also sounds very depressed. She probably has a lot of mixed emotions right now. Try to stay strong. Don’t stop offering her dinner or entertainment, and don’t give up hope. Depression can be very difficult to break out of.

If they won’t (or can’t) go to counseling, read up online about abuse, and share what you learn with them. Ultimately, they will have to make the decision to move on.

Keep working on your education. Do not let others around you hold you back or bring you down. Your future belongs to you.