20 years old and hopeless about life

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Here I am, 20 year old woman, and can’t help but to feel like ‘is this it?’ about life. Let me explain further… I feel like everything in my life is going bad. I am alive, I have food on my table, clothes, roof over my head, okay health, so I know that in many ways, I am blessed. But inside, I am empty and so, so alone.

To summarize everything before I go in and say more: Divorced parents for a long time who refuse to speak to eachother, overbearing cold mother, father who is love but potentially molested me as a child, older brother who has been mean to me my whole life and always say inappropriate things, social anxiety, failed in school, never had boyfriend, boring, problems with health sometimes, etc.

So yes, my parents divorced when I was 7. Not a big deal. I am used to it. Just woke up one day and my mum told me ‘dad and I are no longer together’ and he had moved out. Shortly after that, I got a stepdad. He was a man with anger issues, always mad, always yelling. He once dragged me across a room because I was taking some time to get to the dinner table. After he apologized and it did not happen again. When I was 12, it was a very warm summer day, and I was in the kitchen with him. I complained abou the heat and said it was so hot. He said ‘‘Well take your t-shirt off then.’’ I said ‘‘No i don’t want to’’. He then said ‘‘Yes, take it off’’ I said ‘‘you’re gross’’ and ran out to my mum. He ran after me and spit multible times in my face. My mum had so stand in front of me to protect me because he was so angry. I had other strange encounters with him, two I can recall. For one, he would sometimes slap me on the butt as he walked by as a joke, maybe not a big deal, some do that harmlessly I suppose. Another time, I was maybe 8, I remember I was in their bed and he was watching tv or something, then all of a sudden he started joking with me, but took my arms and placed himself on top of me, not touching me with his body but sort of when you do the plank (the workout) but holding my arms. I got uncomfortable and left to my mum. They separeted when I was a teenager.

Now my dad and I have a good relationship today, but I can’t help but not trust him completely because of what happened in the past. I don’t have much memory of my childhood at all, only from maybe 10 up. Only a few few things do I remember. But I do remember my dad once playing with me, and suddenly putting his hands inside my trousers but outside of my underwear. He had them there for a while. Then as I got to my teenage years (early teenage years) he would try to tuch my butt alot. Everytime we hugged, his hand would slide down my back and to my butt. I used to tell him to stop, and I learned quickly to never show skin in front of him cause I knew he would stare, and I learned to quickly back off after a hug before his hand had a chance to touch my butt. When I walked by, he would sometimes clap his hand on my butt. When I got tired of this and talked to him by email, he got very angry and said’’ I was accusing him of being a pedophile and that he had never touched me (a big lie)’’ and ‘‘if I have these thoughts about him it’s best we never meet again which is a shame because we used to be good friends’’. I donä’t want to think my own dad is a creep, but these things make me uncomfortable. To this day, I have to think of what I wear in front of him. Not for religious reasons or so (he is atheist) but because I know he will stare. Even now, he looks at my body so much. If he is sitting down and I stand up and I happen to look back I always catch him staring at my butt or body in general. My dressing sense is not revealing at all, in fact I dress quite conservative. But it sucks to not be able to relax in front of family. He is older and sick so I don’t want to fight but all this is weighing on me.

My mother… Well, she comes from a family that did not show a lot of love, so she is not used to affection so much. She cannot help it. But as much as I hate saying this, she is quite narcissistic and cold. Every single conversation we have is about her. She will talk all day nonstop but if I say even a word in response I am immidiately interrupted or she will completely ignore what I said and continue to talk… I tried saying this to her and she said I should just listen to her and be quiet and not speak back and answer. Uhmm… Okay, then it’s not really a conversation… I feel like she just doesn’t care. Once I was in a situation where I was being followed by a wierd man, I asked her can she please pick me up (it was 10 minutes with drive) she says no, I’m tired, take the bus. (It was late). She has said many hurtful things to me, like once she said she wished she had aborted me. She’s always comparing me to others indirectly e.g. that daughter is in medical school, why cant you be like her etc. If I try to hug her, she pushes me away after a few seconds. ‘‘I love you’’ and ‘‘How are you feeling?’’ are nonexistant. I always listen to her, but if I try to say anything about my life, how I’m feeling, she looks like she wants to die from boredom and as if what I am saying is the most uninteresting thing ever. She doesn’t agree with anything the catholic church says - abortion which she has done herself, same sex marriage, going to church, nothing, only in God. She wants me to forgive her for her constant angry outburts on me but never says she’s sorry. She will insult me, yell at me, be mean to me one evening then pretend like nothing happened the next morning and she’ll say I need to ‘‘honor my parents’’. That’s the only context she mentions God/religion in… When it comes to respecting parents. Yes, I do try to respect my parents. But it’s hard when I feel like they always let me down.
 
My older brother has always put me down. We have fought almost all our lives. When we were young he would take my head and try to hit it at sharp objects. But siblings fight… But I feel like he was a bit extra. He would always call me stupid, a , and many times threatened me with violence and has hit me quite a few times. We lived mostly with my mom and she didn’t do anything. She just said ‘‘stop!’’ and that was it. She said ‘‘it’s your issues so solve it you two’’. He also looks at my body in inappropriate ways. He will say gross stuff. When we are watching a tv show he will always say ''Oh, wow, she has amazing ti. Look at her big a. She is so se*. I want to … her. ‘’ I’ll ask him to stop and he continues. He knows it makes me uncomfortable yet continues, it’s like he finds it amusing and wants to continue more and more.

I failed in high school. Did a year over because I wanted better grades, ended up not even getting a high school diploma. Which I guess was a result of mild depression because of my life, no talent in the sciencespecialization I was in (I wanted to be a doctor but was horrible in math etc), switching so many schools in middle school (the last one’s science teacher barely showing up thus lack of basis in knowledge in those subjects). My mom,coming from a culture where education is very important, was of course very upset with me. I think that’s why today she is so cold to me, she probably has underlying anger because I am a worthless failure.

Hmm, what else… I have mild social anxiety, I am very shy, barely any friends and the ones I do have will bring me down. Guys don’t pay attention to me, never had a boyfriend or anything.

I don’t know what to do. There’s no point in my life. It’s like I’m so desperate for love and affection. When someone is actually nice to me, I find myself so attached to that person, which I know is pathetic.Why did I have to be this worthless? Growing up I had dreams about life, but now… all is broken. I’m so disappointed in myself and my life. It’s like being stuck in a room and watching everyone else through a window. Most people my age are in the end of their third semester in uni, have boyfriends, loving families, popular, many friends and such. I wish my life was good.
 
You are not worthless. Unfortunately have have experienced long term abuse that has convinced you otherwise. You need long term therapy to overcome this. You can do it.

You do not have a choice regarding family you are born into. But you can can decide to walk away from them and start a new and better life.
 
You are not worthless. Unfortunately have have experienced long term abuse that has convinced you otherwise. You need long term therapy to overcome this. You can do it.

You do not have a choice regarding family you are born into. But you can can decide to walk away from them and start a new and better life.
Amen.
And in case you are financially unable to leave, or have nowhere to go I suggest checking out this website. You can do meaningful work, help others while you are helped and healed as well as free room and board. When I found out about this it changed my life.
catholicvolunteernetwork.org/

Also remember God is always here for you, you are never alone. Remember Christ’s cross.
 
This is not “it.” You’ve been wounded a lot by the people who ought to have been helping you to become strong enough and secure enough to manage the difficulties of life. You can rise about this, but you deserve some help.

Ask your pastor where to find the help you need. He can’t fix your life for you, but he might be able to help you find the people who can help you make things a lot better for yourself: volunteer work to help you feel you’ve made someone’s life better, help in getting your GED and finding educational opportunities, and so on. If your pastor isn’t much help, I’d go to a women’s shelter and ask them where to find the help you need to lift yourself up.
 
You are not worthless. Unfortunately have have experienced long term abuse that has convinced you otherwise. You need long term therapy to overcome this. You can do it.

You do not have a choice regarding family you are born into. But you can can decide to walk away from them and start a new and better life.
she is right, listen to her

and everyone else can vouch for this, although, I do not have all the same issues as you have written in your post, that portion that you wrote about your mom is something I could have written myself. and in fact, have done so, countless times on here.

I know how it feels, I’ve had exactly the same thoughts as you, it is much better now but it still haunts me from time to time

there are many ways to finish your high school degree nowadays.

do you have a job? are you able to find a place on your own to live?

and we are also not defined by what we do, you are not worthless because you are a child of God, and he does not create worthless things
 
You’ve seen more than your share of suffering, and unfortunately, I think you are correct in when you find someone who treats you well, you might act desperate, end up pushing him away because clinginess and dependence isn’t attractive.

You may, on some level, have come to believe you don’t deserve good things, consciously or subconsciously. You may transmit that to others in the way you carry yourself. People may be able to pick up on that and perpetuate it.

I would recommend counseling. There, you can speak your mind without worrying, because there is confidentiality. What you say there stays there. You could get an objective opinion from somebody who has experience in these matters.

As to others having loving families, lots of friends, popular, you would be surprised to know that they don’t have easy lives, either.

Once, a friend of mine who, when with her husband, seemed to make a great couple. At least that’s how it seemed, because when together, they were all smiles. She told me her husband has been with a mistress for some time, years. My friend had at one time separated, but their daughter went from A’s and B’s to barely passing or failing. So, they sleep in separate beds are technically together only for the daughter.

My point is that you can look at your peers and think they have no problems, but behind the scenes, they could have problems as big as yours or bigger.

Some of the girls you might envy with boyfriends might end up with a sexually transmitted disease or pregnant, end up being single mothers. So, you don’t know what they suffer and cover up. Perhaps some have had an abortion. Some will get used by their boyfriends and have a lot of emotional baggage they are carrying from their hurts, making it difficult to have healthy future relationships.

You are very young, and you are not a lost cause if you don’t have a boyfriend at age 20. You have your whole life ahead of you. You have a lot of time. You’re hardly and old maid.

It would help if you could work on your self esteem in order to be able to attract the right kind of person who would treat you well.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide, and God bless you.
 
Thank you so much for sharing your story, it’s good to let it all out in an Annonnomous way,to people you may never meet,I have always found that complete strangers can be your best ever friends , even if you speak to them only ever Once,
But that’s just my Experience, I guess the first most important thing is that you know and accept that there are some real issues in your life you must overcome, many don’t !
Many live in denial only to follow in the footsteps making the same mistakes as their parents,
What I would suggest is make a Conscience discission that you Won’t be like your family ,
You will be You, and not like them, you need to find a Career Counsellor that can help you find a Career path for yourself,there are some really great people that are committed to help,
Plus a good thing is, your only 20 , you mightn’t realise it, but the best years are yet to come,and you don’t have some guy hanging off you trying to give advice ,wrong advise ,
Try to think Positive and find people your age that have a positive attitude ,
Envolve yourself in youth activity like Rowing / Cycling / Theatre ,
I Pray all goes well for you, and that this Thread is helping you,🙂
 
There has already been some great replies but I would just like to add one thing. It seems to me that those who have gone through this kind of suffering come out of it with some of the most unique and beautiful gifts anyone has to offer. Take some of the practical steps that others have suggested and cling to the love and mercy of our Lord and great things can happen. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life and look for the ways in which it is happening. I’m glad you sought out others through CAF! I think many others around the world have suffered similar loneliness and it certainly is not an easy cross to bear.
 
Has anyone been following the story last week by NHL star Patrick O’Sullivan? He has a book out titled “Breaking Away” and an essay in “The Player’s Tribune” in which he discusses horrible abuse at the hands of his father and how he finally stood up to him. He is using his celebrity status to send a message to not ignore suspected abuse.
 
Very good advice has been given already.

First things first. Get a therapist / counselor. You need to get help resolving many of your issues. They can give you tools to help you cope, build self-confidence, and help you with other life lessons.

Second, You are a child of God. He is with you always. You are never alone.

Third, look at some of the volunteer links recommended above.

I am very sorry you’ve had it so rough. Please know, with help, you and God can fix this.

Saying a prayer for you.

God Bless You.
 
Thank you for sharing your story. I know it must have been difficult for you. I just hope you take the advice that was given here, and realize that you are worthy, you deserve better treatment, and most of all you are loved!

(((hugs)))
 
First off, thank you guys so much for being so sweet and caring and taking the time to try to help me. Sorry if my English is bad it’s not my first language.

About leaving my family or walking away, it’s something I would feel very guilty about doing. I would feel as a bad daughter. Maybe I am overreacting to all this? My dad is old and sick, what if I walk away and something happens to him… I love him a lot, we can laugh and have fun, but there’s just the ‘creep’ side that comes up that I don’t like, and of course the history of him touching me etc that makes me sad. My mother used to be more loving as a child, she has always been very strict and sort of distant but at least she would kiss me goodnight and tell me she loved me and call me her angel. But now, nothing… Well I did travel to Australia for a while with some friends, she cried in the car there, saying ‘‘be careful, you are all I have’’ and I thought that was very sweet… But that was a while ago, and when I arrived and she called, the reality hit me - as all she talked about was herself the whole time we talked,. She visited once, came with a lot of food and helped which was nice, but the whole time talked about herself and her boyfriend, saying she misses her boyfriend, barely asking how I was doing. and as I got home, it was like always. Yelling, comparing me to others, talking over me, talking about herself etc… She has sweet moments too but the bad parts is most of the time. It’s all very frustrating. God does say honor your parents… I don’t want to go to hell. Am I just being too sensitive here?

Therapy is something I would love to go to, but it’s quite expensive where I live, also my mum told me they document everything and store them there in the open so if I ever go to therapy every doctor etc I visit in the future will see it in my journal and to quote her ‘‘think that I’m a psycho.’’. I have tried talking to my mum about her not listening to me, I not feeling like she loves me, I even wrote her a long letter describing how I felt. She will just blame me for everything, saying I’m not a child anymore so I don’t need love, that I’m so mean to her and will start crying. That’s when I start feeling bad and just apologize for bringing it up…

I’m just clueless…
 
About leaving my family or walking away, it’s something I would feel very guilty about doing. I would feel as a bad daughter.
This is what abusers do, manipulate you and make you think it’s your fault and that you are a bad person. That is to maintain control.

Get away from these people.
Maybe I am overreacting to all this?
Abusers want you to think so. But no, you are not.
My dad is old and sick, what if I walk away and something happens to him… I love him a lot, we can laugh and have fun, but there’s just the ‘creep’ side that comes up that I don’t like, and of course the history of him touching me etc that makes me sad. My mother used to be more loving as a child, she has always been very strict and sort of distant but at least she would kiss me goodnight and tell me she loved me and call me her angel. But now, nothing… Well I did travel to Australia for a while with some friends, she cried in the car there, saying ‘‘be careful, you are all I have’’ and I thought that was very sweet… But that was a while ago, and when I arrived and she called, the reality hit me - as all she talked about was herself the whole time we talked,. She visited once, came with a lot of food and helped which was nice, but the whole time talked about herself and her boyfriend, saying she misses her boyfriend, barely asking how I was doing. and as I got home, it was like always. Yelling, comparing me to others, talking over me, talking about herself etc… She has sweet moments too but the bad parts is most of the time. It’s all very frustrating.
Abuse, abuse, abuse, and more abuse. Get away from these people.
God does say honor your parents… I don’t want to go to hell.
You should read the 4th commandment in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. it does not say that honoring parents equals letting them abuse you. As an adult, you can honor them as your parents but cut off all contact from them because they are abusive. Honoring them can mean praying for them. It does NOT mean letting them continue to abuse you.
Am I just being too sensitive here?
Abusers want you to think so. But, no, you are not.

T
herapy is something I would love to go to, but it’s quite expensive where I live, also my mum told me they document everything and store them there in the open so if I ever go to therapy every doctor etc I visit in the future will see it in my journal and to quote her ‘‘think that I’m a psycho.’’
Of course she doesn’t want you to get help. It’s not in her interest for you to escape this madness so she’s telling you all sorts of garbage.

Find out for YOURSELF how much therapy is, whether there are any Catholic resources that will do it for free or reduced price, and what the law is on medical records and confidentiality. DO NOT listen to what your mother says.
I have tried talking to my mum about her not listening to me, I not feeling like she loves me, I even wrote her a long letter describing how I felt. She will just blame me for everything, saying I’m not a child anymore so I don’t need love, that I’m so mean to her and will start crying. That’s when I start feeling bad and just apologize for bringing it up…

I’m just clueless…
Stop trying to take this onto yourself. None of this is your fault. You cannot fix it. You need to get away from them.

Get a therapist as soon as possible.
 
OP, something for you to consider.

My parents were really abusive, my mother in particular. She was similar in certain ways to yours, though different in others.

At one point, I brought the situation to a priest in confession. Now, for background, this was a REALLY strict, traditional priest. Like, a there’s-almost-never-a-good-reason-to-use-NFP, have-as-many-kids-as-you-can priest. (Yes, he had faculties.) I expected to get chewed out for limiting contact with my mother, and for the consistently negative interactions we had been having. (Among many other issues, she was/is an alcoholic.)

I was quite surprised, to say the least, when he advised me to cut contact completely. As he put it, no matter what I did, she used it as some sort of weapon to hurt me. Send her a birthday card? Rude comment, or no acknowledgement at all, followed by verbal abuse on the phone. Call her? More nastiness. (We lived over a thousand miles from each other, so we didn’t see each other in person.) Etc. He said at some point, I needed to stop assisting in her sin of being unkind by giving her a target–i.e., me. I should still pray for her and wish her well, but I was doing neither of us a favor by letting her use me as an emotional punching bag.

I followed his advice, and I must say that my life has been far happier and more peaceful since.
 
You are not worthless. Unfortunately have have experienced long term abuse that has convinced you otherwise. You need long term therapy to overcome this. You can do it.

You do not have a choice regarding family you are born into. But you can can decide to walk away from them and start a new and better life.
OP, I totally agree with 1ke. My childhood wasn’t a picnic, and my sister only added to the pain and trauma I felt. I, too, felt worthless. However, frequent visits to Confession, turning to the sacraments and finding a good therapist has been healing. Granted, I still have work to do, but I am improving.

I wish you the best. You are not worthless. You are a child of God and He will always love you.
 
First off, thank you guys so much for being so sweet and caring and taking the time to try to help me. Sorry if my English is bad it’s not my first language.
Your English is quite good. I wish I could speak a second language as well as you.
Therapy is something I would love to go to, but it’s quite expensive where I live, also my mum told me they document everything and store them there in the open so if I ever go to therapy every doctor etc I visit in the future will see it in my journal and to quote her ‘‘think that I’m a psycho.’’. I have tried talking to my mum about her not listening to me, I not feeling like she loves me, I even wrote her a long letter describing how I felt. She will just blame me for everything, saying I’m not a child anymore so I don’t need love, that I’m so mean to her and will start crying. That’s when I start feeling bad and just apologize for bringing it up…
Here is an article about open therapy records in Denmark. It doesn’t sound that bad. You have an amazing awareness of what’s going on and how it’s affecting you – Maybe you should consider trying to become a therapist!
 
Rose, I think you need someone to talk to about things in your life. Ask your pastor for help. Maybe there’s someplace he can recommend for low-cost counseling. I don’t think you should feel bad about moving someplace else if you need to for your mental well being. You may need to move to be able to see things more clearly. You deserve to have a better life and to heal wounds of the past.
 
First off, thank you guys so much for being so sweet and caring and taking the time to try to help me. Sorry if my English is bad it’s not my first language.

About leaving my family or walking away, it’s something I would feel very guilty about doing. I would feel as a bad daughter. Maybe I am overreacting to all this? My dad is old and sick, what if I walk away and something happens to him… I love him a lot, we can laugh and have fun, but there’s just the ‘creep’ side that comes up that I don’t like, and of course the history of him touching me etc that makes me sad. My mother used to be more loving as a child, she has always been very strict and sort of distant but at least she would kiss me goodnight and tell me she loved me and call me her angel. But now, nothing… Well I did travel to Australia for a while with some friends, she cried in the car there, saying ‘‘be careful, you are all I have’’ and I thought that was very sweet… But that was a while ago, and when I arrived and she called, the reality hit me - as all she talked about was herself the whole time we talked,. She visited once, came with a lot of food and helped which was nice, but the whole time talked about herself and her boyfriend, saying she misses her boyfriend, barely asking how I was doing. and as I got home, it was like always. Yelling, comparing me to others, talking over me, talking about herself etc… She has sweet moments too but the bad parts is most of the time. It’s all very frustrating. God does say honor your parents… I don’t want to go to hell. Am I just being too sensitive here?

Therapy is something I would love to go to, but it’s quite expensive where I live, also my mum told me they document everything and store them there in the open so if I ever go to therapy every doctor etc I visit in the future will see it in my journal and to quote her ‘‘think that I’m a psycho.’’. I have tried talking to my mum about her not listening to me, I not feeling like she loves me, I even wrote her a long letter describing how I felt. She will just blame me for everything, saying I’m not a child anymore so I don’t need love, that I’m so mean to her and will start crying. That’s when I start feeling bad and just apologize for bringing it up…

I’m just clueless…
Hey Rose. You can take heart now. You’ve got a whole stack of good advice here. Like one after another. So I’m not really going to add much. I mean some of the good people have even been in similar straights. So dig deep into yourself and make a choice. For once. Choose to stand apart from these people. Choose to escape while you still can.

Because your mother’s crying was an act. It was meant to do what it did. I mean she’s not caring about you in this. She’s worried about losing her audience. Her ego suffers when you’re not around. The proof is in her actions. Actions are key in all of this.

Peace therose. Talk to us as much as you need. We’re here for you.

-Trident
 
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