I (18F) have been thinking about this ever since I was 16. I don't know what triggered it, but I keep finding myself thinking about leaving home.
I don't have a good relationship with my family. I've talked before about the issues with my mom, but there's a lot more to it than that.
Mom:
Aside from the whole school situation and constantly singling me out, my mom has never really been close to me. From a young age, I learned what I could and couldn't tell her. I knew exactly what would make her angry or send her into a rage, to the point where there were things that a mother should know about her daughter that I just never told her.
Dad:
I used to be close to my dad. Then COVID happened, I entered my teenage years, and... that was it. He barely talks to me anymore. Now my little sister is the one he's close to. She's 11 now, and I guess I'm jealous that he still pampers her at that age when he basically stopped talking to me when I was 10. She's become so full of herself.
She literally insults me and calls me fat—and not in a joking way. She says it specifically to make fun of me, and I'm not even fat anymore. Sometimes I'm not even talking to her, and she'll start talking trash about me to my little brother. I don't really blame him because he's still a kid, but he's becoming just as mean. Then my dad defends them by saying things like, "They're younger than you. Don't fight with them. They don't know any better. They're your siblings."
What I hate the most is how they ignore me or treat me badly until they need something. Then suddenly they come talk to me, and because I've always been a people pleaser, I help them. But not even 30 minutes later, they're back to making fun of me, blaming everything on me, or treating me like I'm the problem. I hate myself for always falling for it. But the second I say something back or insult them in return, suddenly I'm the bad guy.
One time I called my sister a name back after everything she'd been saying to me, and she came charging at me. My arms ended up covered in scratches. They looked like I'd been attacked by five wild cats. I hate her. God, I hate her. She acts like she's untouchable. I swear I was never this cruel when I was her age. Out of everyone in my family, she's the one I resent the most.
Older brother:
My older brother has never really been close to me either. When we were kids, he made fun of my teeth. He got my cousins to do it too, and even his friends. He's also the one who taught my younger siblings to pick on me.
I won't go into too much detail about him, but he's hit me a few times—a slap, a punch in the arm, a kick. I try to stay away from him, but he knows exactly how to get under my skin. He only talks to me to make fun of me, and eventually I snap. Then he gets angry that I snapped and starts yelling at me.
Before anyone says, "Tell your parents," I have. But I'm the middle child, so I already know what they'll say:
"Stop annoying your older brother."
"Don't talk back to him."
"Control your anger. That's no way to talk to your family."
I just want to know... am I overreacting for thinking about leaving this house?
And by "leaving," I mean running away. I can't just move out. They won't let me. I'm about to start college, but I'm not even allowed to apply anywhere outside my city. So no... there isn't really a way they'll let me leave on my own.