Follow
Share

Due to health problems, I had no choice but to move in with my elderly Parents due to losing my job and the roof over my head. My Mother is a control freak, verbally abusive, manipulative, rude, aggressive, offensive, a liar, a user, snidey and jealous. She thinks she's a cut above and really thinks she's something. I refer to her as Mrs Bouquet. She came from nothing and somehow thinks she's a snob. How she figured that one out is beyond me. She has no social graces whatsoever, she has that sense of entitlement attitude too. My Father has the same traits and they are both mentally unhinged. I've also ended up being their Carer too. My Father had a stroke a few years ago & it was me that was doing all of his rehabilitation because my Mother and my Sister deliberately left everything to me. I have been the Wife & the Husband and they have become too reliant on me. My Mother couldn't bare it when I moved miles away for work either. She'd always be bawling and shouting down the phone trying to dictate my life, calling my mobile after 9pm when she'd done all that she wanted/needed to do. It didn't matter to her that I'd done a 10-12 hour shift 5 times a week either. I just used to let my phone go into voicemail. She's so selfish just like my Father & my Sister. They care about no one other than themselves. My Mother has ended up on Oxygen due to COPD so she is housebound. I ended up with a whole host of other health problems a couple of years ago too. I was still expected to do all the household chores. They saw me struggling but still sat back and let me do everything. It's quite a big house and it takes a good bit of cleaning. None of my family gave 2 hoots about my health. I was struggling to get out of bed let alone walk. I still have mobility problems so I'm stuck indoors in my bedroom with barely any privacy. My Father comes into the room every touch & turn. Even when I go in the garden he comes outside looking for me. It's oppressive and living here zaps the living life out of me. It wouldn't be as bad if my Parents were nice people but they aren't. I resent the fact that I've ended up in this position. I also resent the fact that my sister lives close by but is never anywhere to be seen other than for duty calls once a week. She stays an hour or so then leaves. She does nothing for my Parents. She doesn't even offer to sling the duster round or put some washing in the washing machine and stuff like that. She's relinquished all responsibility onto me & thinks it's funny. She thinks I'm living here having the life of riley. She knows nothing & we don't speak anymore either. I have no regrets about cutting her out of my life. My Parents don't appreciate me or appreciate anything I do/have done for them either. They speak to me like dirt at times too. I find it pretty disgusting to be quite honest considering I've been the one that does/has done everything for them. None of my family deserve me and they aren't worthy of being in my life either. It may sound harsh to some people but those that have never experienced anything like this, have absolutely no idea how difficult it is living like this. I honestly feel like I'm sat here just waiting for my Parents to die so that I can finally have some peace and so that I can finally live how I want to live. Outsiders have actually said to me when am I actually going to have a life of my own. My reply, Good question! Even when I've lived miles away, my Mother has always come to me. She's always been an adult baby just like my Sister. My advice to anyone contemplating living with Parents over the age of 20 is, don't do it unless you have no other choice because it ruins your life. I never anticipated being in this position at my time of life. Some days, I feel relatively ok but other days I could literally scream. I have a rant to close friends about it all. Thankfully, they are really supportive. They fully understand my frustrations due to being in the same situation themselves.

You're 54 years old and have to grow up. Stop being a martyr who lets mommy and daddy behave abusively to them like a powerless child. A child can do nothing about their abusive parents. An adult can get up and leave.

You are not a powerless child dependent on them. Move out. Even if you have to go to a temporary shelter for a while, it will be better than how you're living now. Also, if you're as sick as you say and are living in a shelter they will help you get a social worker who will help you apply for disability.

I feel sorry for you. I really do because I've been there. I know what it's like to have a needy, snide elder (and in your case two of them) take my self-respect and dignity. You don't have to let them keep it though. You don't have to wait for them to die to get some peace either. You can get some today. I thought that I had no other choices, but I did. So do you if you think on it. As for your a******e sister who thinks it's funny that she doesn't help out. Learn two words. One has four letters and starts with an 'F' and the other one is 'You'. These are the only words you should be speaking to your sister.

Now, your parents are sick and needy. They are dependent on you now. This means you have leverage. Example: If they get snide and abusive there's no supper that night. Or you don't run an errand for them. Or you refuse something else. If you need privacy and can't get it there, leave. In fact, you should go stay with a friend for a few days and let your parents rough it for a few days. That will take their behavior down a notch.

My mother is a chronic complainer. No matter what I served her (other people were fine) she would complain about. She'd eat it and have seconds, but there would be the snideness and complaining. Until one day I did what my aunt used to do with their mother. If complaining starts, you take the plate and throw it in the garbage. Let them go hungry. You do for them on your terms or not at all.

Please start making plans to leave their house. You deserve better and you have to take the first step which is the hardest one. Good luck to you.
(4)
Report

Are you in the US? If so, are you on Social Security Disability? If not, you should be. At least on social supplimental insurance called SSI. With SSI you usually get Medicaid. With SSD you get Medicare and maybe Medicaid too. You can go to Social Services and get the ball rolling. They may help find you housing. You may be able to work a little to suppliment your income. You would get away from your parents and go no contact.

If you leave in another country, they must have similar programs.
(1)
Report

Agree that you should stop doing so much for your parents. Just stop. Tell them they need to hire someone, that you can no longer do so much with your health issues. Most importantly, stop doing these things. Just let their laundry pile up, etc.

We don't know the specifics of your health issues, but I also agree that you need to start making plans to leave. Imagine they were both dead and the house was gone. Where would you go? How would you manage? Do that now.

Even if they left the house just to you, you would still have expenses. Free ain't free when it comes to inheriting a house. Start figuring this out now.
(2)
Report

I believe the OP is 54, not her parents. But if they are in their 70s, they could live another 20 years.
(1)
Report

Please look for other housing. Get help from social services to rebuild your life away from your parents. This is an abusive situation for you. You need to set boundaries so even though your mother is miles away and comes to you, you still make wise decisions to protect yourself from her.

I well know that and no one can do it for you. You have to start to look after yourself.
(2)
Report

You're still relatively young at 54. Young enough to start anew. Move out of your parents home, get a job you can manage with your health issues, and take back your peace.

The vast majority of us know exactly what it's like to have difficult parents, make no mistake about that! So we make decisions that limit our contract with them. If hard times come around, we minimize our stay in their home, or avoid it altogether, tbh, knowing that our lives will be ruined otherwise.

Hopefully you'll do as the others suggested, and as your siblings have done, and move out and on with your own life now. Many others have gone before you and managed to do it, so can YOU!

Best of luck taking your life back.
(3)
Report

My neighbor has been living in his parents’ house for a decade after losing his marriage and his job. Then his mom died and his dad went to Al after a diabetic amputation. This guy found his dad’s will disinheriting him, but is still hanging on there until the family finally throws him out

Hes 52. His decision to stay there vs being homeless is as rational as yours, but he would have done better before and could still do so now by becoming re-employed. You should strive for this.
(2)
Report

Your sister has the right idea. She doesn't waste her time on these terrible people. You can adopt that idea as well. You CAN live your own life, starting now. It will take work, yes, and a lot of strength and fortitude, but you can do it. You don't have to wait for your parents to die to live the way you want to live. Do it now. What would you do if they were gone already? Go do that now.

Put a lock on your door. Stop doing things for them. Clean up after yourself, but let them hire someone to do the rest of the cleaning, and let them hire someone to take care of their medical needs also.

Make plans to leave. Call your local social services about what help you can get due to your mobility issues, and about finding employment suitable to your capabilities. Go to your local women's shelter and talk with their social worker about getting housing, SNAP, Medicaid, etc. Can you move in with one of your friends temporarily and rent a room?

Then let Adult Protective Services know that your parents are alone and let them come up with a plan. Move out, block them on your phone, and live the quality life that you deserve.

I wish you well. It's a long road but can be so much more worthwhile than this kind of a nightmare.
(3)
Report

I’m sorry for your hurt in this. You have far more power and choice than you believe. No one deserves to be berated and taken advantage of, no matter the circumstances. You can change this, it requires you believing and acting, taking the scary steps and having courage. I wish you healing and peace
(2)
Report

You said that you "had no choice" but to move back in with your young parents(54 is not elderly but young).
But you've always had a choice. You've just made the wrong choice and now you are paying the price and regretting that choice.
Your parents at their young age could live another 40+ years, so I sure hope you have plans sooner than later to get out of their house once and for all and learn how to say the word no. It's such a small yet powerful little word. You may want to try it sometimes.
From what you have described living with your parents it might be better to live in a homeless shelter or crash on a friends couch for a while until you can get your feet back on the ground. And if need be you can block your parents number so they can't harass you when you do move out.
And don't be mad at your siblings for not coming around or doing things for your parents, as they are the smart ones. Now we just have to get you to be smart like them.
Time to grow up, learn the word no, move out and take your life back.
(1)
Report

"...those that have never experienced anything like this, have absolutely no idea how difficult it is living like this. "

Um, plenty of people on this forum know exactly what it's like and here is basically what they will say to you:

Learn the word "no".

See a therapist, since you have no boundaries with your family and may suffer from having been groomed by your parents and are now enmeshed.

Your other family aren't involved because they DO have boundaries, but also because you've conveniently made yourself the care slave solution, not the do-gooder Rescuer. You need to rescue yourself first and foremost

Move out. Seek section 8 housing, SNAP, whatever assistance will help you be independent of them.

You always had control of your life but couldn't see it. Now you do. Move out and move on.

I'm very sorry for your health and employment struggles but you need to do some difficult things now. Do NOT tell your parents you are planning to move out. Just move and then report them to APS and keep reporting them until they are removed from their home and become wards of a court-assigned 3rd party guardian. This is a far better solution than you wasting your life caring for ingrates and abusers.

I wish you wisdom and peace in your heart as you reclaim your life by defending your boudaries.
(6)
Report

Start a Discussion
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter