A woman shared how her mother reacted to her mental health diagnosis and why she made a decision she never wanted her mom to find out about.
Narcissist
She began by saying, “My mother is the epitome of narcissism. Everything is about her. If my dad has a health issue that lands him in hospital, how dare he not realize how this would impact her?”
Everything is All About Her
She said, “She’ll ask, doesn’t he know she can’t live alone? Or if I get a tattoo, how could I do this to her? What will people think?”
Housekeeper Retired
Her mother’s housekeeper retired to take care of her grandchildren while the parents returned to work. She responded by saying, “Those awful people shouldn’t have had kids unless they can do it alone.”
Diagnosed With Depression
The woman recalled, “When I was diagnosed at 18 with depression and GAD (general anxiety disorder), I made the horrific mistake of telling her, and she lost it. How could I see a shrink and get on ‘crazy pills’? What would people think of her for having a crazy daughter?”
Accusations
“She’s accused me of having nothing wrong with me,” she said. “Apparently, I’m just doing this for attention and to make her look bad. I have to stop this nonsense right now, or she will cancel my health insurance and disown me.”
In College
At the time, she was in college and broke. So, paying for her own health insurance was not an option.
Stopped Taking Her Meds
She did what her mother wanted and stopped taking her meds. Then, she stopped going to her therapy sessions.
High-Stress Jobs
The woman said she spent the next 15 years working in two different very high-stress job industries. These led to her being physically attacked at work on multiple occasions.
Abusive Relationships
She also had a couple of highly abusive relationships, alongside her untreated anxiety and depression. Now in her 30s, she feels lucky to still be alive.
Own Home and Better Job
“I own my home and am finally in a job where no one beats me up or tries to strangle me,” she said. “Nobody is threatening to find out where I live and kill me. Instead, I’m in a job where my team respects me, appreciates me, and pays me well.”
Still a Mess
Despite this, the job is high-stress but in a hectic/fast-paced way, not in an “I wonder if I can go a week without having to tase someone at work” kind of way. Privately, she was still a mess.
White Knuckle
She said, “I’ve been white-knuckling my way through life untreated for almost two decades, and it’s caught up with me. I was waking up in the middle of the night in a blind panic, thinking of all the things I might have done wrong that day.
Tiny Mistakes
“If I made a tiny mistake at work, even if no one noticed, I would have a panic attack and go hide in the bathroom to cry,” she said. “I felt like I was worthless, and they were going to fire me.”
Spiralling Worries
Her worries spiraled out of control. She worried if she was fired, she’d never find another job and lose her house, and her dog would hate her and run away, and the world would end.
Yearly Physical
Recently, when her doctor mentioned at her yearly physical that she looked tired, she broke down. She said, “I told her everything. She put me on Zoloft, gave me Xanax for emergencies, and set me up with a therapist I can afford on my insurance.”
Her Mother Can’t Know
She told the doctor that she couldn’t do that because her mother couldn’t know. The doctor responded with, “Well then, it’s a good thing HIPAA means she’ll never know unless you choose to tell her.”
Light Bulb Moment
She described it as a light bulb moment as she realized the doctor was right. For years, she had been limiting her contact with her mom.
Only Stayed in Contact with Her Dad
The woman had only held off cutting contact completely because of her dad. At that time, she was so careful to do what her mom wanted.
Feels Better Already
She finished by saying, “She doesn’t need to ever know. I didn’t need to suffer in silence all these years. It’s not shameful to ask for help, and my world is brighter already.”
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