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Paul Johnson
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On items 1 and 2: corporal punishment is a controversial issue that I won't get into here, but punching, choking and throwing things are definitely over the line. This is not discipline, it is child abuse. The big red flag is that the cut to your head was explained away with lies. If this was actual discipline she would not have felt ashamed of it.

On items 1 and 2: corporal punishment is a controversial issue that I won't get into here, but choking and throwing things are definitely over the line. This is not discipline, it is child abuse. The big red flag is that the cut to your head was explained away with lies. If this was actual discipline she would not have felt ashamed of it.

On items 1 and 2: corporal punishment is a controversial issue that I won't get into here, but punching, choking and throwing things are definitely over the line. This is not discipline, it is child abuse. The big red flag is that the cut to your head was explained away with lies. If this was actual discipline she would not have felt ashamed of it.

Source Link
Paul Johnson
  • 10.6k
  • 1
  • 32
  • 40

On items 1 and 2: corporal punishment is a controversial issue that I won't get into here, but choking and throwing things are definitely over the line. This is not discipline, it is child abuse. The big red flag is that the cut to your head was explained away with lies. If this was actual discipline she would not have felt ashamed of it.

Take a look at this page on how to discipline a child. Note the emphasis on clear limits, talking calmly, and clear notice of consequences.

Now compare it with the Cycle of Abuse, where a period of growing tension ends when the abuser suddenly tips over into anger and violence, followed by a period of reconciliation and calm before the cycle begins again. Think about the those slaps. Where they delivered as a calm response to continued naughtiness after a warning, or were they part of a sudden outburst of anger? A slap as a consequence ("If you do that again I shall slap you.") might be considered reasonable, but if it happens suddenly because she has lost her temper then that is abuse, not discipline.

In item 2 you say "even tho she did not mean to". This is something that victims of abuse often say. They are always finding excuses for the abuser. "They didn't mean to hurt me". "It was my fault for making them angry". Does that sound familiar? If someone hits you it is their responsibility, not yours. If you are injured by them it is their fault, not an accident. The first thing you need to do is to stop making excuses for your mother's bad behaviour.

3. Now she constantly mocks [things about me].

That is psychological abuse. A mother should be loving and supportive. Constructive criticism and guidance is fine, but not mocking.

then one day we were having the same conversation and she hit her head twice on her own palm very hard

That is emotional blackmail. It is not acceptable behaviour. She presumably feels she can't hit you any more, so she hits herself instead to punish you with guilt. And it worked. So one thing you need to do is to make sure that next time it doesn't work. If she tries that one, respond calmly with "I'm not going to stop you hurting yourself. But it's not going to change anything". And then wait for her to stop. I expect that once she discovers it doesn't work she will try something less personally painful.

I won't go through items 4-7 individually, except to say that while some of them might be appropriate for a 13 year old they are definitely over-controlling for an 18 year old. Especially making you share clothes with an 11 year old.

Incidentally, how does she treat your sister, and any other siblings? If she abused you, she is probably abusing them. You need to think about your siblings as well as yourself. I'm sorry for the abuse you have suffered, but one of the things now is to ensure that your siblings don't suffer the same way.

8, She also constantly tells me that she does not make me do many chores so I should be thankful and just study. On times she has also mentioned that she was married away at 21(she had and arranged marriage) so I should be lucky that I have this opportunity.(am I am grateful but idk sometimes things just don’t add up)

One thing that children learn from their parents is how to be a parent. Its quite possible that she is simply treating you the way that she was treated as a child because in her experience that is what parents do. If she was married off at 21 without much say over her husband then it is certainly good that she is not planning to do the same thing to you, and her wish for you to study, and then presumably get a good job, is the one good thing you have to say in what is otherwise a pretty dire indictment. (And I would second her advice on this, because financial independence is the first step to getting out from the poisonous environment she has created).

From your references to arranged marriage and caste I infer that your parents are from India, although you don't say where you live. Under Indian law you are now a legal adult. Most other countries have the same age of majority. You can find a job and move out, and your mother can't stop you. However that doesn't solve the problem for your sister and any other siblings.

Normally I would suggest trying to have an adult-adult conversation with your mother in which you lay down some ground rules and try to reach an agreement on how you are going to live together. However I have a nasty feeling that any such conversation would go downhill pretty quickly unless you can be very strong. You would need to stay 100% calm while sticking to your guns, and it would not be surprising if you can't do that.

I think this calls for professional help. Depending on the country you live in, you may be able to involve social services. Like I said above you are now an adult, but your sibling(s) still need protection. You may also be able to get leverage over your mother by threatening to involve them. However that can easily turn into just another move in the ongoing game that you and your mother are playing. If you tell us where you live we may be able to point you in the right direction.

Where does the money in your household come from, and who controls it? I'm guessing your mother controls it absolutely, but can you get any? Money can be an important lever, and control of money is often a part of a controlling relationship.

You might find ideas from Transactional Analysis useful in understanding how you and your mother interact. Your item 9 in particular sounds like what TA calls a "crossed transaction". Think about whether you and your mother are taking the roles of Parent, Child or Adult in this conversation.

Finally, its likely that one day you will be a mother yourself. Think about what I said earlier about how parents learn from how they were treated as children. Look for some other models about how to be a mother.