[Michelle Engbino]

Do you think it's reasonable to leave your family in this situation?​

AIBU, which stands for 'Am I Being Unreasonable', is the perfect platform for sharing your thoughts and opinions! So, for today's AIBU discussion, we have this story from Casst_Dean.

'I (20m) am the middle child in a family that honestly feels like a case study for what family therapy tries to prevent. My mum’s an alcoholic with serious psychological issues and a bit of an Oedipus complex that even Freud would throw his hands up at.'

'My older brother (28) who is a bit of an addict dropped out of university years ago and survives off debts and favours that usually I end up paying for. My teen sister can't even make her own breakfast, and my 12-year old brother (who’s autistic) is probably the most emotionally mature person in the house.'

'Well, I’ll be brief. Basically, I've been taking care of everyone for as long as I can remember. I don't want to sound like a victim, but it's the truth. When I was a teenager, I spent countless nights picking up my mother from “work events” where she would get drunk until she passed out, urinated on herself, and start yelling at her coworkers.'

'My older brother constantly asked me for money to pay off his debts from buying marijuana, and my sister always came to me crying after another fight with my mother, or whenever she needed money for some “emergency” that turned out to be cinema tickets.'

'A few weeks ago, I received the best news of my life: I was accepted into a scholarship and internship programme in London. It was an incredible opportunity because it was something I had worked hard for while studying and working two jobs.'

'I cried. I'm not even ashamed of it. For once, I felt that all the sacrifices and sleepless nights had been worth it. That night I told my family, foolishly expecting them to be proud of me.'

'They weren't.'

'My mother basically asked me who would help her pay the bills when I left. Then she started yelling across the dining room. My older brother told me it must be easy for me to jet off to Europe while leaving them to sink into the s***, and my sister accused me of abandoning her, saying I had promised her I would always be there for her, and then brought up the mistakes I made when I was 16. Even my little brother called me an i****, although I'm pretty sure he was just repeating what he had heard others say.'

'They all called me selfish. When I'm still the invisible pillar of this family. I don't earn much, but everything I have ends up in their hands somehow. I never thought about abandoning them or cutting off contact, but their reaction left me dismayed.'

'I've been selling my things, saving every penny, organising my paperwork, and preparing to leave at the end of the year. None of them talk to me anymore. And honestly? This time, I'm not going to apologise for taking a chance or thinking about what they want. But I can't help thinking about how much my family will fall apart if I leave (even though I'm not even thinking about leaving for good).'

'They don't even talk to me and they spend their time talking rubbish about me. Honestly, the one I'm most worried about is my younger brother, it's not his fault. So, am I being unreasonable?'

 

[Zuki]

Not at all. Self preservation will make them cope. You only get 1 life. Go for it and good luck to you.
.

 

[Argie]

No you are not being unreasonable. GO do it and good luck

 

[LadyOwl]

You only have one life!
You have wasted most of it on your family... go do your thing, in the long run they will also be better off

 

[RobbyNotTheRobot]

I don't need to read all of it.
Pack you bags and run and keep running.
Blood is not thicker than water, that is a guilt trip set up for abuse.
Run and don't turn back.

 

[kdzimm]

You live in a house full of manipulators who have had it easy scunging off you. Get out, do what you have worked so hard for and don't give them your phone number or address so they cant cry poor over the phone. Disappear and live the life you deserve.

 

[Jo Piper3]

You are only 20 yrs old, give the family back their responsibilities and please enjoy your scholarship and internship.

 

[PammW]

You are not unreasonable! Don't let them drag you back in, change your phone number, email and whatever else they could contact you with. You've done more than enough for them, it's time for YOU!

 

[Towing]

Has anybody attempted to show your sister how to make her bed? She should have been shown how to do it a few times when she was young. Some young children have a short attention span. Is your sister a "special needs" person or just lazy and needs more discipline. Who does the housework, your Mum or is that delegated to you too??