this post was submitted on 07 Jun 2026
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I'm biased because this is what happened to me personally, but the wierd lack of power combined with high emotional responsibility.
If someone has too little power but also not much responsibility, they're usually spoiled but not mentally unwell. [I.e, a kid who has their parents baby them and do everything for them]
Someone who has too much responsibility but also a lot of power/independence is hurt by not having a childhood but they do still know how to be an adult [i.e, someone with negligent parents who needs to work to provide for them]
What I got was no power [helicopter mom, constantly paranoid about everyone else, basically anything she said went and I could never fight it or argue anything, and if something went wrong it was my fault, never had an independent income until i became an adult, etc.] but also way too much responsibility [Emotionally supporting her, having to be her therapist, having to deal with my emotions myself, having to make sure everything was in tip top shape so she didn't have a mental breakdown and scream at me, having to solve her interpersonal disputes, etc.]. So i wasn't able to be a kid emotionally but also didn't know how to be an adult. Combined with dehabilitating anxiety, suicidal thoughts and actions, and literal ptsd, I think that's my least favorite type.
So basically Parentification but worse.
This is it. To achieve full nightmare mode, add being neurodivergent and having no idea why your emotionally immature caretaker randomly explodes at you, while any attempt at trying to advocate for yourself or ask for an explanation of what you did wrong is met with increasing hostility. Took many years of my adult life to somewhat fix the crippling social anxiety, while overworking myself into recurrent burnout cycles in order to achieve autonomy from my family no matter the cost. I still have nightmares of being trapped in my childhood home every now and then.
I am sorry that this happened to you comrade. We all deserved much better. Children's rights are such an important part of building a better world and we are seriously lagging behind still treating children like property of their parents and making endless excuses for abusers.
Your mom sounds like an exact replica of mine and your issues very similar to mine... it really does suck doesnt it.