Sometimes I still remember my abusive step mother and how much she hated me. She would lock me in my room and if my dad wasn’t home she wouldn’t give me food or water. She sold most of my stuff for money. I was only five and I still remember saying good morning and then she would hit me and say I didn’t have permission to talk, I felt like a prisoner. Now she’s gone and I’m 13, but now he’s marrying someone else but I never even talked to her, I just know that she lives far away and I just don’t know what to do. I don’t want it to happen again.
HELP YOURSELF
- It sounds like you have some very difficult memories of your relationship with your step-mother. Thank you for reaching out to Teen Central for help.
- Dealing with fear of the unknown can be challenging. You may want to start by keeping a journal of your feelings, or try making a list of the things you’re concerned about. This may help you to organize your thoughts enough to initiate a conversation with a trusted adult.
- There are some resources on the TOOLS tab that may be helpful to you in managing some of this stress. Check out some of the worksheets and techniques for stress and anxiety, and maybe even meditation or yoga to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.
CONSIDER THIS
- Have you talked with your dad about your memories of your past relationship with your step-mother and how you feel? If you’re not quite comfortable discussing things in person at first, try a hand-written letter explaining your thoughts, and invite him to respond.
- Is there another trusted person in your life that could help you practice what to say, or even ask to initiate this conversation with you?
- Is there anything you would like to learn about this new person in your dad’s life? What are you curious about? If you could find out more about them, and have the opportunity to ask some questions, would this help to ease your mind about this upcoming change?
