[MtnTime2896]

"Abuse". You don't say that word in my family. It wasn't abuse. It was discipline. It wasn't abuse. It was a lecture. It wasn't abuse. It was an incident. Abuse only happens in other families.

My little sister, she's the only one who will say it, only to have my other siblings call her dramatic and my parents put up a wall. I'm not much better, as I just say, "Mhm." And proceed to stay silent. I don't attack her, but I don't defend her either. I just walk away and stay out of it. I know she wants the same as me: Validation. The difference is, is she's calling for it while I just get high to forget how empty I feel. If anyone in my family read this, I'd be attacked like a zebra carcass surrounded by a pack of hyenas.

Maybe it's all in my head. Maybe she is dramatic.

Or maybe I should get my family's voice out of my head and believe myself for once.

I don't know.

[Fuzzybear]

So leigheas

[freespirit00]

That is the hard part of living in abusive families. They do not consider their abuse to be of note, leaving you feeling as if you have made the whole thing up or that you are over exaggerating the issues. One thing they don't do is validate your feelings or even understand that it is alright to feel the way you do. If you feel that sharing how you feel with your family members will subject you to the "zebra and hyena" scenario then your feelings are valid. I felt this way when I was younger and it warped my sense of self and my ability to get my needs (emotional and physical) met. I hope you find your space to be you without others telling you how you should feel.