I think that's alot of my problem. I feel that I owe them something. When you're brought up to feel that, it's really hard getting away from it. My sense of what's normal is way off. They were my world for 17 years, and they taught me their version of what normal is. I'm just now learning that it's not really normal at all. Making people feel like crap and turning them into your personal verbal punching bag is not normal. It's something that I do not have to put up with. I am taking baby steps when it comes to getting myself away from my parents. I'm starting off with this... when they call me I'll only answer the phone if I want to. And, if I don't feel like it, I don't. My T said this to me about my parents: "If they get mad at you and decide not to talk to you for the next 5 years, that will be the best thing for you. It may be sad, but it's the truth." Those are strong words. I am starting to believe them. The natural thing for me to do was to call my mom if I needed to talk to someone about a problem, even though I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that she would do nothing but hurt me with her words. I just don't tell her anything lately. That's when she starts calling 20 times a day wondering why I haven't called her. It's like she doesn't think she's doing anything wrong at all. It has become normal to her. That's sad.