Learning to set boundaries is so important. You can work in therapy in learning how to set boundaries and then try it out with your mom. Also, you could work toward moving away from your mother--getting a better job, learning more job skills to let you break away, finding a friend to share an apartment with so the cost isn't so great, etc. That's easier said than done, and I don't know your situation, but maybe the prospect of being away from the abuse could help motivate. I had emotional abuse in my family and part of the problem was that after I was an adult, I continued to take it instead of standing firm for myself and not tolerating it. I continue to work on boundary issues (letting myself be a doormat, thinking that it is OK for others to treat me poorly, etc.). A book that I have found helpful is: Where to Draw the Line: How to Set Boundaries Every Day. Even if you are not ready to set boundaries, reading the book can help one learn what appropriate boundaries even are. This was knowledge I did not have. Good luck!