Hi, snakeswithhats! Welcome to the Forums! I'm glad you joined us. There is one thing in your post that I can relate to, not being able to talk about the specifics of my most difficult problems. Could it be it's mostly an issue of trust?, fear of betrayal, prejudice, misunderstanding & judgement? So if you think your mom can't understand, is there a really good friend in your life you can talk to instead? Possibly a therapist would be a good idea, if you can find the right one. I know it's hard. Good luck with everything you try!