If I count,there are only a couple of sentences I was courageously been able to utter to my mom with out inducing rage in her. You couldn't even say ...mom ,I am hungry. I said that once and got severely injured because of her punishment and learnt my lesson for life. When I visit my parents now I walk on eggshells specially around my mom.I am scared to ask,mom can I help you prep the dinner..?What I do is just go to kitchen and see what veggies and greens are out on the countertop and proceed to chop the salad silently. Sometimes she snatches those out of my hands...I CAN CHOP THEM MYSELF.WHAT AM I ?A CRIPPLE OR SOMETHING?
I am scared of her.What do I do? I am silent. Some times she asks opinions in a cutesy voice.Do you think she is interested in my opinion?Many times I thought so.The moment I say something ,she snaps at me.Ridicules me.Then why ask in the first place?I learned another lesson.Its called baiting.When bored abusers do that.They try to engage you in a conversation, just to argue and insult you.So what do you do after a few incidents?You don't engage,even if the other party wants you to.You want to be quiet. While on the phone with her,which is few and far between now a days, I let her blabber on.My replies are.....uh,ok,oh,oooh, hmmm. Yep,huh,.You got the gist.
I am a believer that silent treatment is not always abuse.Sometimes an otherwise healthy person is forced to behave like that.