[sg1031]

At home I feel like I am being mentally abused at home. Mainly by my stepmother. I have not been told by anyone else that I should hate her, such as my mother, but she is always very mean. Some examples are sometimes she gets in my face, she'll call me names behind Dad's back, and she will ground me or punish me for the most minute things. When I try to speak to Dad about what is going on he either stands up for her or doesn't believe me. She also calls me delusional if I talk to him about her while she's around. I used to be so close with my father before she came around, same as how I was really close with her before she had a child. I don't know if this counts as mental or emotional abuse, but it sure does feel like it, and it's starting to affect my self conscious. And at times I feel really depressed and upset.

[thesnowqueen]

I am constantly unsure about whether my own experiences 'really' counted as emotional abuse or not. It's really hard to get a grip on this sort of thing and the more one wants certainty the more it can evade you!

Is there anyway you can speak to a counsellor or therapist about what is happening? An objective outside voice would give you some kind of anchor.