Jeanne PhillipsDEAR ABBY: I’m an 18-year-old guy who’s having troubles regarding my family. My parents are divorced, and I moved out of my mom’s house after I graduated.
After the divorce, I flipped back and forth between living with either Mom or Dad. I moved into my mother’s after an argument with my stepmom, who insists that I call her “Mother.” I don’t consider her my mother. My father is an alcoholic and was completely impaired when he married her. I’ve never forgiven him. When I visit, I can’t help but feel no longer welcome.
My mother (a hypocritical tiger mom) made my high school career so stressful it pushed me into severe depression, so I spoke to a doctor who prescribed medication for me and gave me therapist referrals. Since I moved out, I’ve never been happier.
My siblings and I have never been close, other than at times when we needed someone to talk to about our parental situation.
I have been thinking about disappearing and starting a new life on my own with no thought of my family past. I’m not sure if it’s worth fixing the mess my family has become. Advice? – BREAKING AWAY