DEAR ABBY: I have a very toxic relationship with my older sister. I still live at home, although I’ll be leaving for college in a few years.
She has been emotionally abusing me for years. At one point, I considered suicide. I don’t believe I would ever go through with it, but it scared me. My parents never do anything about it.
I try to avoid her, but it’s impossible because of the close living quarters. I don’t know how to stop her. She has said she would stop before, but she doesn’t. – BULLIED IN MY OWN HOUSE
DEAR BULLIED: Suicide is not the answer. Face it. Your sister is an unhappy individual who enjoys belittling others. She may do it because she’s frustrated with her own life, or simply because she can.
The way to deal with people like her – and there are many – is to change the way you react to them. There is a saying that applies here: “Just because a jackass brays doesn’t mean you have to take it to heart.” The next time your sister makes a sarcastic comment, repeat that “mantra” to yourself and it may lessen the sting she’s trying to inflict.