Thank you for replying again, Anita. I’m so grateful. I’m going to make an appointment with someone who can offer some housing advice, so hopefully that’ll help.

My mum has been drinking & I’m finding it hard to deal with today. She used to talk to me about her problems a lot and knows this is no help to either of us, but now talks to herself a lot, often near me or following me to a nearby room. (I’m not sure if I’m being paranoid or not but it seems like she is.) She’s quite overbearing and controlling sometimes, not liking if I do things for myself, and it’s always worse when she’s drunk, and I feel guilty for upsetting her.

I wait anxiously whenever she’s been drinking for my dad to come home, because he will lose her temper with her, usually slamming things, shouting in her face, and recently pushing her too. I know it’s not my place to intervene in their relationship and don’t anymore, but feel very guilty for not helping or standing up for her when he acts this way. I want to do the chores/cooking she does so it makes it less obvious she’s been drinking, but that’s enabling her further. But at the same time I don’t want to annoy him. I know I should get away ideally, but I can’t drive so going out in the evenings/weekends when he’s home isn’t an option. I’m also always worried she’s going to be sick, because I know that’s when I definitely shouldn’t be doing anything, but don’t want to annoy my family by not ‘helping’.

I’m having a difficult day today and kinda wanted to talk about it, and this is the only place I could think of, so I hope it’s okay I’m posting this here. I just feel very drained.