Help me leave my mental and verbally abusive family
Hello, my name is Ibtisam. I’m 32 years old and from the Middle East. I’m reaching out because I desperately need help finding a way out of my abusive household and rebuilding my life.
I have a high school education and have been trying my best to find a job. Unfortunately, opportunities for women where I live are limited, and I often face rejection because I lack experience or the qualifications employers are looking for. I want to work, become independent, and support myself. I just don’t know where to begin anymore.
For years, I have lived with constant verbal and emotional abuse. My home, which should be a place of safety, has become a place where I feel trapped, frightened, and emotionally exhausted.
My 26-year-old brother struggles with drug addiction. I have tried to help him, but he refuses to recover. Instead, I often feel that he takes advantage of me. Sometimes, I give him money simply to prevent arguments and keep the peace because I am afraid of what might happen if I refuse.
That fear comes from something I will never forget. One day, while fighting with my sister, my brother threatened to kill us. I was so terrified that I ran to the police station. My family later brushed the incident aside, as though nothing had happened. But I have never been able to forget it. I still wonder when something like that might happen again.
I spend so much of my life trying to avoid conflict, protect others, and keep things from getting worse. In doing so, I have lost so much of myself. I feel anxious, helpless, and mentally drained. I cannot continue living this way, but leaving feels almost impossible when I have no job, no financial security, and nowhere safe to go.
I was raised to depend on men for security and support. I am trying to change that. I want to stand on my own feet, earn my own living, and build a life where I am not constantly afraid. But starting over at 32, with limited education, no work experience, and so little support, feels overwhelming.
I am not asking for an easy way out. I am asking for a chance.
If you know of any legitimate work opportunities for women, remote jobs I could do with my current education and skills, organizations that help women leave abusive homes, or resources that could help me become financially independent, I would be deeply grateful.
If you are able to offer practical advice, employment leads, safe housing resources, or even guidance on where to begin, it would mean more to me than I can express. Any support that could help me take the first steps toward safety and independence would give me hope.
I have spent so long trying to save my family that I have forgotten how to save myself. I want to stop living in fear. I want a safe place to sleep, honest work, and the freedom to build a future of my own.
Thank you for taking the time to hear my story. I hope that, with the right help, I can finally find a way forward.
