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Edited: 3/4/2010 2:53 PM by
Life at Home is Stressful
I'm having problems with my mom parenting me. I fully understand that I should be parented, by there's a twist. My older brother, who is 16, refuses to go to school and has only gone three times this year. My parents see a counseler once and a while becuase they are trying to figure things out with my brother. He hits me and verbally abuses myself and my mom, which makes life at home very stressful. My parents have very little control over him, and now they are thinking that he has serious mental issues. Since my mom can't punish my brother for doing bad things, she watches me like a hawk. My brother could punch me multiple times, and when I would yell at him, my mom would yell at me for yelling at him. My stress level is so high that I barely eat, I sleep very little, and my grades in school are dropping. What can I do to help my situation?
Edited: 3/4/2010 2:56 PM by
It sounds like you feel very alone in this situation.  When is the last time your brother physically hurt you?  Has he ever left marks or bruises on you?  It is not ok to be treated like that by anyone for any reason.  You mentioned that your parents have sought out help from a mental health professional to have your brother evaluated.  Hopefully he will be able to get the help that he needs to address his aggressive behavior.  Is it possible to ask your parents to make an appointment for you to see a counselor for support?  It may help you to have someone to talk to on a regular basis for a while to help you through this difficult time. 

It may be a good idea to talk to your school counselor about what is going on.  The school counselor is there to help you, and may be able to talk to your parents about how stressed out you feel.  Ask your counselor to arrange a meeting with you and your parents at school to discuss your concerns about your brother, and the problems you are having at school. 
 
To help with the stress that you are feeling try to do some of the following things to relax;  listen to your favorite music group while you lay down on your bed with your eyes closed, make a warm bubble bath and bring in a book with you to read, write down your thoughts and feelings in a journal or notebook, call, text, or email a friend or family member who is supportive, and if possible do some type of exercise like walking or running.  This will help to reduce the stress level in your body and help you to feel better. 
 
We are here for you to help you in any way that we can.    You don't have to go through this on your own!  If you have a phone feel free to call our hotline listed below.  We answer the hotline 24/7 and welcome your call anytime.

Hope to hear back from you real soon,

Michelle, Counselor