When I was a teenager my relatives were mocking my mental health problems

[FireFox]

One of the reasons I was deeply miserable as a teenager because of my relatives making fun of my mental health issues. As a teenager I used to self harm and I used to talk to myself something which my mother never got me tested by a doctor to find out why I do it. I only grew out of talking to myself in my mid20s. I know its so embrassing.

I am British of African descent. My teenage years were spent travelling overseas to my parents home country( Africa) to see relatives for funerals and family gatherings. On these visits while I thought my relatives were being nice me they were just laughing at me the entire me for being the weriodo of the amily. I had to find all this out from my grandmother when I came back to the UK

●My grandmother explained the relatives wanted me to see a witch spirtual doctor because of the fact I talk to myself and I needed to be "fixed" to be more normal. In my parents country witch doctors are not medically qualified and use herbal medical medicine and talk to spirits normally evil spirts. The medicine the witch doctors offer depends on who you see. Some witch doctors will take you to a nature place like the woods and make you bath in a river, others might give you herbal solution they made for you to drink or a homemade spiritual oil. The treatments are mjxed with anything Every session witch doctor says some special prayer or spell in their language. The "treatments" witch doctors offer are known to be humiliating and people and psychologically damaging. Majority who use the services end up psychologically damaged which is my grandmother refused.

The relative who was harassing my grandmother to get me to see a witch doctor her own grandson is pedophile who molested multiple children and the relatives were always covering up for him. This man was never ever harassed by the relatives to see a witch doctor to be "fixed". According to my relativenmy quirky behaviour didn't fit their definition of normal but her pedophile grandson is normal.

●I used to be so close to 1 relative who I told her everything because she was always nicer and was not judgmental so it was easier to talk too. We both liked the same TV shows, I got on well with her daughter who I grew up with. She is a registered nurse in USA. All our private conservations she was gossiping about me to the relativss and telling everyone I was crazy and a weirdo. The relatives were finding this so hilarious.

As a teenager I had to learn how my relatives think I am a freak and a werido. My mother even criticised me for failing to be normal and cared the gossip and jokes the relatives were making. As a teenager my mum snapped at me saying " everyone at home( her home country) thinks you are crazy."

 

[crystal_meth97]

I'm sorry you've had these awful experiences. People suck and I can only imagine how alienating having your family act that way felt. It must have been very isolating. My parents didn't care enough to have my mental health evaluated by a professional when things were in their early phase, although there were obvious signs like self-harm and drinking, so I didn't get the help I needed. My problems naturally became worse, way worse, and they started caring and paying attention only after my first suicide attempt about 4 years ago. Now we're very close and they're trying their best to understand and support me, although I still want to die. Back to what's bothering you - I hope you can somehow distance yourself from your toxic family and relatives and find peace, no matter what that means to you, life or death.

 

[SnakesButNoLadder]

My teenage years were spent travelling overseas to my parents home country( Africa)

Ah, yes. My favourite country, Africa!

Spoiler

Just kidding, I get you mean a country in Africa.

witch doctors are not medically qualified and use herbal medical medicine and talk to spirits normally evil spirts

Sounds like talking to things that arn't there is normalised for witch doctors, maybe you should become one.

I too talk to myself quite a bit. I've been caught a couple of times, it's normally rumination that makes me do it so I try to avoid it the best I can.

I understand you, my mental health concerns have be joked about by my friends. I have middle class mates who have never faced hardship in their lives. When they talk about violence, I try and give my two-cents and they pass me off. They also joke about the measures I had to take because I had criminals harassing me and the police did nothing.

A joke isn't always fun. When people are bogging you off, minimising your health, or being malicious it's not okay. African families are known for hard love.