Imagine having a disabled parent, and you are the only person who they will let care for them.

If your mental health was suffering due to the stress and pressure of being their sole caregiver, would you continue to care for them, or would you step back to prioritize your mental health?

In this story, one man is in this exact situation, and he’s not sure what to do. He wants to prioritize his mental health, but he’s not sure if that’s the right decision.

Let’s read the whole story.

AITA for stepping back from caring for my disabled parent because it’s destroying my life?

I (22M) have been my disabled parent’s (53F) main carer since I was a teenager.

She’s had multiple brain hemorrhages and a stroke, which left her with severe brain damage. She can’t walk more than a few meters, struggles to communicate, and often doesn’t recognize me.

She’s had professional carers assigned, but she verbally abused them until they quit.

My family stopped helping years ago because of her attitude, so the responsibility fell entirely on me.

His mental health is really suffering.

Over the years, I’ve tried my best, but my own mental health has hit a breaking point.

I’ve been diagnosed with several mental health conditions. Such as schizophrenia, psychosis and adhd, that make things much harder, and I’m honestly not coping.

I’ve started stepping back from being her full-time carer because I need to focus on getting help and stabilizing myself.

His family is making him feel guilty.

Now my family is calling me selfish and heartless, saying I’m abandoning her when she needs me most. They say that since she only has me left, I have to “step up.”

I feel awful hearing that, but I also know I’m barely functioning myself.

AITA for stepping back from caring for my disabled parent so I can take care of my own mental health?

How about these guilt-tripping family members step up and help. He needs to prioritize his own mental health.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

The family members need to step up.

This is a good question.

Here’s a similar story and a life lesson.

Here’s a suggestion of what to tell the guilt-tripping family members.

Ignoring your mental health to help someone else won’t end well.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.