March 31, 2026 at 2:55 pm

Woman Was Bullied, Threatened, And Humiliated By Her Own Sibling Growing Up, So Therapy Made Her Wonder Whether She Should Cut Him Off For Good

by Benjamin Cottrell

upset woman crossing her arms

Pexels/Reddit

Growing up with siblings isn’t always the wholesome picture people paint it to be.

For one youngest sister, childhood meant threatening texts, invaded privacy, and constant fear of living under the same roof as her brother.

So as she looks back on her troubled childhood, she wonders what she owes her terrible sibling — and she’s starting to suspect she’d be better off without him.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITAH for going no contact with my only sibling?

At what point is sibling fallouts/fights considered just downright bullying?

I endured a lot of stuff when I was younger, the likes of being hurt and threatened constantly on top of the embarrassment on social media statuses/posts.

Facebook was just becoming a big thing as I was growing up.

But the mistreatment didn’t stop there.

This was followed by the threatening texts — “wait til you’re home” sort of thing.

My privacy being invaded by them raiding through my bedroom and me being petrified to even retrieve my own stuff back out of their room.

Still, she wonders if this is all in his head somehow.

Is this just “what siblings do” or, now that you are older and reflect back, do you consider this bullying?

I’m not sure if I’ve gaslit myself into thinking that it’s just sibling stuff.

The bullying has led to longstanding mental health challenges.

But looking back, it was definitely the catalyst of the beginning of my anxiety and OCD after doing CBT.

My sibling has never dropped the “lil sis” act on me and treats me like I don’t know my behind from my face — it’s patronizing and I’m totally done.

AITA for going no contact?

No one should be forced to face this kind of mistreatment — especially from their own sibling.

What did Reddit think?

Sometimes you just have to listen to what your body is telling you.

Screenshot 2026 03 25 at 12.31.09 PM Woman Was Bullied, Threatened, And Humiliated By Her Own Sibling Growing Up, So Therapy Made Her Wonder Whether She Should Cut Him Off For Good

Going no contact can be difficult, but it’s sometimes necessary.

Screenshot 2026 03 25 at 12.32.47 PM Woman Was Bullied, Threatened, And Humiliated By Her Own Sibling Growing Up, So Therapy Made Her Wonder Whether She Should Cut Him Off For Good

Cutting him off may be the only viable option left.

Screenshot 2026 03 25 at 12.34.22 PM Woman Was Bullied, Threatened, And Humiliated By Her Own Sibling Growing Up, So Therapy Made Her Wonder Whether She Should Cut Him Off For Good

She spent years calling it sibling rivalry, but CBT and a little reflection had other ideas.

Life’s too short to spend time with people who willfully mistreat you.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.