Is this domestic abuse?

My parents have problems and they argue everyday, it’s clearly not healthy nor what is expected to happen at home especially for prolonged periods of time. They would have an argument over the smallest of things such as picking up my brother from school and buying food. My father is the kind to argue just to repeat his point over and over without bothering to listen to the other party which could be me or my mom. If it’s my mom she would drag the topic to something else irrelevant and they would argue even more and usually they don’t stop until my mom isolates herself from him and this is like a bad coping mechanism which is basically just running away from the problem and leaving the problem unsolved then the next day my dad would just act like nothing has happened while my mom is very much still affected.

I tried helping them by trying to sit them down and have a civil conversation but that is very much not working. Our said conversations would go on for hours which is very draining because they have so many problems and they will just keep bringing them up and neither would step down and admit that they were at fault. And like if I told them to forget they would just be like cannot forget everything reminds them of their problems.

Often their arguments will escalate so much that my dad will threaten stuff and telling my mom to leave and all. All these in front of my brother who is just 8 this year. It’s obvious the arguments at home are affecting him greatly, he has shown temper issues in school, getting in fights and arguments which are just fuel to more arguments at home, even if you tell them to stop arguing they quite literally never stop. My dad doesn’t realise he’s mentally hurting everyone and even sometimes physically when he’s mad but I don’t know what to classify these as? I am currently in the o level year but I am lucky enough to not need to take it but even so with their constant arguments I feel part of my life is embedded in this mess that I can’t untangle myself from, every time after school there’s no motivation to get home and rest ykwim. It’s like I’m gearing up myself for war in my own house, more often than not I’m also driven to the edge and have suicidal thoughts but of course I never went through because I do treasure my life but increasingly, I have felt there’s no need to live anymore if this is what living felt like. It’s such a big burden and I can’t focus in school or at home, it’s probably just coincidental that whenever I’m going to study they would start an argument. I try to tune out their arguments but part of me always doesn’t because I’m scared that it would escalate and people would be hurt and I usually would need to step in and make sure that that doesn’t actually happen. So when it has calmed down a bit, I think too much on what just happened and waste my time away. Which is bad but I don’t know how to cope anymore. Any advice on what I can do? Neither of my parents would go for counselling or therapy so those are off the table and I’m exhausted trying to solve their problems. Is this normal??

Hey @lightheartedhoneydew8608,

I just read what you wrote about the arguments at home happening almost every day. It sounds very tiring to live in that environment. You described coming home from school almost like preparing for another battle, and that kind of constant tension can wear a person down, especially when it keeps repeating and there is no real resolution.

From what you shared, you seem very aware of the patterns between your parents. You notice that your father tends to repeat his point and not listen, and that your mother sometimes shifts the topic which leads the argument to go in circles. When two people fall into those patterns, conflicts often keep restarting rather than settling. Anyone living in the middle of that would feel overwhelmed.

You also tried to step in and mediate between them. That shows how much you care about your family and how much you want things to calm down at home. At the same time, when conversations go on for hours and still do not resolve anything, it can leave a person feeling defeated and drained. Trying to solve problems between adults is a very heavy role for one person to carry.

I also noticed how you described staying alert during the arguments because you are worried someone might get hurt. Living like that, where you feel you have to keep watch all the time, means your mind rarely gets the chance to rest.

You mentioned that sometimes your dad gets so angry that people can be hurt. I want to check gently on this part. Are you yourself safe when these arguments happen? If you ever feel that someone might be physically harmed, it is important that another adult outside the home knows what is happening. If you ever feel that you are in immediate danger, please leave the situation and seek help from someone nearby, a neighbour, a neighbourhood police post, or call 999.

You also shared that sometimes you have thoughts that life feels pointless when all of this keeps happening. Those thoughts can appear when someone has been under stress for a long time and feels trapped in a situation they cannot control. The fact that you wrote here and also said you still value your life shows that a part of you is still trying to look for support.

You asked whether this situation is normal and what you can do. Families do argue, but constant conflict that leaves you feeling this overwhelmed is not something you should have to manage alone. One step that may help is allowing another adult outside the family to support you. This could be a school counsellor, a trusted teacher, or another adult you feel safe speaking with. Conversations with them are usually kept confidential unless someone’s life or safety is at risk.

If you feel like you need someone to talk to outside of school hours, you can also reach out to these services in Singapore:

National Mindline - 1771
SOS - 1767

They are there to listen and support people when things feel too heavy.

You have been trying very hard to manage a situation that is largely outside your control. Wanting peace at home and worrying about your younger brother shows how much you care about your family. At the same time, it may help to make sure you have some support around you too, so you are not carrying all of this on your own.

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