Hysteria

[WorthyJadeHelper]

My sibling lives it seems in a constant state of hysteria. She’s been this way for about 10 years. She seems to feed off drama and disaster. She has latched onto me for support as I am the people pleaser in the family. All other members of the family have taken a step back as they just cannot do anymore to help her. They’ve all tried one way or another. She has to be able to get hold of me at all times (text or call) or she can not cope. However, as I’ve been her support for years it’s taking a toll on my mental health and family. I seem to be in a constant fight or flight state too just waiting for her next contact. If I step back I fear she might harm herself. I’ve had to see my GP for anxiety. Whenever my phone rings or dings with a text my heart skips a beat. How can I distance myself without her freaking out?

I suspect you will find distancing very difficult. Though it is totally legitimate of you to need to set boundaries. But you might want to ask for this post to be deleted, and repost with a different title. Unfortunately, as you may not be aware, the word hysteria has a rather nasty misogynistic history. And that will probably be the focus of most of the replies, especially with this being AIBU which can be a bit of a bear pit. The thread title may well also explain why you have gone 4 hours before getting a reply, which I understand may be disheartening.