I know these details will make me instantly recognisable to anyone, but I think I need some support. I'm so conscious about boring or upsetting RL friends and I also think I need some impartial advice. I'm not a MN regular but I do read AIBU.
Last week I was on a course quite near to where my family live and where I grew up. I decided to stay overnight at my dad's house. Although the house belongs to my dad, he has moved in with a partner and so the sole occupier is my brother. My brother is 33, 2 years older than me. He has never really worked. He left university the year before me as he had to resit a year due to failing one, and then he tried a training course as a teacher which didn't work out. He trained as a nurse after this, and qualified, but then had a variety of health problems and became addicted to painkillers so he was sacked as a nurse and can't practice - he only worked for less than 2 years. Since then he has made little effort to find a job, he lives rent free at my dad's.
When he was on the painkillers he was frequently very aggressive and he sometimes went for my dad (who was living there at the time) but not for me, I don't know if it's because I don't live at home or because my dad can be a bit confrontational to be honest. Last year we had an awful time, he kept overdosing, then having epileptic-type fits, being admitted to hospital then being 'released' because the nurses just couldn't cope with him. He was admitted to a psychiatric ward last summer. Since then things have been better, the last fit he had was at Christmas and he just keeps talking about maybe going back to nursing which is unlikely, I think.
Since he can't drive due to the fits whenever I'm there I end up playing taxi and last week I was a bit fed up as the course was a very long day and it was hot, sticky and I was tired. I ended up having my hand forced to take him to Blockbuster to get a DVD out (he doesn't do much other than watch films really) and on the way back this argument started, I don't even know properly how but I was feeling so tired and then he started moaning about his life and I tried to point out everyone has it hard in one way or the other, I think because his moan was about "all me mates moving on" (they are mostly married with children) and I said I wasn't and didn't think I ever would and he started going on about how "if that's your attitude it won't happen." Anyway this row just sort of came from nowhere, honestly, I think I did snap at him as honestly he rings me up to complain, he moans all the time at me but if I ever indicate the slightest dissatisfaction with my life he doesn't want to hear it. He told me I needed a shrink which I found quite insulting and said so. He spat in my hair and became very verbally abusive, repeatedly calling me "fat." I'm not fat but my mum used to tell me I was so I am very sensitive about it now and he knows this. I did say some things back that weren't very kind.
When we got home he was saying "you're not staying here" grabbed my stuff and flung it into the car, including my laptop. I was worried about it breaking so grabbed for it and he really went for me then, he grabbed my throat and I bit him to make him let go, and he grabbed my arm really hard (I had awful bruises the next morning) and threw me onto the floor and then kicked me and locked me out of the house. I had to drive back to my house (about an hour and a quarter away) without even any shoes on!
The next day I had a text from my dad telling me to take care as there's heavy rain in my part of the country and I texted back to say I'd been attacked by my brother. My dad did send a very sympathetic message back but then asked if I could check for his wallet which he thought he'd left in my car (my brother's wallet, not my dad's.) He had, I also realised my laptop charger was still at my dad's house.
When I got home from work I rang my dad but there was no answer, I tried again an hour or so later and he said "Oh, I am just watching the tennis, can I call you back?" I was pretty upset to be honest as he knew how shaken I must be so I retorted pretty crossly. After much arguing we decided I would come back home and drop the wallet off and pick the charger up, I met my dad in a local pub and he said some really unkind things, that apparently when I rang up, his DP was making incredulous faces at him, apparently he doesn't like being rung "in a crisis" and I should have left him to watch the tennis!
I just feel so upset and let down. I think my dad and I will lose touch, as there's clearly no way I can stay there now and I doubt my dad will bother to visit me. He always says he will but then something comes up and it's always a "good" reason but still. But I just feel really unhappy, I'll have to spend Christmas alone, I had to spend years spending Christmas on my own when my dad had a new partner after my mum died and she didn't like my brother (understandably!) or me and it's just hard thinking I'll have to do all that again.
I know I should keep my dignity and they clearly don't want me so why should I want them but it's so hard, I still love them in a way and will miss them. :(