Help a Teen Escape an Abusive Home

NOTICE: I have made my name and location anonymous as I want to take precautions for who is finding this GoFundMe, I do not want to worry anyone close to me, and I want to be able to fix the relationship with my parents in the future.

I’m 17 years old, and my relationship with my family has become very difficult because of my age, being autistic with ADHD, and dealing with medical depression and anxiety. These challenges, combined with my parents’ expectations, have created a home environment full of criticism and emotional stress.

I’ve struggled a lot—from leaving traditional school to get my GED due to school not working out for me, to now looking for a full-time job as a 17-year-old with no work experience. No matter what I do, I’m constantly criticized and made to feel like I’m not doing enough.

In 2023, things were especially hard. Between July and October, as my dad got violent, and physically abused me during this time. The worst happened in October. After my dad told me I “don’t own my life” during an argument about my family interaction because I’m a minor, I had a bad anxiety attack—something that doesn’t happen to me often. Instead of helping, my dad reacted with physical violence. He held me down, nearly bruising my ribs, and blocked my airway with his hand until I had to pretend to pass out so he would stop. I even tried to let myself breathe when he held me down by putting my arms in between his to breathe, and he responded with more pressure. Later, my family and even our therapist brushed this incident I directly called traumatic off with excuses like, “We were scared” or “We didn’t know what to do”. It made me feel completely dismissed. That event, along with many other moments, has left me with trauma, especially with my age and independence, which is constantly used against me.

The physical abuse has stopped, but the emotional and mental strain hasn’t. My parents continue to put me down, and the stress causes me constant headaches, burnout, and moments where I just freeze up. When I try to talk about how I feel, I’m told I’m being dramatic or faking, which makes me feel even worse.

I’ll be 18 in less than five months, but right now, I’m stuck financially and legally. I had $4,000 saved, but my parents are now charging me almost $1,000 a month for expenses that I cant refuse due to them fully controlling my bank account. Since they control my bank account I can’t save for the future. On top of that, since I’m a minor, I legally can’t move out yet, even though I’m willing to live in my car if needed. I’ve been searching for a job for months, despite my age related roadblocks, but my savings are shrinking fast due to the expenses I’m forced to cover.

My hope is to raise enough money to cover 2–3 months of basic living costs—rent, food, gas, and bills—once I turn 18. This would give me the time and stability I need to find a full-time job (which is much easier after I turn 18) and start saving for emergencies. While I’m prepared to live in my car temporarily, being able to afford a safe place to live would help my mental health as I start this new chapter of my life.

Every dollar raised will go directly toward the basics I need to survive. My parents won’t let me take the PC I bought with me, so being able to replace it later with job earnings would also mean a lot since I want to work in programming and graphic design, and they are both staples in my life.

I know there are so many others in need, and I completely understand if you choose to not support me through donations. Even just sharing my GoFundMe or helping another cause can make a huge difference, and make my— or many others’ days.

Thank you so much for reading my story. Your support, whether through a donation or sharing this, means the world to me. I hope you have a great New Year!