Help Me Escape a Hostile Home Environment

Hello everyone,

I’m reaching out because I genuinely need help. My living situation has become unsafe & emotionally draining, & I have no choice but to ask for support.

I’ve known my roommate & his family for over 10 years, so moving back in felt like it would be a safe & stable decision. It quickly turned into a nightmare.

Since moving in, I’ve taken on most of the financial & household responsibilities, including caring for his dog. At first, I did so willingly, but over time it became overwhelming. When I expressed that I couldn’t keep handling everything on my own, the energy in the house became cold & hostile.

After that, I stopped doing more than my fair share, & my roommate began disrespecting my space. He started eating my food, using my personal products, & wouldn’t replace them unless I confronted him. I eventually had to move most of my things out of the bathroom & shared spaces into my room to protect them.

On Saturday night around 1:30 a.m., I came home to find that his dog had defecated throughout my room & urinated on my bed because my roommate “assumed I was home” & left the dog unattended. I had to clean my entire room while already feeling weak from the flu.

The next day, his mother confronted me about dishes in the sink. I explained that I hadn’t cleaned them because I had spent the night cleaning up after the dog. That conversation spiraled into an argument. When I calmly asked her to leave my room multiple times, she refused & even tried to provoke me, saying, “Make me move, I dare you.” I never laid a hand on her.

She called the police on me, but when they arrived, they confirmed she couldn’t evict me without a formal court order & ultimately sided with me. She also called her husband, two sons, & one of their girlfriends to the house while I was alone, leaving me completely outnumbered & unsafe.

I already spent most of my time in my room to avoid uncomfortable interactions & the hostile energy in the home, but after yesterday, I don’t even want to go home.

Despite everything, I’ve never been late on rent or bills. But this situation has taken a toll on my mental health & I know I can’t stay here any longer. If they take me to court, I’d likely be given 90 days to move out. If they don’t, I’d still have to keep paying rent while trying to save enough to leave.

This transition is happening so quickly that I will likely have to leave my job & rely on family or friends for temporary housing. I’m asking for help to cover moving costs, storage fees, & any unexpected expenses during this time.

Any amount, or even just sharing this, would mean the world to me.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this & for any help you can offer.