Hi Bloopsy! Glad you're still here and really getting alot of your issues and struggles out ! Healthy sign. My N mother alternated between saccharine intrusive involvement( lived vicariously through her children as she had no life) and abuse. Both verbal and physical- although she was a petite woman, not very strong, and as of age 12 I made it clear to her that I was stronger and not going to stand for it anymore. She used to tell me I was stupid, handicapped, would never be able to finish school( high school), get a job or have any kind of a life. She said I would have to live at home the rest of my life with my parents and some kind of trust fund would have to be set up when they died. I'm left handed and dyslexic, but was a straight A student all through high school, graduated with scholar status, graduated both university and several college courses- incl my nursing. Obviously the rest of her twisted prophesies never came to pass!! She would tell me she wished I'd never been born. I was born 16 yrs after my older sis- who grew up as only child. She " fell down " stairs when pregnant with me( likely abortion attempt combined with alcohol and drugs). Was non compliant with bedrest as she was hemorrhaging periodically. Drank and induged her addiction to narcotics through pregnancy. Refused to breastfeed and I any my sibs were essentially raised by series of house keepers. I've always been a survivor and resilient in many ways and when someone tells me I can't do something, makes me show them they're delusional! That said this has certainly damaged my self esteem in areas I continue to work on. But I have to thank her for her death this Feb, was an epiphany for me that I was more like her than I ever thought. I too have bipolar, OCD, alcohol and drug addiction( her choice of drugs even) and isolate. I also realized at that time that I was living with a twin of my N mother in guise of my exN. So, thanks to my N mother I've made some excellent choices- am finally getting a grip on my health, in recovery for alcohol and drugs- successful, left toxic workplace, kicked ex N out!!! Also you say you've been mean to your mum there is nothing wrong with confronting bad behaviour and addressing your feelings and boundaries. That is healthy conflict resolution. As for your mother's reaction to your feedback, you are in no way responsible for her reactions. Nothing to do with you- her stuff. Hang in! Moira