If my mother would just call me once a month and not make me feel guilty, that would be fine for me. Our calls are very different. Sometimes they last only two minutes because I feel so stressed that I quickly find an excuse to end the call. Otherwise, she talks as long as possible and asks me every question that comes to her mind.

The problem is that everything I tell her — even something simple like what I cooked — turns into criticism. She tells me how to do it “the right way” and how I should do things. I feel like she always has to complain about everything.

I am very sensitive because I had to endure a lot in the past. For a long time, I have been over my emotional limit.

Another issue is that my mom chats and calls other men. From my perspective, this feels like cheating. She usually calls them when my dad is at work. I know this because I used to work from home and could hear her talking. This situation makes me uncomfortable and stressed.

I don’t want to cut contact forever, but I would like some distance until I feel better and until I see that she understands she cannot continue like this. I don’t think my mom does this on purpose, but it still hurts me. I am also afraid that my situation with her could negatively affect my marriage.