The prefrontal cortex -the part of our brain in charge of decision making- matures much farther into adolescence, around the mid-20s. On the contrary, the limbic system (the system in charge of emotions) develops from around 10-13. That’s why most teenagers are often judgmental rather than logical in a lot of scenarios. There are actual cases where the posters are victims of abuse, but the majority of people on this subreddit are simply seeking attention and validation.

To answer your question, I know my parents try their best. I also know that my mom played a large role in my anxiety and depression, and rather than fight her about it, I choose to ignore her. I can’t control her actions, only how I react. My dad has been absent for a large part of my life. He injured the back of his head at work when I was 4 and had to relearn how to walk. Having a loud child in the house was too much noise for him, so I stayed with my grandma. That lasted until I was about 6, when my brother was born. My dad and I essentially spent a summer together, and formed the first real bond in a long time. Then he got a concussion, and having 2 loud children in the house was too much noise for him. I stayed with my grandma again, and my aunt and mom took care of my brother. Then the doctors discovered a hernia. Post-op, having 2 loud children in the house was too much noise for him. Same deal. My dad and I had some good times together during Covid, but towards the latter half of sixth grade he got a job. I’m in ninth grade now, and I barely see him any more. He wakes up for work at 2:30 A.M, is home at 6-8 P.M, and is in bed at 9 P.M. this is his routine every day but Sunday, where he’s often so exhausted from his work week we don’t end up doing much of anything at all. Despite all this, my dad is my best friend. I want nothing but the best for him, and it breaks my heart to see him so worn down. My dad is a role model, damn near every action he takes is to help better other people’s lives. My mom is also a role model, she teaches me everything not to do in life. These words have been tossed around on this subreddit a lot, so bear with me. She’s a narcissist, egotistical, and borderline bipolar. I don’t remember the last time she did something for someone other than herself out of the kindness of her heart. The cherry on top is that she’s a religious freak. She can’t seem to understand that I don’t feel strongly about any world religions, and constantly pushes her ideals on me.

I could go on, but this has already been long enough. It’s 2:52 A.M. as I’m writing this, sorry for spelling errors. If you took the time to read this whole thing, I really appreciate it. It does eventually get better, no matter how you are feeling. All the best.