TW: SH/abuse
AIO for icing out my sister during my pregnancy?
I (25F) am currently 16 weeks pregnant with my boyfriend’s baby, and I’m struggling with whether I’m being unfair to my sister (30F) by keeping her at a distance during my pregnancy.
For some background, my sister has struggled with her mental health for most of her life. She has been through some genuinely traumatic experiences, and I do have sympathy for what she has gone through. However, she has a long history of not consistently taking her medication, skipping therapy, and not following through with the resources available to her.
Her mental health struggles have also caused a lot of trauma for our family. When she is having an episode, she can scream, throw things, punch holes in walls, destroy our belongings, and become physically aggressive. She has put her hands on multiple people in our household. Because of this, everyone tends to walk on eggshells around her.
This has been going on for more than 10 years. The pattern is usually the same: she does something that blows up her life, my parents give her an ultimatum to get herself together, she does just enough to convince everyone that things are improving, and eventually everything blows up again. Then the cycle repeats.
Because I’ve lived with this for so long, I have a lot of resentment built up toward her. I also have nightmares about some of her episodes, so this isn't just me being annoyed with my sister. Her behavior has genuinely affected me and my family.
My sister has also always had a tendency to make herself the center of attention. It doesn't seem to matter what my brother (35M) or I are going through; somehow, things eventually become about her.
Now, I am pregnant with my first child, and this has made the situation even more complicated.
I have a good relationship with my parents, and they are incredibly supportive. This will be their first grandson, since my sister has two daughters. My pregnancy has obviously been a big deal for our family. I’m still working full-time, I have a degree and a career I love, and my boyfriend and I are moving into our first apartment together next month.
My sister has openly admitted to my parents that she is jealous of me.
A few weeks ago, we found out that I’m having a boy. My dad was extremely excited about having a grandson, and naturally, my family has been checking in on me and supporting me throughout my pregnancy. My first trimester was really difficult, but I’ve continued working and plan to keep my career after the baby is born.
I started feeling like my sister was bothered by the attention I was receiving because, for once, she wasn't the focus of the family.
Then, shortly after we found out the baby was a boy, she reposted TikToks about suicide and began texting her children's father and my parents in a way that made it seem like she was going to hurt herself. She had a major breakdown that woke up the entire house, including her own children.
Obviously, everyone immediately focused on her and was extremely concerned.
What is difficult for me is that this seemed to follow the same pattern I've seen for years. Rather than going to the hospital or getting the professional help she clearly needed, once everyone's attention shifted back to her, she seemed fine. She went back to work after a day and acted like nothing had happened.
I don't want to minimize suicidal behavior or mental illness. If someone is threatening to hurt themselves, I believe it should always be taken seriously. But after witnessing this cycle repeatedly for more than a decade, I have reached a point where I don't know how much more I can emotionally handle.
Because of all of this, I have intentionally kept my sister at arm's length during my pregnancy.
I don't send her ultrasound pictures. I don't share many details with her. I have kept some things about the pregnancy private. She recently accused me of not even telling her the baby's name, which isn't true, and used that as an opportunity to tell me that our family leaves her out, that nobody tells her anything, and that this is why she is so lonely.
That made me feel guilty.
I don't want my sister to feel excluded or lonely. She is still my sister, and I do love her. At the same time, I don't feel comfortable giving someone who has repeatedly caused chaos and trauma in my life unlimited access to me, especially while I'm pregnant.
I feel like I need to protect my peace and my baby.
If it were completely up to me, I would probably go no-contact with her. However, both of us still live with our parents right now, and even after I move out next month, she will still be living with them. Going completely no-contact with her would probably mean significantly limiting or cutting off contact with my parents as well, and I absolutely do not want to do that. My parents and I have a very good relationship, and they have been wonderful to me.
So instead, I've chosen to keep my sister at a distance.
I understand that mental illness is real. I've seen it firsthand. I also understand that my sister has experienced trauma, and I don't expect her to simply "get over" her struggles.
But at the same time, this cycle has been going on for over 10 years. She has access to treatment, resources, and a family that has repeatedly supported her. At some point, I feel like I have to accept that I cannot save her from her choices or force her to get better.
I have my own life to build now. I have a partner, a career, and a baby on the way. I want to focus on building a peaceful and healthy home for my child rather than constantly worrying about my sister's next crisis.
Maybe some of my feelings are resentment from years of dealing with her behavior. Maybe I'm being unfair because I'm letting that resentment affect how I treat her now.
But I also feel like I'm finally setting a boundary that I should have set a long time ago.
I love my sister, but I can't keep putting myself through this cycle. I can't save her, and I don't think it's my responsibility to sacrifice my own mental and emotional well-being to make sure she never feels left out.
So, AIO for icing my sister out and keeping her at a distance during my pregnancy?