Ask Dr. Schwartz
Psychotherapy and Mental Health questions

My girlfriend is 23 years old and has been through a lot in life. We have been together for 11 months now and everything has been pretty amazing. We never really have fights about us or our relationship. Instead, its always about something else going on. I feel like she is a modern day Cinderella with the way her family treats her. Her mother always depends on her. I feel like she is the only one in the house who ever does anything. She is always cleaning up after her mother and her mother's boyfriend. Her mom is in her early 60s and works part time, comes home from work and does nothing. Her mother rarely cooks and is usually too busy on the computer playing games to clean the house. Her mother,s boyfriend is around the same age, early 60s, and goes to work full time. Then, he supposedly sits at the local bar all night and comes home trashed and passes out on the sofa. My girlfriend is the only one who really takes time out to clean the house. If she waits for someone else to do it, garbage bags will get piled up for a week and smell up the whole apartment.

My girl was very depressed for a few months with the loss of a friend and since then has been getting better. When she is out everything is ok and she's normal and happy go lucky. When she's home or with her mother and her sister, shes becomes more and more depressed. She doesn't say anything to them about what's going on. She vents to me and when I try to say something about it she is ready to rip my head off because that's her family.

Her family depends on her way too much. Her sister is 40 years old, divorced and with a 5 year old child and a new boyfriend. When her sister wants to go out with the boyfriend she has the mother babysit who in turn gives the guilt trip to my girlfriend that she's too tired or stuck at work. My girlfriend feels guilty and drops what she is doing in order to babysit.

We are in a huge fight right now because of her sister and mother making rude comments and getting involved with our relationship.

What can I do or say to get my girlfriend to listen to how I feel about the situation and how I feel that her family treats her, without her getting mad and walking out like she has been doing? I love her and I used to love her family until I saw what they were doing to her and how they were adding to her depression. Please help I love her with all my heart and I don't want to lose her due to what her family is putting us through.

Disclaimer

• Dr. Schwartz responds to questions about psychotherapy and mental health problems, from the perspective of his training in clinical psychology.
• Dr. Schwartz intends his responses to provide general educational information to the readership of this website; answers should not be understood to be specific advice intended for any particular individual(s).
• Questions submitted to this column are not guaranteed to receive responses.
• No correspondence takes place.
• No ongoing relationship of any sort (including but not limited to any form of professional relationship) is implied or offered by Dr. Schwartz to people submitting questions.
• Dr. Schwartz, Mental Help Net and CenterSite, LLC make no warranties, express or implied, about the information presented in this column. Dr. Schwartz and Mental Help Net disclaim any and all merchantability or warranty of fitness for a particular purpose or liability in connection with the use or misuse of this service.
• Always consult with your psychotherapist, physician, or psychiatrist first before changing any aspect of your treatment regimen. Do not stop your medication or change the dose of your medication without first consulting with your physician.