u/Zaindevil

I’m 25F from India. I completed my graduation and then started preparing for a government competitive exam, but I failed three times. Later, I began a postgraduate degree, but I couldn’t complete my dissertation. During that period, I became severely depressed and attempted to take my own life, although I survived.

I eventually became an atheist. I also don’t know why, but I often feel that people see me as stupid, take advantage of me, or treat me badly. I have a lot of empathy for animals and for people who are vulnerable or treated unfairly. When I see animals suffering or people being exploited, I think about it deeply and become emotionally affected.

I’m not particularly interested in movies, so I usually watch documentaries and read books. I’m especially interested in topics involving animals, human suffering, social problems, and the world in general.

My sister often criticises me for being unemployed while spending so much time thinking about animals and problems in the world. I understand that being unemployed is something I need to address, but her criticism doesn’t motivate me. Instead, it makes me feel ashamed, destroys my self-esteem, and makes me feel even less capable of becoming independent.

My mother is also emotionally immature, so I don’t feel that I can have a meaningful conversation with her about these things. I have no close friends to talk to about what I’m experiencing.

Because conversations with my sister and mother so often leave me feeling hurt or criticised, I’m considering limiting my conversations with them to things that are necessary.

I’m not sure whether I’m being overly sensitive or whether I’m setting a reasonable boundary. Has anyone experienced something similar—being unemployed, highly sensitive to suffering, and having family members constantly criticise them for what they care about?

What helped you deal with the criticism without completely losing your self-esteem?