I’m looking for advice because I have no experience in situations like this.
I’ve been living with my father, who has always used physical punishment as part of his parenting. He has been physically abusive for as long as I can remember, and even now that I’m an adult, nothing has changed. This has seriously affected my mental health, making me anxious about almost anything involving other people.
I’ve been making money through an online business, which brings in about $1,500 a month—enough to cover my basic needs. I recently invested some of my earnings to grow my brand, but now I’m facing a big problem.
I live in my parents’ home. Recently, while I was on a phone call at night, my father barged into my room, assaulted me, and knocked over my things. He took some of my belongings as punishment and wants to throw them away. His reason was that I disturbed him by talking late at night, which woke him up. I ended up with a minor cut on my hand. This kind of punishment happens often, usually for things that annoy or disturb him.
A few months ago, I left college because I couldn’t afford it, and dealing with my father made it mentally unbearable. Since moving to New Jersey with my parents recently, I haven’t made any friends, applied for any jobs, or built any connections.
I’m 19 years old, have $1,600 in cash, about $3,000 worth of possessions, no connections, no college, no car, no driver’s license, no work experience, no other family in the U.S., no knowledge of my neighborhood, and I’m socially anxious. I need to leave this house for both my well-being and my parents’. What steps should I take?