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My great-grandma recently moved and asked me to go with her. I thought it would fun, so I agreed. Now that I am here, I am almost positive that she has dementia. It's like living with someone that is drunk 24/7. She forgets everything, so she constantly repeats herself and makes me repeat myself. She really does not know how to do the simplest things. I have showed her 8 times how to use the microwave and it's the kind that you just have to push one button, not the kind that you have to type in the time. Okay so it's hard, but if I really had to, I could put up with that stuff. But here's where it gets tough. She is extremely mean to me. The first incident was when I was watching TV in the living room. She came up to me, took the remote, turned the TV off, and told me to go to my room. Several other things has happened. I've only been here 1 week, but yesterday, she really hurt me. The dog was sitting in my lap and she told the dog "Get down, she doesn't love you." And then a few minutes later when they were sitting outside, the dog wanted to come inside, where I was, and she told the dog "Don't go in there with her. She doesn't love us." I told my meme (her daughter which lives right down the street) and my mom and at first, they were nice and trying to help me and told my grandma to stop being a jerk. But now, they said I am not allowed to leave. I'm 17, that makes me want to leave even more! They are forcing me to stay here and be miserable just because no one else wants to take care of her. She has money. Why can't they hire a professional? I cry myself to sleep and no one seems to care.

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If you were smart enough to graduate early, why are you not in some kind of school now, like community college or trade school?

You can call adult protective services and ask what to do with her so that you can get a break. Be sure to tell them that you are 17 and that your mom is forcing you to stay there so she does not have to pay anyone. Feel free to tell them how you feel unsafe when grandma does her weirdness. They are the key to the door.
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Hello again. I told my mom straight up "I am coming home and I am staying home and y'all are not going to make me feel bad about it. Y'all can respect my decision or not but you can not force me to be here." She apologized for making me go through this and said I can come home. I told my meme the same and she has not replied yet, she is probably sleeping (I texted her because I'm too much of a big baby to say it in person). She is going to beg me to stay and she is going to be very mad at me, but I need to stay strong. I told her I will visit my great grandma all of the time and I will help her as much as I can. I just want to say thank you guys so much! If it wasn't for you all, I would have never had the guts to stand up for myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My great grandmother is going to the doctors on May 4th. I understand there is not much you can do about dementia, but I will make sure she gets all the help she needs.
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Are you locked in, chained to the bed? Your mother and grandmother have tricked you into being their servant, there is no way they live so close and didn't know what was going on. They are controlling you with fear, obligation and guilt.... fear of reprisals from the family (and perhaps even the authorities?), tapping into your sense of familial obligation and the guilt of abandoning your g.gma and "promise" to help. At 17 you should be in school, having fun with friends your own age, dating, and taking steps to establish yourself as an independent woman. Make a plan to get yourself free, give sufficient notice and then go. If they love you they will respect your choice, if they only want to use you they will not, but either way you will have learned a valuable lesson and you will be free.
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It's not right. But can you tell us a little more - like, are you still in school? Do you have anywhere else safe where you could live - is your father an option? Could you return to the area you moved from? How long until you turn 18? Besides your mom and grandmother, do you know anyone else in the area whom you can trust?

A little more detail will help to give you more specific advice. But again - this isn't your responsibility- especially at your age.
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Yes! Adult protective services! No way should you be responsible for g-ma. I still don't understand how you are being forced to do this, though.
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No, I only have two friends and they don't have cars. My mom is picking me up tomorrow to visit and I'm supposed to be coming back Sunday. But I guess she can't force me into the car, right? I'm not in college because I want to be a photographer so it's not necessary to go to college for that. My meme finally told me last night that she did research on dementia so now she definitely thinks thats what she has. So I guess it's a good thing that she realizes that now but now she's begging me not to leave. They keep telling me that I just have to give it a chance. They don't realize that she is not going to get better. So if I stay here, I will be here until the rest of her life. I guess when I go home tomorrow, I will be making the last little bit of my family left hate me. I just hate being put into this situation. I'm the youngest in the family and I get everything thrown on me.
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I am fine with you wanting to be a photographer, but until you have an internship with someone when you are out in the field, you need to be taking classes in composition, marketing, and business so you can be prepared to take on those subjects for your real world job. It sounds like your mother encouraged that dream so she would have you to work for her! And for NO PAY!

I agree that you do not need a degree to take photos - it's art, an expression. Fine. But you need an Associate's at least to get a decent job to support your art. Very few photographers make it big, and fewer make it big who have not taken classes on marketing themselves. Your mother is taking advantage of you not "being in school" and her having to pay something - she's using you to not have to pay something for grandma. Taking in person classes is expensive, but it is a way to set firm boundaries with your mom.
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This is very, VERY, disturbing if true. First: When do you turn 18? Second: Don't waste a single second - work on getting out of your situation. You have only two friends? Can you talk to their parents discreetly over the phone and tell them what's going on, ask them for advice or even ask them to be there with you should you call Adult Protection Services? Your family is wanting you to stay with a possibly dementia relative when you have no training in how to handle this person if/when the disease progresses? Do you understand what dementia does to the mind? If you're willing to take the time to come to this forum, the you should spend time reading up on this disease and after you read its complications, then think about if are really wanting to stay with this relative. You come across as nonchalant...okay, this is my life until so and so dies...and the such. You are on the verge of young adulthood. Your priorities are to get your life going. You should be angry that you're in this situation.
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Do you people realize you are questioning a 17-year old? She sounds like a good girl who was doing what she was told to do out of obligation. Yet, you are all making it about why she isn't in school or have friends to come pick her up. I have read plenty of emails from adults who are feeling the same way, bullied into taking care of someone they cannot necessarily take care of, just because it eases the responsibility on the rest of the family and they are afraid to stick up for themselves as well. I am glad you had the guts to speak up. Stay strong! I don't think I would have been able to do that at 17.
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I can't believe you're being put in this situation- no you're not being a baby, you're being brave and doing what your family is asking of you, but it sure is NOT right. I'm 30 and just started care-giving for my husband's grandma and I though *I* was too young to get into it. 17 is absolutely unreasonable to be forced into such a situation. I'm glad I wasn't forced and I made my own decision to be a caregiver. I'm sure it's very scary when you great Gram lashes out, so just try to be careful and protect yourself. Good that you're reaching out here, but you need to let people you're close with know about this, not necessarily your family because they're the ones who put you there. Be strong, you'll be alright!!
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