For more than a year now I’ve been unemployed due to mental health reasons. My sister has had me babysit her kids for well over a year now and has never paid me for it. To be fair, I did tell her that she didn’t have to pay me for two reasons. One, she’s my sister. Two, I’m at home all day (depression keeps me locked in). Her job recently had ended and she came to me and said, “good news, my job ended so you can finally work now (meaning she can watch over her own kids). As if I was obligated to take care of her kids this entire time. So for over a year I’ve babysat her kids without pay and rarely have ever been shown any gratitude. Why is it so hard to at least hear a thank you?

What also bothers me is the fact that she indirectly called me a bum. She right to my face called someone else a bum because they don’t work. The fact that I’m unemployed is the reason why she hasn’t had to worry about paying anyone to take care of her kids. Sure, I’ll admit that I am very much a bum. I’ve felt like a loser ever since I’ve quit my job. 

It’s not even the money that I’m upset about. It’s me not hearing a thank you or being shown any kind of appreciation for over a year now, while simultaneously being called a loser. Sure, she probably doesn’t know why I refuse to work. I don’t imagine it’s that difficult to see that there’s something wrong with me though. I always wear my emotions on my sleeve without ever meaning to so I know that I’m obviously miserable. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that she’s never once asked me why I don’t work or even if I’m feeling ok. I shouldn’t expect any support or at least sympathy because I already know how light of an issue she makes mental illnesses out to be. I feel like I’m being taken advantage of by my sister during a time when I already feel like no one really gives a shit about me. Am I overreacting here?