Hi Nelly, From one survivor to another, thanks for the advice. Our mothers sound sadly similar! - Except that mine would not stop people from seeing me since she always has to show off how devoted she is and how she's taking care of me, of course. There have been a few times that I've "given" my mom "problems" that she can "fix" as you said. Sometimes I feel its helpful, sometimes not so much. The safe place in Pennsylvania would be my sister's house. I don't know how she handles it living so close to my mom - I could NEVER do it. The distance between us keeps me sane. But one thing that I'm glad for with her up there is that I can spend time at her house instead of my mom's if I want to. It does help. Hope things are good for you and BF this Christmas! Min