My family hardly listens to me and their reactions hurt me. Please give advice. What can I do?

Anonymous

I went to lunch with my family today, and I started talking about something that was upsetting me. I have always felt like the black sheep of my family, and as a result, I never felt heard by them. When at lunch, I finally expressed how I felt about their reactions, and almost immediately, they started getting angry with me. I was so desperate to be heard, but I did not intend for the conversation to turn into what it did... I told them how I felt: when I complain or express concern for something that upsets me, they always get angry with me and tell me I'm too negative. That even when I try to be as reasonable and direct as possible, they immediately shoot me down. Meanwhile, when they complain it's fine, and I listen to them and try to talk about it. During lunch, they kept telling me that I was doing this and that, whilst I sat there trying desperately to make a productive conversation. I acknowledged my wrongs, but they were never admitting to theirs and kept saying "you do this," whilst assuming what I was thinking. They told me that they weren't doing what I felt like they were doing, and I felt like I was crazy. They were starting to yell in the restaurant as well. Then, my brother told me that I "was just trying to play the f***king victim." I didn't expect this and it hurt very badly to have him respond in that way. I couldn't take it anymore and I began to cry, and for the first time in my life, I had a mini panic attack. I felt like such an idiot crying in a restaurant (I had to walk out for a moment), and now I'm questioning my validity. When we left lunch, I talked with my parents, and only after awhile did they somewhat see my point, still, the conversation was now all about fixing me and not the issues I had. What can I do to get past this situation? I'm going to talk to a professional, but I am concerned that my family still won't see their side of things and understand mine. I love them, but I feel like they never listen to me and it makes me sad.

My family hardly listens to me and their reactions hurt me. Please give advice. What can I do?
2 Opinion