I’m really glad you reached out. What you’re describing is frightening, exhausting, and overwhelming. Being pressured nonstop, insulted, and told you have no choice about something as personal as marriage can make anyone feel trapped. Your feelings make sense. You are not dramatic or selfish for wanting control over your own life. You are an adult human being with the right to decide whether or when to marry, work, or live independently. Being 27 does not remove your right to choose. That doesn’t mean you actually have no options. It means your brain is overloaded.
You mentioned telling them you might harm yourself. I want to speak gently here: when pressure becomes unbearable, the mind looks for any way to make it stop. Saying that can be a cry for help, not a wish to die. But your safety matters more than winning an argument. If at any moment you feel like you might actually hurt yourself, please reach out immediately to someone outside that house a local crisis helpline, a trusted friend, a neighbor, a doctor, or go to a hospital emergency department. You deserve protection Your parents may be scared about age, society, relatives, health, and their idea of duty—but fear does not justify abuse or forcing a life decision. Their stress is not a license to control you.
Next Steps
1) Focus on safety first.
Try not to stay alone with both of them when conversations turn aggressive. Stay near other people in the house, keep your phone charged, and have numbers saved of friends or relatives who are calmer.
2) Stop debating when it becomes abusive.
You don’t need to keep explaining yourself for hours. When voices rise, use short, calm lines:
“I’m not refusing forever. I’m saying I’m not ready right now.”
“I will not discuss this when I’m being insulted.”
Then physically step away if you can.
3) Look for one ally.
Is there even one relative, family friend, teacher, old colleague, or neighbor who is reasonable? Someone older whom your parents respect? Having one outside adult speak for you can change the tone more than you fighting alone.
4) Write your thoughts down.
When everything feels chaotic, write what you want for the next 6 months—not your whole life. Just: job, place to live, mental health, breathing room. Seeing it on paper helps your brain remember that there is a future beyond this week.
Health Tips
You sound strong, even though right now you feel broken. The fact that you left a stressful job, questioned what you want, and reached out for help shows a lot of courage. You are trying to protect your future, not destroy it.
Slow your breathing for a moment with me:
inhale gently…
exhale longer than you inhaled…
again… slow and steady.
This moment will not last forever, even though it feels endless right now.
You don’t need to solve your whole life tonight. Just protect yourself, get through these days, and gather support. You are worthy of a life chosen by you, not forced by fear.