Scapegoat experiences and are Nparents really unaware of their own jealousy?
I feel my Nmom is my number one hater and no one else in my life behaves at all like her. Just about everything out of her mouth is a putdown and said with such vitriol and contempt. I can't even begin to describe how crazy making her behavior is. I'm just trying to do things I enjoy and she has to compare every tiny aspect of her life to mine. I never think about her unless I have to interact with her, but when I'm away from her, life is great and I just do as I please and she never crosses my mind, but she expects me to take care of her in her old age and she's had some recent health issues that brought us together.
Essentially, everything of her's is gold, everything of anyone else's is shit, despite all evidence to the contrary. I went to Harvard (for my bachelor's and master's), I make more than her, I've modeled and all I hear all day everyday is how I am so stupid and slow because I wasn't the first person to leave the room after taking the SAT's (she thinks this means it took me longer than others to finish the exam, when in reality no one is allowed to leave early. It's part of the rules that test takers must all stay until the end of the exam and who leaves the room first is about where you're sitting in the room.).. literally no one in the world cares how quickly you left the SAT's. Honestly, no one cares about the SAT's past the age of 18. But she won't stop emphasizing how I wasn't the first to leave the exam like it's incontrovertible evidence of my stupidity (never mind that I was valedictorian). She also tries to use my intelligence to prove that I'm ugly because 'the smartest people are never good looking' according to her and therefore if she's less intelligent, that must mean she's more attractive. Trying to talk to her about how this isn't how logical reasoning works just doesn't work. (Also my mom did not go to a good college)
People tell her she's overweight and she takes that out on me by constantly using my thinness to insult me. Skinny so bad! This person is so ugly because they're so shriveled and skinny. That person is so ugly because they're boney and skinny. Ugh you're just like all these ugly people. Harvard is so stupid. Everyone at Harvard ends up being a loser. Harvard knows it's inferior etc etc. On and on and on as if the only thing she spends her time thinking about is me. I guess I should feel flattered? I have a million things to focus on other than her, but it seems she has nothing but me. I could be doing the most unrelated thing, like eating pizza and she'll suddenly blurt out, "see that prove you know you're stupider!" She also clearly looks to see my reaction, and if I don't give a hurt reaction, it makes her mad. I've seen her smile after she makes me cry. She loves saying, if you're bothered, it means it's true. I know factually that nothing she says is true and I don't think I'm bothered by the truthiness of it so much as how crazy and unrelated to reality everything she says is.
Also she gets such a look of glee in her eyes whenever something bad happens to me. I slipped on the icy ground outside and landed on my butt (I'm alright), but as I mentioned this, she became so joyful and asked, "did you crack your head?"... she seemed so chipper at the thought that I might have really damaged my brain. When I said no, it seemed her bubble completely burst.
It's ridiculous! I don't usually write off people's behavior as, "oh they're just jealous," but I feel in this case it actually applies. But it doesn't help. I don't know how to feel less crazy, especially because I can't immediately go no contact and I would like to not be her caregiver as she ages but I don't know how much distance I can achieve between us. I would love to hear other people's thoughts and experiences. Even just to feel less alone helps.