Thanks for the explanation! I was a bit confused by the meme until you explained it here. Much appreciated.

Speaking up to hate speech isn't about control or taking anyone's freedom of speech away. It's about calling it out because of the societal damage it causes. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences of what you said. Also, therapists don't work the way you are describing they do.

Perhaps you should take some 101 classes at your local community college so you can learn all of this information in an effective manner.

Very good point.

It depends on the context. If I'm at some bar with a bunch of chodes, I won't say anything but I'd probably just leave since it would be "their turf" for people like that. If I'm ordering food somewhere or at a store I'd say something. But I'm also the type of person that speaks up when someone is being rude or raising their voice at service people.

The question was, what WOULD you do. Perhaps it's good you don't police speech since you seem to not understand it that well anyway.

First thing's first, don't beat yourself up. You're doing great! Understanding where you're stuck and wanting to break the cycle, of which, is already part of a larger plan to get out of that toxic environment, is really really great and you should be proud of yourself for everything you recognized and accomplished in this so far. Not many people are able to break those cycles or even recognize they're part of it. So make sure you're commending yourself because you've already done a lot and come really far.

I give this advice as I went through a similar experience growing up. You may need to just tweak what you're already doing, just a bit, to change the pattern. Someone suggested getting out of the house which is a great idea. If you're able to get up early and leave for a walk or a run in the morning before starting your day and focusing on positives and your goals while doing that helps start your day. Then also, at the end of your morning routine, think about the bad things that you know are going to happen or be said from your parents and that you don't have any control over. Just accept that it's going to happen and you can't control that. Making peace with what you can't control while also not condoning it as appropriate behavior is great for personal peace of mind.

I don't know about your life but finding another job or a job that pays more may help. You may need to just adjust your resume slightly to get a pay bump so you can afford to get out of there quicker. I hope this helps and good luck! We're all rooting for you!