In a recent Reddit post, a user shared her story of changing her name after her mother used it for bad reasons. Here’s what happened.
The Name Change

The Original Poster (OP) is a 24-year-old who has embarked on the process of legally changing her birth name.
She’s Had a Challenging Life

Growing up in a tumultuous environment, marked by absent parents and a journey through the foster care system, OP has faced numerous challenges.
She Was the Eldest

OP is the oldest of twelve siblings, and her parents were absent due to drug and alcohol use.
She and her siblings all ended up in the foster care system.
Her SiblingsFound Loving Families

Most of OP’s siblings have been fortunate enough to find loving adoptive families.
She Faced Homelessness

But OP herself aged out of the system and found herself without a stable home at the age of 18.
This experience of homelessness further underscored the sense of separation she felt from her family and added to her longing for a fresh start.
Her Mother Had Been Using Her Name

One pivotal factor motivating OP’s desire for a name change is the disturbing misuse of her birth name by her mother.
Her mother, caught in the grip of drug and alcohol addiction, has resorted to using OP’s name for illicit activities related to prostitution.
The Threatening Situation

This deeply distressing situation not only tarnished OP’s reputation but also threatened her professional aspirations.
She Is a Graduate

Having recently graduated from university with not one, but two Bachelor’s Degrees, OP is aware of the importance of cultivating a positive image in her chosen fields.
The Importance of Changing Her Name

She recognizes that her birth name, intertwined with her mother’s actions, may hinder her job prospects and impact her ability to build a successful career.
Changing her name provides a fresh start, untethered from the shadows of her past, and allows her to distance herself from her mother’s activities.
The Family Gathering

But things took a turn during a recent family gathering.
OP went to the family gathering, as her aunt has stage 4 cancer.
OP loves her very much because she was good to her, even though she didn’t have the financial means to help her as she was experiencing domestic violence.
She Faced Criticism

OP faced a barrage of criticism from members of her mother’s side of the family.
These relatives, who maintain contact with her mother and are aware of her actions under OP’s birth name, voiced their disapproval of her decision to change her name.
They Wanted to Guilt-Trip Her

They attempted to guilt-trip her, asserting that she should never have taken this step.
She’s Filled With Uncertainty

As a result, OP took to Reddit to ask whether she was in the wrong for changing her name.
More than two hundred comments came in saying that she should do what she wants to.
She Shouldn’t Care What They Think

One Reddit user wrote, “NTA if your family doesn’t want you to change your name, maybe they should’ve tried harder to make you want to associate with them. They have way too many opinions for somebody that wasn’t involved in your life.”
Another Redditor commented, “NTA by a long shot and I’d honestly cut ties with anyone who tried to guilt me into believing otherwise.”
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The post She’s Abandoning Her Birth Name, and Her Family Is Scandalized! first appeared on Career Step Up
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / ViDI Studio. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit