Woman says her toxic pastor stepfather showed up at her tattoo studio then she recorded everything, costing him his job: ‘I feel bonded with bestie’
Everyone has at least one traumatic story that leaves a lasting impact on their life. For TikTok user @sydneytattoos, it was when she was seven years old, and her mother got back together with a former boyfriend who was a pastor after a divorce. While love is usually a cause for celebration, Sydney Mulvaney mentions in her video that this situation did not deserve such a response.
Instead, it was a strange predicament, as she knew that when her mother first met this man, they were both in foster care. While her mother was 14, Arson (a made-up name to protect identity) was in his 20s and her mother’s foster brother.
Very early on, after being around Arson, Sydney realized he wasn’t a good person. She recounted her experiences with him, including a house fire, a missing chihuahua, and multiple instances of abuse. Sydney notes that Arson’s abusive nature often forced him to switch churches and her family to move houses. Anyway, after sharing more stories about her father, Sydney mentions that the last time she saw her stepfather was when she was 23. At the time, he was in an altercation with one of her co-workers at the tattoo shop where she worked. Long story short, Sydney called the authorities on him, and he had to move again, away from her area, likely ending their contact.
TikTok user @sydneytattoos did not like her stepfather
In the TikTok video she uploaded to her account two days ago, which has now garnered thousands of views, likes, and comments, Sydney makes it very clear that she did not like her stepfather. First, she finds the circumstances under which her mother and Arson dated for the first time to be extremely problematic, since the man was in his twenties while her mother was just a teenager. Second, she notes that when her mother and Arson rekindled their relationship as adults, Arson displayed highly toxic behavior toward his family and others.
Sydney also states in the video that he was very controlling, and she was shocked when he suggested that he, Sydney, and her friend should drink in the car. He also urged Sydney not to tell her mother and told her friend to sit in the front. While she doesn’t go into detail about what happened afterward, Sydney recalls the incident and remarks that he was exhibiting pedophilic behavior.
As mentioned earlier, the last time Sydney saw her stepdad was when he arrived at one of the tattoo parlors where she was working. She reveals that he got into a physical fight with one of her co-workers, and things escalated so much that the police had to be called. Before leaving, Arson left Sydney a note, which she describes as “the most gaslit, crazy, nonsensical note” she has ever read in her life, and she set it on fire. But amid all this chaos, Sydney says there was a silver lining: her workplace recorded Arson when he came to her tattoo studio and caused a scene. They uploaded the video to YouTube and sent it to Arson’s entire congregation, causing him to move again.
TikTok user @sydneytattoos’s video about her stepdad has attracted a lot of attention
Many comments in the comments section focused on Sydney’s traumatic experiences with her father, but also her hair, since she was doing a hair tutorial while sharing her story. User @parrothead373 wrote, “You shouldn’t have had to go through that. It did make you stronger, but in therapy. I like your hair.” User @klhe107 commented, “And you survived all of this! Gorgeous hair!”
Several people also reacted to one of the last things Sydney said before finishing the video, which is that if people had gone through traumatic experiences like hers, they weren’t alone in their pain, as they now shared a trauma bond with Sydney. User @love.ballet21 said, “You’re my boyfriend, we’re best friends, AND trauma-bonded?? This is the best relationship I’ve ever had.” User @kcwatson01 wrote, “I feel bonded with bestie, hope you’re okay now and healing.”
Mental health challenges are common
According to a report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in the United States, one in five adults (20 percent) experiences mental health conditions each year. This entails that approximately 57.8 million people could potentially face mental health issues regularly.
The source also lists the types and percentages of mental health problems faced by US adults, and they are:
- Depression – 8.3%
- Anxiety disorders – 19.1%
- PTSD – 3.6%
- Bipolar disorder – 2.8%
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder – 1.2%
- Borderline personality disorder – 1.4%
- Schizophrenia – less than 1%
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