All of my life my mother has treated me like she is extremely disappointed in me. I'm 18 years old now, I achieved early graduation from high school with an honors diploma. I graduated in the top 20% of my school and I had the highest ACT score. I have never gotten involved with drugs or any serious drinking. I don't do parties and I don't sneak out of the house. Yet she repeatedly tells me how ignorant I am and how I'm going to be nothing but a failure.

I recently quit my job because I was very uncomfortable working with the company after I discovered they were involved with some very shady business. I have been unemployed for one day now and all she has told me that I'll never find another job because no one will ever want to hire me. Is it common for a parental figure to distill so must pestimism and negativity into their child? Is there anything I can do to convince her that I do have a future? Everytime I try to approach the subject she becomes very angry and hostile.