Skip to main content

Forums

Illustration of people sitting and standing

New here?

Chat with other people who 'Get it'

with health professionals in the background to make sure everything is safe and supportive.

Register

Have an account?
Login

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Our stories

Nini
Casual Contributor

Parents

8.01.2024

 

I don't know where I got this thought from but here it goes. (I apologise for any grammer and spelling mistakes in this post) 

 

I thought to myself ''Do I actually love my parents?" and I answered my question by saying no. 

 

For context; My parents did not have a healthy marriage, they seperated when I was around 5 or 6 years old and divorced when I was 7. so as a kid I got used to hearing my mother scream and cry to herself about how betrayed she felt when my father cheated on her with her highschool classmate, I got used to my father not being present in my life fairly quickly. This is because even if he was physically there, he would either be sleeping or locked himself in the bathroom to text his other woman. When my father left, my mother was a wreck. She would be easy to irritate, or having an emotional breakdown if she wasn't angry at me for not being able to read properly or do fractions in math. 

 

in those moments, I started emotionally detatching myself from them, I didn't realise that until later on. "I can't talk to Mummy because she's always mad at me or sad at something else." In the moments I did talk to her she would always victimise herself saying that I never really cared about how she feels, or how shes going through a hard time, I this I that, talking about how much of a great parent she is compared to her own mother. While its true that I don't care for the emotional well being of my mother, whats also true is that she was never emotionally available for me when I needed her the most. I needed her to be there for me emotionally as a little kid and she wasn't. 

 

For the most part she was the cause of most of my pain back then. My mother had a friend that would help her through the rough times before my father divorced her, my mother would run away and take me and my older brother with her to hide at their house because my father would start getting physically abusive. Her friend had a daughter my age, in front of the adults, she would act very kindly to me but behind close doors she would pinch me, belittle me, look down on me simply because my family wasn't as good as hers, and because my mother would always lean on her friend for help, her daughter would believe that I owed her something. When I really didn't want to be there in the first place. 

 

I told my mother that she was bullying me but she still insisted for me to hangout and get along with her, even when her friends daughter would force me to eat sand in the playgorund. My mother didn't protect me much emotionally, nor did she physically protect me either. I would tell her about people who would bully me at school but she would disregard that saying I needed to be stronger. When saying that didn't help my case, when I was being followed into the girls toilets, harassed in class and harassed online by my schoolmates. 

 

So I stopped relying on my mother for emotional support, infact now I don't want her to help and I don't need her help either because growing up in her household taught me to never ask for help even if I cant handdle it anymore. In the present I don't talk to my mother unless she engages in contact with me first. That's how indifferent I am to her now, I just don't care anymore. Every conversation we have turns into her dumping her passed trauma onto me or lecturing me about life and that I know nothing and need her and about how she could easily disown me. When this happens I just disassociate myself because I cannot be bothered listening to her anymore. 

 

Once I dont need her financial support, I'm cutting all ties with her. 

 

As for my father, its a given, he wasnt present in my life whatsover after they divorced so I don't care about what happens to him know, he is merely a stranger. 

 

I've had a conversation with my friends before about parents and most of the time I usually stay quiet because I have barely anything good to say about mine, but I didn't want to make it seem like they were terrible to my peers. In this conversation, my friends confessed that they fear the day that their parents will pass away, because the safe feeling of love, security, warmth and guidance would disappear. But I don't share the same feelings towards my parents as they do. Which makes me feel guilty; because they were the ones who brought me into this world... how come I don't feel anything fond for them. I know for a fact that I am not a good person, and I know for a fact I am not an angel nor have I beena stereotypically good child but I still stand with the statement that I genuinely don't love my parents. I do feel ashamed of that but that is the truth. I do not love them nor can I say I hate them. 

 

My reasoning for that is because my mother and father always came through when it came ro financially supporting me, I was able to live with a roof under my head, nice food, clothes and an education. They did what they could for me as physical parents and I am grateful for that, I truely am. My mother didn't deserve the emotional pressure and heart break but I didn't deserve to be treated terribly because she can't regulate herself. What would a 6 year old child know about emotional trauma? Why do I have to carry the emotional burdens of my mother? and why must I always be judged for my fathers behaviour? 

 

I don't love my parents, nor do I hate them. I feel ashamed and guilty for this....

12 REPLIES 12

Re: Parents

@Nini Please don't feel ashamed or guilty for the way you feel. You are allowed to feel nothing, you had a hard time growing up. It sounds like you don't have any emotional bond with them, so it is understandable that you have no feelings for them. 

 

Most of the time I feel nothing when it comes to my parents, unless something triggers me and I remember how toxic they are. Family doesn't have to be related, you can pick your own or find a tribe.

 

You are strong and have shown that by surviving on your own, making your own choices. You should be proud of yourself   😊

Re: Parents

Hi and welcome, @Nini , it's really good to have you here 🙂

 

Unfortunately I can relate to your moving post. I am so sorry your parents treated (and still treat) you like that. Your mother especially. 

 

Have you heard of Childhood Emotional Neglect? There's a doctor in the US called Dr Jonice Webb, who is the expert in this. You can sign up for her newsletters (I have) - they are fairly frequent and very informative. 

 

Of course, it sounds like you suffered more than childhood emotional neglect, but actual emotional abuse as well 😢 Do you have a counsellor or psychologist to talk it through with? 

 

An important forum tip is if you type @ and then click on a name in the drop-down box, that person will get a notification and won't miss your reply. (This way I can follow along)

Re: Parents

@NatureLover Thanks for reminding me about Blue Knot 😊

 

@Nini here is the website for the blue knot, they could help you. They are trained to help people with childhood trauma and neglect

 

 https://blueknot.org.au/ 

Nini
Casual Contributor

Re: Parents

Thank you so much for the encouragement, I really appreciate it.

Re: Parents

Hi @Nini @NatureLover @Miss-wish ,

 

I was travelling through and just wanted to check in with you all. How are you going?

Re: Parents

HI @tyme, I'm having a wonderful time off from appointments this month 😊after a stressful end of the year last year, I decided to look after me this year, by taking January off and making all appointments fortnightly instead of weekly. I'm think I'm forgetting everything, because I don't have the stress to drive me atm lol.   

 

How are you? any new years resolutions?  

Re: Parents


@tyme wrote:

Hi @Nini @NatureLover @Miss-wish ,

 

I was travelling through and just wanted to check in with you all. How are you going?


Thank you @tyme , I appreciate it. I'm struggling a bit. 

 

Hi @Nini  and @Miss-wish ...

Re: Parents

Good on you for looking after yourself and taking some time off. It sounds like it was very much needed @Miss-wish ! You are right. You need to look after you before you can look after anyone else.

 

As for new year's resolutions? LOL... I think I sort of 'rolled' into the new year. I was down with COVID and couldn't really do anything. So the new year just 'popped' up on me and I didn't really have much time to think about it. So no, I actually don't have any new year's resolutions (they usually turn to mush anyway). What about yourself?

 

Please take care 🙂 It's great to hear from you.

Re: Parents

Hi @Nini ,

 

I was passing through and wanted to say hello to you. How are you going?

Illustration of people sitting and standing

New here?

Chat with other people who 'Get it'

with health professionals in the background to make sure everything is safe and supportive.

Register

Have an account?
Login

For urgent assistance