Your Online Counselor Forum

I'm sorry this is happening to you. It sounds like you are still living with your parents, or having a lot of contact -- Is that the case? Did you get to go to university? It sounds very much like both your parents use very traditional male/female roles and therefore your brother takes precedence an...

Hi Dark Jewel, Thank you for sharing your story, believe me it is not an uncommon one. Just because a person dies, it doesn't mean the feelings about that person go away too, hence you are feeling a range of emotions that have never really been dealt with with while your mother was alive, so they wi...

A little backstory: My Dad has always been very judgmental & emotionally abusive to my siblings, Mom, and I. Although we lived in the same house I had no relationship with him until my Mom suddenly died when I was 16 and was forced to assume care for my 8- year - old sister per my Dad's instruc...

I would like to get some advice. My mother most likely has NPD, based on what I have read about it. She is so self-absorbed and will lie, cheat and steal from her own kids to make sure she gets what she wants. She has no regard for anyone but herself. She has emotionally and physically abused me si...

I am having all sorts of emotional issues since my mother just died. She did a lot of bringing up every bad thing that has happened to me and asking me how so in so was (usually a person that had caused a lot of pain for me). She did die suddenly and I had been at the stage of not seeing her or tal...

Hi Sisu, It's great that you have been seeing a therapist and you have support in this situation. Although you are prepared to go greyrock, you seem to be unwittingly transferring many of your mother's thoughts and beliefs about you onto your sisters. You recognise you are the black sheep, and that ...

We lived in London - ex wife moved back to Scotland with 3 year old daughter 35 years ago - tried to keep in contact for 35 years once a month telephone calls.... asked to wedding 3 years ago - surprised I came! - I don't know why.... daughter had serious depression through late teens through 20's ...

To everyone who has contributed to this posting thread -- thank you. There are so many reasons why an adult child decides to discontinue contact with a parent. Some involve parents who are genuinely and willfully harmful, and the adult child needs, usually after much therapy, to get out of situation...

Dear wjaac, I think the last three sentences says it all. Logically, you need to put your family first, as they are a part of your future. Your mother needs assistance in her last days, but do you have have access to assisted living or a nursing home, or in-house care that can take over at least mos...

Hi Cathy, Thanks for sharing your story. You have a right to be angry as you have been forced into a position at a young age to be what is called, "a Parentified Child". That is, you were forced to grow up too early to care for your parents, who have limitations that prevent them from bein...