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Family problems

ghostygirl profile image
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It sucks when you think someone’s changed and then have to figure out the hard way that they haven’t. For the past 4/5 years the only conversations i’ve had with my dad have been pretty short and just about things we have to talk about. Sometimes he sends me things and i text him thank you, but that’s as casual and friendship as our conversations will get (or as far as i’ll let them get). Ive seen him 3 times in those 4/5 years. The first time was because i wanted to see my cousins and i said he could have lunch with me if they came. The second time was for my birthday which i said i would have lunch with him if the rest of my family came too. And the 3rd time was at my grandparents anniversary party where i brought a friend with me to feel safer and more comfortable. All 3 of those times i barely talked to/answered my dad when he was talking to me because, well, i don’t like him.

The first 2 years after i stopped living with him, i tried so hard to mend our relationship. I tried to reason with him, talk things out, make him realize how much he hurt me. I begged him to attend just ONE of my therapy sessions. I would cry on the phone every-time he called. I would literally try to force myself to forgive him for all the abuse he put me through because i though it was my fault that he didn’t want to try to be a decent father to me. I blamed myself for so long for everything and i grew bitter and hateful towards him and had so many negative emotions about him and myself building up inside of me until it made me crazy and i finally exploded.

And then i learned to love myself. And i began to heal. And i unlearned all the awful behavior and lies he put into me. and i grew so much, and that hate eventually faded into pain. And that pain subsided and now is a small throb that comes back every now and then.

Well, as soon as i became content and happy with my life- my father began to make an effort to mend what he broke. I thought “the universe was waiting for me to heal before we tried again” and i truly thought he may have been different. He seemed calmer, he seemed kinder, he seemed like he cared about me and like he loved me as a daughter and wanted fix his mistakes. And for 6 months i let him into my life a little, i talked to him for longer, and i kept thinking “maybe he’s different. maybe he cares”.

But then i recently found out he’s been stealing money from my mom, keeping most of it and then sending me some as a “to help with covid” gift. And then his I contacted his family and found out he’s been lying about me to them. Telling them i’m a wh*re and that ive been pregnant and got abortions (which isn’t true but even if it was that’s none of his business)and that i hate christians and i hate them and so many more horrible things. And i just feel so betrayed. Not only by him but by myself. I just don’t understand why i didn’t realize he wasn’t talking to me because he cared, he was talking to me to manipulate me.

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ghostygirl
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2 Replies

Your dad sounds like a narcissist. That's on him and no one else. Nothing he did to you is your fault. It's natural to want a relationship with their parents. Don't feel bad about that again the betrayal is his fault not yours. Even if you were sleeping around and had multiple abortions that isn't his business and only a shit person would spread that around about their own daughter. I hope you can heal from this and I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to ✌& 🤎

hypercat54 profile image
hypercat54

I am so sorry your father treats you like this. I agree with anarchy that he sounds like a narcissist. These people can be very charming when they want to be but it's only to get what they want. They see themselves as more important than everyone else and they are incapable of real love.

Please don't blame yourself for falling for his lies as narcissists are very good at gaslighting and they ensnare you emotionally. He is your dad after all and it's natural you would want a relationship with him. Us normal folk can never understand or relate to them as they think entirely differently to the rest of us and don't have normal emotions.

I think it would help you to read up about them. I recommend PsychCentral as there are lots of great articles there.

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