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Childhood Family Abuse, Cutting Ties

  • Post starter Post starter caramell_3lkc
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caramell_3lkc

I have 5 siblings -4 older, 1 younger. I am the only one not married, no children.

My biological mother left when I was 1.5 years old. My older siblings had a mother, albeit some for a shorter time than others. After she left, I was the only one left to the care of my grandparents. My grandfather sexually molested me until i was 7, the arrival of my stepmother. I tried to tell my father when i was 6 that i didnt want to be with my grandparents. He yelled at me and dragged me back without asking why, swearing at me the entire time. When i told my grandmother, she beat me so bad and told me she would kill me if i told anyone. After that, she stood guard at the door and let my grandfather continue to molest me.

My father was no parent to me at all. He never spoke to me other than "go to school" and "goddamn you". My younger brother arrived when I was 9. I was made to look after him by myself every day after school, feeding, bathing, diapers and keep him occupied.. He was doted upon by my parents when they had time. When i was old enough, i had to work in our restaurant, look after my brother and go to school. No life.

My oldest sister had married and came home for a visit. I was 11. I had cleaned the entire house, except for my room, from exhaustion. She beat the hell out of me and shoved my into the dryer, turning it on and locking the door. I have deformed muscle tissue where she hit me, lumps and scars to this day. She laughs to this day, saying I deserved it.

By my teenage years, my sisters had all left the house. My older brother molested me over a period of weeks. I was too ashamed and never told anyone.

At 17, I asked my dad to go to college. He said no, I was gonna work and pay rent, girls didn't need school. They helped pay for my older brother's apprenticeship and although he was supposed to pay rent when he began working full time, he often did not without consequence. I got yelled at if my rent was late. I moved out a few months later. My brother lived at home doted on until he was 30.

When I was 25, i told my second oldest sister about my grandfather. For some time, she was trying to gain favour with my biological mother who had remarried and was wealthy. When i told my sister her reply was "so what. Who gives a shi*t. It's always about you." Apparently my mother always asked about me and my sister resented me for it. My sibling next oldest to me has never bothered to form any connection, despite living 3 streets over.

My siblings all travel together, visit each other's homes, take vacations, rent a cottage, talk on the phone, shopping, go out for dinner, play cards and such with each other. I'm not invited and only learn when I happen to run into them at the same store or it slips out during conversation. I have lived in the same town for 8 years. Not one has ever called me if I didnt call first. Often, the call would not be returned. I dont call anymore. Not one has ever stopped in for a visit. They used to drop off food packages from my parents at the door with the car running and say they're in a hurry. But then I see their cars at each other's homes 20 minutes later, and still there for more than an hour as I walk my dog around town.

My cousin was getting married. All my siblings knew and were going together. I found out the day of the wedding via Facebook an hour before the reception. Partly my cousins fault, but not one of my siblings mentioned anything though I had seen them daily that week.

I grew up in vaccuum - void of connection, conversation, warmth, safety, support. I had an employer for parents, had to look after a baby at 9, and 5 siblings who think they're superior to me. I lived in the same house, but after my mother left, so did the idea of family.

After being forced to practicallynraise my younger brother at an early age, I didn't want children.

From being molested, abused, and rejected by the members of my family, I have a hard time trusting, and forming relationships of any kind, platonic or romantic. People I do meet are constantly trying to take advantage of me in some way or we have nothing in common.

In addition, my family continues to treat me as second class, like an idiot, invalidating every thing I say or do, even if I'm right. I am the outcast. The last year, I no longer attend family functions, and no longer offer to hold any, since I'm rejected when I do anyways. I started to feel better until my father's emotional blackmail to try to force me to go, but it's a full on battle of yelling each time, and it's wearing me down.

I would like to have absolutely no contact all at with anyone in the immediate family, except my father became ill and needs someone to help take care of him. My stepmother is starting dementia. Which brings me in contact and conflict with everyone. I figured out what was wrong with my father, got him to specialists who confirmed the diagnoses. Noone else accepts that am right, so they won't help all the while telling me i'm wrong, even though the specialist agreed. My father won't ask them to except occasionally. He needs help daily. I have nothing to say to my dad when I'm there, only perform my duties like a personal support worker, do their shopping, errands, doctors appts etc.

Trying to stand my ground but my knees are wobbling, I'm so tired of this. I know I can walk away from the siblings without regret, what about parents? Trying to find my way out ofnthe darkness...
 
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Hi @caramell_31kc
Your family situation sounds absolutely unbearable! I'm not one who goes for no contact with family normally but in your case, I truly think it's probably necessary for you to recover from all that!!
Seems you were the scapegoat for your family. Not at all deserved and not at all fair.
The real battle is within, after being treated so badly - to believe in yourself and really know that you did not deserve any of that. You deserve so much better!
I hope you see a therapist who can help you walk away from all that and walk towards a life and people that give back to you. Your parents have plenty of other children to look after them. Let the others take up that duty.
You have a good heart - it's easy to see that reading your thread - use it to look after you and help you to heal.
Your family can look after themselves!
Sorry, I probably sound angry, I do feel a bit angry on your behalf!
 
I have 5 siblings -4 older, 1 younger. I am the only one not married, no children.

My biological mother left wh...

It's more than okay to walk away from your parents. A lot of people would tell you thats not the case, maybe not here, but out in the world.
They just dont know what its like to be in your situation and cant imagine it. Usually they're afraid that doing something like that will make them feel guilt when its too late to reverse it, because somebody's dead, or they worry what other people will think of it.

Your dad abandoned you basically, when you were a kid. If he didnt manage to get one of his 6 kids to want to be there for him in his times of need as an old person, its his own fault. He's only got one actually doing it, and the reason you're doing it is that you've been doing what he says since you were a kid. None of what he wanted for you was in your best interest either, it was in his.

Its not vengeful thinking to abandon that role for yourself, you have a right to decide you have no obligation to that role and change it whenever you want.
 
:hug:

Can I ask you to clarify why you feel like you cannot walk away from your parents?

I agree that it's far more than ok to walk away. Those who disagree have not been abused to the same level and probably think you're just exaggerating minor family spats that stem from getting grounded as a teenager for staying out too late on a Friday night. Or something incredibly minor like that. Most people cannot fathom the impact of abuse.

Cut ties and start living for you. I think you definitely deserve it.
 
Hi @caramell_31kc
Your family situation sounds absolutely unbearable! I'm not one who goes for no co...

Hi Nevermore. I have consciously been on this journey of realization for the last 3 years, ever since my cousin's wedding. I've been watching, listening, observing. I sensed it for a long time before that and when it all came clear, it wasn't what i wanted to see but had to accept the truth. I know I don't deserve this now, and didn't then, that it wasn't my fault. I've tried to be empathetic and understanding, always being the one that reaches out, and realized I'm more lonely trying to be connected and then get rejected or disrespected, than actually being alone. I finally have the courage to speak up and out for myself, sometimes it fails. I know I need a good therapist to help me move forward. Thank you for the encouragement. It's sad but it's more than any of my family has provided for many years.
 
It's more than okay to walk away from your parents. A lot of people would tell you thats not the case, ma...

Thank you coco9. You're absolutely correct! My father is very selfish and has little regard for me. It is apparent when I go to take care of him in that all we can talk about is the weather. My siblings won't look after him. I had sent my sister the information months earlier, she said I was wrong, so they all think I'm wrong. Against the family clique, i can't possibly win. My biggest hurdle is letting my father, a senior in frail health, left to fend for his own. That is something I will need to work on and find a way to to do so without being racked in the guilt programmed by my upbringing and society. Thank you very much for the support.
 
@caramell_3lkc
The reason you feel wracked with guilt and find it hard to abandon your father is because you know exactly how that feels - having been so hurt you recognise anothers hurt.
But this guilt really belongs to your father and your siblings.
Think of it this way: by walking away you give them all a chance to wake up to themselves and grow as human beings.
Some would say that's a good thing to do for them whether they know it or not.
walk away as a free woman - the guilt does not belong to you!
 
I think that your family is extremely toxic and i would just walk away from them all and never look back. May I suggest that you may be experiencing false guilt not real guilt because you have done nothing wrong. You are no longer under any obligation to any of them.

I am going to tell you a story.

There was a hen who wanted to bake bread but needed help, so she went to her friends who each made excuses so she grew the wheat that turned into bread. These friends smelled the bread and wanted some, but she told them no one had helped her at all when she asked and so she chose to eat her bread by herself without them.

You seem to be a very kind person who has been horribly abused. You are innocent did not deserve how badly you were treated by your family.

I too had to disconnect from my own family of origin so I understand how difficult this decision is to make but it will pay dividends in you for some well deserved peace of mind and relief among so many other good things in your life.

Move as far away from them as you are able and change your phone number and email among other precautions you will need to make to protect you from hazard and annoyance from them.

You are going to have a much better life without them. I also understand what is called torn loyalties and that is a difficult bond to break.

A really good book that I reccomend is the betrayal bond by Patrick Carnes. I hope that you will explore this option as it has really been an invaluable resource to me. I wish you the very best in whatever you choose to do. The reality is that we are each responsible to rescue ourselves because no one is ever going to do it. I hope that if you do choose to disconnect, that in time with healing and recovery and therapy, in time you will develop good friendships and you deserve to live a happy life, to me that is the best revenge.:hug:
 
I was guilted for staying away from the grandma that emotionally abused me. And that's OK. I think in the long run it's better to do what's best for you then to worry about what people think. As far as your dad, if you can set him up a caregiver and then leave maybe that would make you feel better.
 
I`m trying to slowly staying away from one very very close to me. But silly me.. always hoping that the person will understand and stop letting me feel like beeing sick is weak, that I need to get my feet on the ground. This person was very close to me when I was a topathlete... if I didn`t get any medal, I sure would hear it!! how useless I am. I have been trying my very best to see if we can have contact.. cause YES, I want to... but... no, I need to face the facts... I just live in this hope that it will get better.
 
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