It's much easier to have all the answers if you haven't actually dealt with the elderly person in question. |
np If you didn't have mentally ill parents of course you don't get it. That's why I don't talk to my elderly parent. They are toxic and make my life miserable. Plus they told me that they wanted no contact because I gained "too much weight" BYE! |
I think some people can not fathom what abuse is like and there's a continuum. Many of us received what is now considered abuse, but when growing up, especially in some ethnic groups was considered normal or acceptable. Many of us forgave them and developed an adult relationship only to find as they age they revert back to insults, comparisons (everyone's adult child is BETTER than YOU!), guilt trips, dramatics, fake emergencies, screaming, etc. So you get therapy to work with this raging loon only to find you try every technique and just don't have the mental energy to deal with this AND raise your challenging kids and deal with your own health upkeep and be a good spouse and suddenly you have more physical pain and you are getting sick more often and... I have low contact and outsourced everything when I reached my breaking point. My husband had been near death and mom was still was all "me,me.me" and"now, now, now." By the way the "gained too much weight" hit close to home. Not only does mom obsess over my weight and she was thrilled when all the stress made me lose a lot of weight, but she gives generous financial gifts to one of her nieces to manipulate her into visiting more and doing things for her, but the niece, her kids and her husband all range from fat to obese which is mortifying to my mother and she is afraid to be seen in public with them. She also is devastated if the neighbors see them. My cousins has no idea and I would never tell her because mom likes the attention and I refuse to ever be as hurtful as my mother. |
If all my mother ever did was tell me I was fat or ugly, I would be thrilled. It’s funny how some people think they have the worst parents when there’s unimaginable and much more heavier things. |
This isn't the Suffer Olympics. You don't have to have the worst parents ever to bad parents. |
+100 |