Children Experiencing Parental Trauma

“Btw this is for my animation project whichbis only gona be 2 mins. A woman reflects on the story of her life, recounting her journey from a bullied five year-old girl to a resilient, fulfilled adult. Guided by her mother's wisdom, she overcomes heartbreak, harassment, her parents' divorce, rejection, and countless personal struggles. Through perseverance, she builds a career, finds love in college, and eventually marries, believing she has finally found the peaceful life she always longe”

“Im not gonna make this a full rant about how much i hate my body and how its punishing me for existing, not what im here for. I suffer with alot of stuff, every waking second is agony, i cant move, think or even breathe without a burst of pain beating my ass Yet my mother gets mad and rolls her eyes if im movjng around the house slowly while fatigued, if i stand up and DARE make a sound because my fucking knees dont work Im starting to hate her and just about everyone else in my close circle bec”

“i was sexally exsploited at 5 yrs old ,thru age 13 i hated myself and tried 2 hide from it,,well into adulthood,,,,just remember that this has happened 2 millions of children,& u were a victim,,i hope u find peace,.,”

“The problem is that my parents will see them and I don't want to telö them to know.”

“When I was younger I used to pray to god for everything to be okay but being 11 and nothing changed I did something about it, not god but me. And when life is hard now I never understood the people who turned to a god that failed me so many times I can’t count them anymore. I was 9 begging god to save me from getting beaten, Nothing, I begged him to save me from the hell of my house when it got to loud to sleep, nothing. So don’t u ever tell me god is real or good because I remember being scared”

“When I was younger, my parents used to freeze me out. They weren’t speak to me if I did something wrong. That’s why silence is my biggest fear. it just makes all of thoughts come and memories of my childhood. I don’t like it. I never did. I think that’s why they used as a punishment. I want one day I want to be able to understand and like quietness, but I don’t think I’m ready. I’m not ready for many things in life. I just hate silence when I tell people silence is my biggest fear. I don’t know”

“I've always had a complicated (hot n cold)relationship with my mother. Since living away from her, I've started to see things more clearly. I've realized a lot about her behavior and why our family has always felt different from others and how her victim mentality has affected not only her but also me and my siblings. Looking back, I can see that I misjudged many things in life. Now, I don't know how I feel about her anymore. For years, I've hidden and covered up so much of h”

“my father has always dismissed everything i suffered from childhood and keeps thinking (im 25 now) that nothings wrong with me and i just need more sun and do sport and im just not trying enough and being dramatic, but then he is 100% convinced that i have celiac disease. ive been been done the test like 4 times. so to him im not sick and if i were is bc of gluten but im not sick. why. whats their mental process. is it bc its something they can understand? right now im in the pots, me/cfs, suspe”

Honestly, it's because of my parents.

“I sympathize my dad because i know the horrendous things he lived, and i think he is "dismissive" because its how he survived. And probably want me to be "strong" too by pushing me and ect. Tho yeah with my state its unfortunately not the solution, even if i know he wants my good. Its the same for my stepmom tbh, she is just very impulsive/have anger issues and start to be very violent when mad, verbally or even threatening. Not something i need too (and no one needs that tbh”

“I can relate that’s about the age my parents were when I was a teen. And neither of them in good health. It does suck when they can’t do everything you want. I feel you.”

“well... I'm 36 with a 1 year old and in my actual social circle there's only 1 other couple with a small kid and maybe like 2-3 people/couples that had kids in their early/mid 20s. My circle is big btw and most people are around my age and many are planning on having kids... one day lol Like I actively have to look for mom friends in mom places to know people with children.”

“My parents had me and my twin brother when they were both 42… I only really knew one grandparent and that’s because she lived until 94. I resent my parents for many things, but their age simply isn’t one of them.”

“Well I'm 18, my dad is 69 and my mum is 59 so I get what you are saying. But I want you to consider the fact that no one knows when death will knock at the door. A lot of my friends sadly lost their parents who were younger than mine. So just be present at the moments you spend with them and enjoy it. Those fears don't contribute to you in any way. Also don't be cross with them for unnecessary reasons because you will regret it.”

“I didn’t know I was grieving for a long time. It just was what it was, a constant. I never really had a before, aside from vague memories laced with ignorance, of not feeling the weight. I was about 7-8 when I started feeling different. I learned to not talk about it. At first I didn’t know what to say, and by the time I did, I didn’t want to. I wasn’t comfortable talking about wearing diapers as a young teenager or its implications with my sexuality, which started becoming incredibly frustratin”

“Lately I've been struggling a lot with comparing my life to everyone else's. Every time I open social media, I see people traveling, hanging out with friends, buying things they want, spending time with parents and sibling, or just genuinely enjoying life. Meanwhile, I'm constantly worried about money because i need to get out of my house asap, and I am constantly failing at everything. I have missed so many interviews for such good opportunity because of anxiety. I feel guilty for w”

“my brother is 15 years old, and has experienced and witnessed more violence than I ever have in my 20 years of living, if you think the things you or someone else has gone through or witnessed dosent change your entire brain, it does. my brother was was born a sweet and healthy child just like any other but because no one could or did protect him from some very horrible things his entire childhood he’s now ill to the point I fully believe he will never be able to safely function in society, he i”

“I've also just been barely holding on for the past six years. All while living under parents who constantly criticize me for being lazy and pressure me to get into a top 2% university. That's why I completely empathize with you, but honestly, I'm also dying to know what the solution is...”

“she went up to stay with her father who is a “recovered“ drug abuser and told my wife in her darkest moments mentally if she wanted to try what he called adderall. It was meth. I think I might of just lost my soul mate the love of my life. shes telling me oh I’m going to quit up here my dad feels bad about it and will help me quit cold turkey please don’t tell my family. I just hugged my daughter and would like to go to bed with stupid delusional optimism that things will work out. She says if s”

“TW: child abuse my cousin is probably my best friend. We tell each other everything, relationships, stress worries, we travel together all the time with our families and we are really as close as any two people can be. He is my age (17) has ocd (and I do too) except he has P-OCD where he has a lot of intrusive very obsessive fears about harming children. I don’t have this particular theme but I know about it since we talk about our ocd struggles a lot and I know it’s not good but we do a lot of”

“Hello, F13 here and I’ve been struggling with my body ever since I was 6 I was yelled at from my dad (ex husband to my mom now) he used to force feed me multiple times a day and would call me fat and compare me to other girls as if he hadn’t made me fat and would also hit me when I refused to eat while my mom was at work so obviously I grew larger and my mom is a nurse so she just thought I had grown an eating habit and didn’t really say much to me as long as it wasn’t sweets or candy but 2 year”

“The repeated sexual abuse. The toll my isolation has caused me. The neglect from my family. The physical abuse. The humiliation and struggle I've had over basic human functions, like using the restroom. For most of my life, I've had very few encounters with my peers. I grew up in a highly abusive household, homeschooled and bombarded with the abusive family members I could never escape from. I genuinely believe this has caused some kind of developmental brain damage that might be permane”

“Context: Due to my moms super difficult life she kept me locked in the house until I left for college because she thought it wasn’t safe so now I don’t feel like I’m “right” I always feel like something wrong with me and I always find myself compromising or not assertive and because of that people don’t respect me. I just feel like I shouldn’t be here any advice on what’s wrong with me or confidence advice? I was molested by a cousin and I didn’t realize what she did until college. I always feel”

“I didn’t know what flair to chose so I chose mental health. This question is to those who have had family members, whether it be younger or sick siblings, parent, cousin, niece/nephew, that they had to help raise or take care for. I recently had a discussion with two of my friends when I went back to my hometown for a little trip. One friend has a younger sibling who has down syndrome and cares for him along with her mother at her parental home. The other has helped raised her nephew along with”

“Research from the American Psychological Association indicates that fewer than 5% of all violent acts are directly attributed to people with severe mental illnesses. You can beat nature with nurture.”

“I know a lot of us deal with our families being unsupportive or dismissive. I’m 18 and I try to be as independent as much as I can, and yes, I know I’m already an adult, but still, I’d appreciate some support from my family. I don’t know if anybody’s in similar situation, but I have really good relationships in my family, meaning we’re honest with each other, can tell each other anything etc., but I feel like when it comes to problems, especially those regarding me and my health issues, my famil”

“I am a single mom (40f), and man, do I have a story to tell you. This is a long one, so buckle up and grab a drink and snacks. I come from a religious household, so yes, I grew up with both parents. That being said, my dad's side of the family is really off and kinda cultish. I am the youngest of 5 and the only female. The three oldest have a different father (this is important). My father was head over heels in love with my mother. It seems picture perfect, right? Just remember that my fami”

“I've been reading about something called repetition compulsion lately, and it's been messing with my head a little (in a good way). The basic idea is that the way we were treated by our caregivers early on creates a kind of blueprint for what feels " normal ," even when what felt normal was actually painful. So as parents, we're not always reacting to our kids based on what we consciously believe is right. Sometimes we're unconsciously repeating what's familiar , be”

“what you described is a behavior, one that can happen in the context of severe emotional distress, trauma, neglect, developmental difficulties, certain mental health conditions, compulsive behaviors, or other psychological struggles. the behavior may be unhealthy and potentially dangerous to your health, but it is not evidence that you are morally defective! regarding whether you should tell people, I see you DO NOT owe this information to everyone. there is a difference between keeping a privat”

It’s not like that, I got abused mentally not that I wanted ffs

“I joined this place because when I had my baby, it felt like no one understood and I desperately wanted to read of similar experiences and I found that. I’m so grateful. But lately, I feel like a lot of discussions are becoming unsafe spaces. There’s a lot of shaming. A lot of blaming. A lot of labels. “Formula mom” “breastfeeding mom” “boy mom” “girl mom” and somehow, these labels have become a way to attack other moms for their choices. In the end, we’re all mom or mama to sweet, beautiful bab”

“I’m sitting here feeling like a failure because I accidentally forgot to pack my son's favorite snack for school. He didn’t even mention it, but I can’t help but think about all the times I’ve dropped the ball lately. Between juggling work, house chores, and after-school activities, it feels like I’m constantly behind, and that I've forgot about him at times. I know I’m doing my best, but this guilt just lingers. Does anyone else grapple with this? How do you cope? submitted by &#3”

“My sweet little brother (26 years) has always been an introvert and life has always been a little harder for him, since he was little he has always preferred to keep to himself and be by himself. He would sometimes get in these dark holes where he would be alone and not speak to anyone for weeks or months, but then we’d get him out of it and he’d seem “normal” for some time but it was a reoccurring cycle. He moved out of my dad’s house into his own place about 2 years ago and was so excited and”

“My dad, my uncle, and a few of my first cousins are all on my father's side of the family, and they would hallucinate. I found out later that my dad was schizophrenic and my cousins, too. It was a nightmare, and I was never able to establish a bonding relationship with my dad, because he didn't know who I was. My kids met him when they were 3 and 5, and would always ask me why their granddaddy was talking to the people in the air, when they never saw anyone.”

“Hi. New to this subreddit. When I was around ten, I had issues with my anger and temper, which led me to ignore, say rude things, etc. to my parents. After a few days passed of my emotions skyrocketting, my father had enough. I was sitting on the couch when he came home, extremely tired from work. He wanted to lay down, but the space on the couch wasn't big enough for both of us. I, in my fit of anger, threw a pillow at him, and he just froze before wrapping/squeezing his hands around my nec”

“hey guys, quick question, how would u feel if your mother tells you, her child, that you’re no one? submitted by /u/Ilikepineapple25 [link] [comments]”

“We know as parents we unpack a lot of our own childhood experiences and trauma as we raise our kids. One the hardest things for me is watching my daughter struggle socially. I had a small group of friends growing up but I struggled socially, was bullied, and found myself kicked out of my group of friends. I don’t really reflect on that time period in my life being happy. The bullying was really hard. And it has left me with life long self doubt and social anxiety. So when I watch my daughter in”

“I was talking to my mom on the phone today and we got into a pretty deep discussion about her marriage problems, etc. Then she did something that she never does: ask me how I am. Not in the casual sense, but in the "How are you really?" sense. Against my better judgement, I decided to open up to her about how I've been having a really hard year with my cPTSD, etc. I never told her that I struggle mentally until now, and she was talking about how my sister opened up to her about it.”

“So all this started last week. Every week days morning, I wake up and make my mother's lunch for her work. I burned her food on the air fryer. But in the early morning I didn't think that it will be hard to eat after. The text she gives me after breaks my heart. I was at my work. She wrote that I could never make u a good human being. Ur an animal. Imagine a mother working 8 hours and opening her lunch to see like this. My dad came to pick me up. He said' It is not your responsibilit”

“I've been living in a rat hole-sized apartment with my mother and my sister for more than 14 years. It's like living in a box with two people who hate each other and argue every day. My mother is so damn reactive, while my sister couldn't care less about those outbursts and wouldn't try to solve anything even if she's the one at fault. My mother always brings up the bad person my sister's father was, claiming that she (my sister) must have taken after that man with her ho”

“Would love any advice on this matter. My mother is in an abusive relationship. Growing up she was married to an emotionally and physically abusive man. When I was 13 we left, but unfortunately she did what many survivors do, and ended up in another abusive relationship. She has been in this second relationship for about 10 years. I’ve left home and I help her as best I can, but honestly growing up around abusive men has also clouded my judgement and the many years of this have made me tired. Som”

“My parents are getting old. I can see it in how they talk and move now. My mom frequently forgets names now. She loses her train of thought. It happened slowly, but it’s more pronounced now. We visited their house this 4th of July. They had a blast with the kids. When we leave, my mom always asks if my daughter asks about them. She never does. She’s too focused on trying to readjust back to her routines. I texted my mom this morning that my daughter asked me to sit with her like grandma. It was”

“Hi there, I have lived with multiple chronic illnesses and disabilities for most of my life and recently got away from an abusive home life. A piece of advice I have often heard is that sometimes we just need to sit in our discomfort, and I take that to mean I need to feel my feelings with little to no distraction. However, I feel that’s become my entire life. I am sitting in my discomfort and allowing myself to grieve, but at a certain point… it’s just leaving me with more pain physically and e”

“im going to be old enough to drink soon enough and im terrified that im going to be a burden on my father for a lot longer. recently i was forced to come out of a delusional episode and look at reality , and that reality was a lot of people that i had hurt. i realized that most of my attachments to people were inherently delusional and dependent. i realized that im manipulative, and that ive mostly been behaving in trauma responses for the past 5 months. without a care in the world for anything”

“I guess my message is your past doesnt define your future no matter how bad your past is, you can heal and exceed your expectations. I talk about growing up in a chaotic environment surrounded by addiction and poor decision making and my mindset throughout the years”

“The entire reason why my mother has gotten us into this situation, near homelessness and poverty, is because she keeps on repeating over and over “we’re not going to make it. We are fucked nobody’s gonna help us. We are screwed.” She just keeps saying it over and over and over. Don’t you think that with that mindset you’ll never achieve anything? We are trying to get a lawyer to help with our situation, but she just keeps on saying “They’re not going to help us. They are going to screw us like e”

“My mother has finally FINALLY taken me seriously and I believe I may get to see a doctor about one of the plethora of things wrong with me And all it took was traumatizing her a little DAMN IT I SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT SOONER but it's okay because YAY YAY YAY submitted by /u/No-Vermicelli-2832 [link] [comments]”

“this is my first time posting on reddit so idk if im doing this right but here i go... hello i am 17 turning 18 in november and i would like to leave my toxic abusive home as soon as possible, but i feel like i have no options i got adopted at 10 years old, since i moved in my parents have been emotionally and verbally abusive towards me, starting at 12 years old it turned physical. cops have been called to my house mutliple times after my parents got physical with me, and i would fight back in”

“Bare with me on this. Dad wasn't around by choice. Mum had us and didn't want him involved. Being a male teenager my mum's instructions on keep my manhood clean wasn't brilliant. I did my best and do better now. But I have a young son and I have no clue really how to instruct him. What have you told your son's or even your own routine? Never had bad comments so I'm doing something right but I need that father to son wisdom. Sorry if this doesn't make sense I'm on”

“Are you seeing a therapist or something? As for your son i’m glad you’ve stayed for him, but there’s so many milestones he’d want you there for. Graduating high school doesn’t mean he’s ready to go without you, he’d miss you.”

“Hi! Since I (22 MtF) was about 16, I’ve been eating one meal a day, and I’m good days maybe 2. I was always bullied as the fat kid, and shamed for how much I used to eat. My family always called me a black hole and would force me to eat the rest of the meal so they wouldn’t be leftovers. That caused really bad body image issues for me, and made my self esteem very low. In about my sophomore year of high school I figured out I could just go eat with my favorite teacher since he also had his lunch”

“I’m glad you’ve opened up your mind to it. When symptoms are very severe, sometimes that little bit of peace is really needed even if it’s not the healthiest thing in the world, it can be worth it for sanity.”

“Has he had brain scans to see if activity is normal? There could be a multitude of reasons why these things are occurring. I’m sorry for y’all’s difficulties.”

“My mom threatens to end me with her bare hands if i wont enroll in college because im getting paid for my fathers death till im studying, (She really can do it, she once tried to, and if i didnt punched her with my leg in stomach she would've did it, it happened while she was drunk but she doesnt take it seriously.) if i wont enroll we're stopping getting these money. I was diagnosed with anxiety-depressive disorder (..I aint told psychiatrist everything and since im living in Russia med”

“It's not great when it comes to close relationships. I'm no contact with my entire family and still haven't managed to make any friendships 4 years into my recovery. My husband was my best friend. Everyone at work definitely loves me and we have great professional relationships, but that doesn't really count.”

“Oh. Well I'm glad you were able to tell your sister! I hope your parents won't like get you in trouble, tho. I met some cool people at the behavioral wing before - that and lots of drawing and stuff - it's not so bad!”

“My parents yelled at me. They told me I was going to hell for feeling like this.”

“I think the best approach with parents is, that was the past and I am going to as you say 'take responsibility to better myself'. All parents are fallible. One way to process feelings. If something happens and it affects you, think about and process the thoughts, then just sit quietly somewhere and feel the emotions. Don't think, just sit and feel it. It isn't easy if you've repressed your emotions but with practice it is possible.”

“I’ve always wanted to travel, study abroad and live abroad but my mother is severely ill and she’s very stubborn she doesn’t listen to me at all. I’m 22 year old she starts to loathe me whenever I tell her to do something beneficial for her no matter my approach. She has a sister that lives 2 hours away and my dad (parents divorced) lives 10 min away. Her mental health has always been bad but these last couple of years staring from when I turned 17 or so she has been significantly worse even mor”