People drift from family for so many reasons. What made you feel like stepping back from your parents?
Honestly, it just came down to distance, really.
I’m the oldest, and my mom has never told me who my real dad is. She also acts totally different around my younger brother. It made me feel like I didn’t matter, so over time I just stopped feeling anything toward her.
They treated me badly for years, honestly.
Let’s just say, when they started giving me life advice while Googling ‘how to be cool,’ I knew it was time for some space.
Politics and some really bad behavior.
They’re hardcore conservatives, unapologetically racist, and totally anti-science. I help them when they need it, but that’s where I draw the line.
My parents’ strict expectations clashed hard with my more easy-going nature. We were always at odds, and eventually I needed space to find myself.
I asked them not to talk politics, but they brought it up anyway. I hung up, and they got offended and stopped reaching out.
My dad passed away right before I turned 17, and my mom’s not very supportive emotionally.
They’re just… really narcissistic and self-centered.
I’m still close with my mom, but my dad turned out not to be the person I thought he was.
They couldn’t accept who I am, and their expectations just smothered me. I needed to step away to figure myself out without feeling judged.
Honestly, it was them passing away. That’s a pretty final way to disconnect.
Only after they passed away… 2004 and 2014. We actually got along pretty well otherwise.
I went no-contact for my own mental health. Growing older, I’ve realized they had their struggles too, but without their ability to admit fault or grow, it’s just best for me to keep my distance.
They keep nagging me about every little thing—‘you’re going to get sick if you don’t eat right’ or ‘you’ll get kidnapped if you go out alone.’ It’s exhausting, and they don’t treat me like an adult. That, and they’ve lied to me when I asked them about things. It’s pushed me to create distance from them.
Emotional and mental abuse, plain and simple.
They always saw me as their safety net, and I could never really be my own person.