“As a kid I was like a miniature adult. I cooked and cleaned and made sure my little brothers got off to school. My Mom was always depressed and stayed in bed — she was in the hospital a lot. I guess I never really was a kid.Now, I work hard to get As, take on lots of responsibility, put on this competent front. Inside I still feel really empty.”

“My dad’s an alcoholic. I was always afraid to invite other kids over because I didn’t want them to see what my family was like. I never really got close to people, now I don’t seem to know how to let others get close. I really don’t know how to have a good relationship. Most of the time I feel pretty alone.”

“My parents have always had these big ambitions for me. They tell me what my career should be, who my friends should be, what kind of car I should drive, and who I should date. it’s like they expect me to be perfect but don’t really believe I can blow my own nose. I feel like I’m suffocating, but if I get the least bit independent they try to control me with money.”

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/relationships/dysfunc.html