I Grew Up In A Disfunctional Family

My parents have even more mental problems than I do. My mom fell out of love with my dad after having two kids, then stayed with him and had three more. I asked her why and she said she wanted to have a son to pass on the family's name...

I know that most my stories now have been about my depressing father, but getting this out is the only thing that makes me feel like someone actually cares about what happens in my life.
How can you talk to your loved ones about the...

The CactusThe OasisThe CorralThe Driftwood InnTom'sLittle ItalyWhen I think of the weekend activities spent with my parents during my (and my 4 siblings') childhoods, I think of these places. Most parents take their kids camping -- or...

My folks split when I was 5 ... before that there was lots of fighting and bickering between them.... lived with my mother....
My mother ended up being a prescription drug addict.... for a few years there were some really bad...

“Why Don’t You Like Me, Daddy?” is a courageous story about the cause and effects of physical and verbal child abuse. The cause is most likely from bipolar disorder; The Effects are explained by the author and the many behaviors...

Growing up my father was almost always at work.(He was overworked and underpaid!) He was an achoholic who would have occaisonal flashbacks and sometimes get aggresive. My mother was lazy and just watched t.v. at night and slept during...

I was 13 when my dad died. a week after the funeral my mother was sleeping with most of my dads single friends or divorced friends.  She was setting an example for my two sisters Ginger and Barb. My mother was looking for a...

People do have a higher opinion of you considering the type of job that you are doing. Your lifestyle etc tells a lot about you.

But, little do they know of your past. Your background. Your early years.

I did not realise that I had...

I had just the one key, on a string
around my neck
like all the other latchkey kids.
Didn't anyone know we would need the other keys?
The ones that unlock social relationships,
leadership skills, character traits,
self-discipline, and...

My life's pretty much been chaotic from the time I exited the womb. Growing up, my dad had quite a temper. He would fly into these rages, often brought on by something unconnected. When he was in this state, he would throw things, hit...

I'm not gonna get all negative on you. I'm a happy, healthy mum of two who is on EP when I should be doing the housework. Its my day off from work and I dont want to iron a pile of clothes though, so here I am...

I did have a...

I have seen many out-of-control kids over the years. How sad for their families, their neighbors, classmates, the community--but mostly for themselves. And tragically, I have witnessed ineffective parenting techniques. But there's...

As someone who grew up without the ability to depend on their parents to teach them the ways of life. I was forced to find a new teacher. I can remember vividly watching my parents fight. Sometimes I would just stand there and watch...

It's weird, when I was between a child and a teenager, I really thought that I had a great family.  I thought this because stepdad had a good job and we had more money.  More than my other cousins.  BOY, was I...

Everything seems normal
till you find out it's not.
Then comes bewilderment, astonishment,
anger at the unfairness,
resignation, cluelessness, panic--
a whirlwind of confusing reactions.
What do I do now that I know
this is not the way...

I have to think about things for awhile, or maybe write about things, to really get an understanding of the issue. I suppose that's due to the "don't think, don't talk, don't feel" environment I'm from. Anyway, I have a poem in the...

yesterday the ghost in my mothers house washed our dishes and cleaned our rooms, made my bed
the week before that it knocked on the window my mom's bedroom and she ran to it and told the ghost to leave, because the kids are still awake...