Just got diagnosis as 44 year old woman - issues with parental abuse

Hello,

I finally got my NHS diagnosis of HFA and ADHD after a 2 1/2 year wait.  I've been diagnosed with bipolar and a plethora of other things such as agoraphobia, social phobia, balloon phobia, personality disorder (misdiagnosis).

i was always shouted at and hit as a child and told that I was "bad", repeatedly shouted at as a teenager by my mum "why can't you be normal", kicked out of the house, compared unfavourably to other children, told my school marks were "not good enough" (mainly c grades although I worked really hard). They even tried to send me home from a holiday aged 15 because I was misbehaving and my mum accused me of being on drugs.  They justified their behaviour as "when someone is spoiling something that you've saved up for, you just want to get rid of them so that they don't ruin it for everyone else".  They never even asked me at the time what was wrong, I remember being so distressed, particularly when I was left to go to meals by myself and wander around the resort on my own for 2 weeks - I was terrified.  They never asked me what the matter was, all they've ever been able to see was what was so "wrong" with me.

Life has always been a struggle because I always new I was different.  I've been bullied most of my life at home and at school or work.  

My relationship with my family has not been great over the last couple of years since my therapist identified that I had been the victim of emotional abuse and neglect as a child and verbal abuse as an adult. I had a breakdown, several suicide attempts and was sectioned as a result of this and their subsequent behaviour towards me.  It got so bad when they tried to attend a meeting at the hospital that they were uninvited to (we hadn't spoken in 6 months, my mum flounced out of the meeting).  The hospital and my therapist have diagnosed from afar my mother as having a personality disorder, my dad codependent and my brother having "personality issues"

Its all come to a head now - I told my dad on Wednesday about my full nhs diagnosis and he just said they'd done the best that they could.  He tried to turn things around by reminding me of my achievements and I have to admit I shouted as I told him it was because I had no choice and had made me extremely mentally unwell. 

My mum then phoned on Thursday, not to discuss my diagnosis, which she told me straight away, but to ask after the wellbeing of my mother in law who'd had an operation.  I'd already told my dad about this and my mum is jealous of my MIL, refuses to acknowledge her existence and never asks about her.  She then said that she "didn't need to discuss my diagnosis as dad had told her about it but that as far as she was concerned she had brought me up the same as any other parent and that she had nothing to feel bad about".  I was devastated - she showed absolutely no compassion let alone empathy or remorse for the terrible things that she used to shout at me.  I mentioned the holiday again and she just said ," well you always were a horrible little wotsit".  

I have been crying on and off for the last couple of days- as if the shock of the diagnosis is not enough, the reaction of my parents is devastating.  I am married and my husband is probably on the spectrum but doesn't know how to process this either.

I am struggling to find other peoples stories like this and, I guess, I'm hoping I can find some comfort on here. Did anyone else's parents behave like this?

Parents
  • Hello,

            Sounds like you are having a tough time .... please dont be too harsh on your parents , mine were exactly the same and it has taken years for them to come round so to speak.Parents want there kids to have an easy life and telling them you have HFA is a shock to them aswell as you.Please dont despair dont wait for others to process it  .... be proactive and tell them what it means to you and what you expect of them to help you cope.Also, i feel me and my mom are in a constant who is the sickest arms race and family dynamics can be confusing but especially for people on the spectrum. DONT WORRY ... its your life , i was called a horrible little so and so too and fell out with my mom for years, but i am 51 now and she is 80 and finally we are finding common ground.Never give up, we are a much maligned and misunderstood people, ... you have to learn to forgive and evolve.All the very best and i really hope things get better for you.Try looking after yourself first ... a diagnosis can be a blessing.All the best

  • No way ! Do not forgive them. That tired old excuse that they' tried their best' line is just that, a line. Did they really try? Did they stop and think for one bloody minute why you were the way you were? I doubt it. Most parents do not research any aspect of child behaviour. Mine were asked to meet at school with a progressive teacher who wanted to tell them that he thought that I was dyslexic. They immediately went into denial ! Sound familiar?  Oh I had much much more and my elder brother had the same and he killed himself, again through denial and rejection. how much does it take to make these people realise they were evil?

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  • No way ! Do not forgive them. That tired old excuse that they' tried their best' line is just that, a line. Did they really try? Did they stop and think for one bloody minute why you were the way you were? I doubt it. Most parents do not research any aspect of child behaviour. Mine were asked to meet at school with a progressive teacher who wanted to tell them that he thought that I was dyslexic. They immediately went into denial ! Sound familiar?  Oh I had much much more and my elder brother had the same and he killed himself, again through denial and rejection. how much does it take to make these people realise they were evil?

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