Dad Uses Daughter As Therapist For Every Problem Life Throws At Him, Daughter Limits Contact And Gets Blamed For His Depression

"He winds up blaming me for his depression and the reason he can't find love"

Maryjane

• Published in Interesting
• August 15, 2023

The majority of people can relate to what it's like to have challenging, uneasy, or stressful family interactions. Many young adult children find it tiring and emotionally taxing to spend time with their parents or other family members.

They frequently make an effort to stay in touch with their relatives while making space in these circumstances. However, in some situations, known as parental alienation, adult children end up abandoning their parents and other family members.

There are several causes of parental estrangement. Rarely is the decision simple.

The safest and healthiest choice may be to "divorce your parents" as adults if you experienced abuse or other trauma at the hands of your parents. Other situations, though, are less obvious. 

Let's delve into today's story and find out why the OP excommunicated her dad. So to get into it, since the OP was little, she has always been a therapist to her dad.

Her parents broke up right after she was born, and since then, she has had to support him through that. OP's dad later started dating a woman, and everything was going great until they started falling out.

OP's dad spiraled and became more dependent on her for emotional support. After that, the OP left the house to live with her mom for a few months because she couldn't handle it.

It got to the point where the OP told him to get help or she wouldn't talk to him anymore.

Here's the story's headline

OP's parents broke up right after she was born and since then, she has had to support him through that

OP's dad then tried to un-alive himself infront of her, and ran when she tried to talk to him and get him a therapist

The OP tried to message her dad to convince him to get help again, but to no avail

OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a-hole:

I'm worried I'm the asshole because I left my dad and ex-communicated him because he's depressed.

The OP sounds very sensible and kind and that's a really good thing

This Redditor thinks it would be better for the OP to live with her mom

The OP should take care of herself, grow apart from her dad and build her life

The OP doesn't have to see him until he gets his life in line

The OP loves her half brother and wants to keep him in her life

It is okay to love someone from afar

This Redditor thinks the OP doesn't know what excommunication means

OP's dad needs to realize that he is in charge of his emotions and his behavior and not place the responsibility on her. People who drink too much frequently find excuses to attribute their troubles to others in order to continue drinking.

Redditors advised the OP to take care of herself, distance herself from him, and create a life for herself. She was declared not the AH in the story.

Maryjane