Velvet,
Thanks for the welcome.
I am coming to terms with the fact that I did not know my father was a gambler until I was 16. When I found out it explained a lot of the massive chaos in the house, and laid the groundwork for adventures in dealing with fraud, arrest, and finally, federal prison.
I “escaped” as soon as I could, and went on to lead my own life.
However, I have quirks, one of which is the fact that the “parents” were so inept, uninterested, unaware, and had other problems with drugs, that I have developed a habit of making these episodes into “jokes” to ridicule these people.
I get the point that these folks were sick and desperately needed help that they did not get or give, but ridicule, in jokes and short stories, makes me feel better. But I think it’s not a very healthy reaction. My younger sisters also do this, as does my SIL.
Do other adult survivors who no longer have contact with the gambler do this, too?
- This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by velvet.