My parents were great growing up. I was the baby and they spoiled me. My step-father came into my life when I was 4 and has been my dad for all intents and purposes ever since. I always felt loved growing up, and I think I turned out pretty great.
My mom became disabled due to a back injury about 15 years ago. She’s on a lot of medication for the pain and, while she does not abuse it, it has really messed with her head. She’s a completely different person than the woman that raised me – she’s needy, high-strung, and just plain crazy at times. She’s a very hard person to get along with. One minute she’s telling me I’m the only kid she has that turned out right and the next minute she’s telling me I’m selfish and lack compassion. I strongly suspect some type of mental illness, and she sees a psychiatrist, but whatever he’s doing doesn’t seem to be helping at all.
My step-father is cool at times and completely maddening at times. He’s got a bad temper, he’s selfish, and he does what he wants to do even if it puts others in danger. I get along with him better than I get along with my mom, but they both drive me nuts half the time. And their marriage is far from ideal – they don’t even like each other anymore, and yet they stay together for some unknown reason.
My whole family is dysfunctional, including my siblings. I’m the only one that doesn’t have serious problems. They have all changed quite a bit since I was a kid, but I think part of it was being in the dark as to what kind of people they actually are. I was just a child and I didn’t know half of the stuff going on. Now that I know, it’s hard to have respect for them.
They’re all people. Just because they’re my family doesn’t mean I have to like them, get along with them, associate with them, etc. I do still have contact with them, but I’ve mentally separated myself from them to avoid the useless stress and drama that seems to follow them around.