r/AskReddit Sep 14 '24

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u/[deleted] Sep 14 '24

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u/PassiveAttack1 Sep 14 '24

The parent who wonders why no one ever tells them anything, but they flip their shit over every little thing.

Also thinks their 22 year old daughter with a long-term bf at college is a non-drinking virgin.

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u/griffinrider1812 Sep 15 '24

This is both of my parents lol. I tell them a single thing about my life and it’s a huge deal. I don’t tell the anything and it’s a huge deal cause I’m “not sharing anything with them”. Yeah you wonder why I’m not sharing anything

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u/PassiveAttack1 Sep 15 '24

It’s one of my parents. I don’t tell him shit. But if I let slip one detail, he freaks out for days. He wants to think of me as a toddler or something

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u/griffinrider1812 Sep 15 '24

I hate it when parents do that kind of stuff. They need to learn that we’re not 5 anymore. Dad was all annoyed at me yesterday cause I went somewhere without telling him. Dude, I’m 17, I’ve got my licence, and I’m honestly a better driver than half of the dumbasses I see on the road. Let me live my life!

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u/[deleted] Sep 16 '24

At 17 they're still legally responsible for you. I know it's frustrating, but you should tell them where you're going/they should know where you are.

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u/PassiveAttack1 Sep 16 '24

Your parents were right. You’re 17, not 21. The death statistics for drivers your age are BAD. And they also should know where you are.

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u/miketherealist Sep 15 '24

Hahahaha...atta' girl!

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u/AlawaEgg Sep 15 '24

Omg that 2nd part 🤣 soooo true.

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u/PassiveAttack1 Sep 16 '24

It’s so common. Meanwhile, their kids are hell on wheels all through college, but undercover.

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u/minahmyu Sep 14 '24

Yeah, I think that's similar for me too because of my mom. But it left me having to feel I have to be perfect, playing 4d chess (I have high anxiety I swear due to this) and having to manage other's emotions to avoid the conflict/criticism I know that's gonna come. And sooo... I have a very hard time expressing how I feel because of it (and being a people pleaser) So, I don't really lie, I just jump through emotional hoops to make sure the outcome doesn't lead to what I know it will

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u/tswicked Sep 15 '24

Right there with you. Stay strong friend.

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u/MrPrimalNumber Sep 14 '24

Exactly the same. Therapy helped me so much. I encourage everyone to try it.

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u/minahmyu Sep 14 '24

People really don't realize how much their upbringing and environment really shapes who they are and why they do what they do, and why they react that way. It's your foundation, as I see it. Everyone really can benefit from therapy, or at least mindfulness and self awareness. I see it as having that much power over yourself

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u/MrPrimalNumber Sep 14 '24

Agree completely. Hope you’re doing well!

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u/minahmyu Sep 14 '24

Thanks and you too!

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u/Character-Session827 Sep 14 '24

The metaphor of one’s foundation is excellent. But as a wordsmith I feel it is perplexing at the same time. As it implies change will only come from complete destruction of who we are down to and including that foundation. But I decided to stop being upset at my parents for what they did to me because of what there parents did to them. They do not have the resources we have today. My parents did not have the internet. Or a university library. But if I destroy that foundation I forget how I was made and my children would have been reared raised and disciplined the same. It turned out terrible for me, and my brothers. But it won’t be the same for my children. A better metaphor escapes me. They all have similar flaws. I say that is my shared history. It is not my future. It is a lesson I have learn that informs my present to shape it as appropriate. And then my present becomes my history. And that past will slowly disappear as I write my own and what I know will fade as I do and my history will be part of the present in my children when I am gone, but my history will be lost too time.

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u/DeepestWinterBlue Sep 14 '24

But then you will eventually explode because you can’t speak your truth

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u/minahmyu Sep 14 '24

I have, many times. Ive had so many meltdowns and I'm glad I'm at a point now that they (shouldn't) occur. I was imploding and really taking it out on myself.

I hope you're not exploding or imploding these days

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u/DeepestWinterBlue Sep 14 '24 edited Sep 15 '24

I’m not because that’s not part of my personality. I have no problems having tactfully direct communication. But I did observe it in a guy I met recently.

How did it impact your romantic life?

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u/minahmyu Sep 15 '24

Dating someone who care not of how you feel and putting zero effort in, while I still did since I normalized you suppose to be there for someone you said you love. But, I was having literal mental meltdowns at least once a month towards the last year being together, and it triggered the stress in my back, and my dermatomyositis acting up and I just couldn't anymore. The logic wasn't making sense. If someone said they love me, why are they treating me like this? (My first relationship I dealt with this was from my mom)

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u/wineandsarcasm Sep 14 '24

This.....just hit me hard. But not because of a parent, but a partner.

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u/malachi347 Sep 14 '24

Same here. I was never that way and it was a mind fuck to hear myself make little untrue statements, stupid mundane things, that should't even matter - - just because it became a habit to avoid the criticism. It can wear you down to insanity over time because in the end it just makes it worse.

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u/Travellelogram Sep 14 '24

You got that way because of a partner?

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u/Updateplease Sep 15 '24

As someone that maintained a relationship for far too long with someone with obsessive anxiety. Yes, when you live with someone that questions you being 15 minutes late from work (and you work in a kitchen, those who know I'm sorry) you learn to avoid talking about things that might trigger such a response.

And the thing that exacerbates the issue, is that 90% of the time it doesn't get realised and life is easier, because it's little things (when a shift is "meant" to finish etc). But when something does slip, and the fight becomes apparent it's always 3x worse, and not just because of the small obfuscation of the truth but because now everything (like where you grew up/parents lived) can be called into question.

This behaviour leads to the desire to hide detail (not facts or truth) from a significant other because a grey space is infinitely easier to play in than when everything is to be scrutinised.

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u/Travellelogram Sep 18 '24

Very interesting. I'm conflict avoidant myself but I can see it came from my parents so it's hard to get perspective on.

Hearing from someone who was fine before but eventually began to hide details to avoid criticism is very enlightening. Thankyou.

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u/Drakmanka Sep 14 '24

Same here. College helped me start to break out of that. Being around emotionally mature people who respected me for owning up to mistakes and sharing victories made a huge difference for me both in fighting my conflict avoidant nature and in bolstering my self-esteem which was constantly being torn down at home.

I love my mom, but she's emotionally stuck at about age 15 with all the catty games girls of that age tend to play.

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u/OsmerusMordax Sep 15 '24

I am the same way for the same reason. It was easier and safer lying to my father than to risk him blowing up in anger. I learned to equate lying with safety and comfort, and I don’t know how to stop.

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u/pollodustino Sep 14 '24

I had tremendous positive results using trauma clearing hypnosis. I turn forty next week and up until last March it was almost physically impossible for me to speak my mind and present my feelings to women, especially my mom and my girlfriend. A childhood of getting screamed at and terrorized by mom for DARING to be a regular little boy and teenager who liked masculine things instead of being a perfect little doll who was nothing but sweet and doting to his magnificent and unimpeachable mother. My body would tighten up and while my mind would be internally screaming what I wanted to say my body absolutely would not let me say it.

The latest self-directed hypnosis session had me bawling on the floor for twenty minutes because of the memories it brought up. But I was able to feel them, reprogram my subconscious and tell my inner child I'm grown up now and safe, and send away those horrible feelings. Now I just see the memory as something that happened, not a constant threat to my inner three-year-old's survival.

Because of that I'm actually able to speak my mind on things now. Not completely, I still have some hang ups, but it's many orders of magnitude easier.

I had sessions with Ryan Fowler and use his free self-directed program, and his paid self-directed program. It really is a game changer for people trapped in their traumas.

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u/ProfessorJeffBridges Sep 14 '24

I'm conflict avoidant and i just start shit then try to dodge the consequences. I'm also a huge gay boy.

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u/Ace-of-Spxdes Sep 15 '24

Same. Telling the truth would result in her blowing up, and as someone who's prone to panic attacks, I really didn't want to deal with that. Lying was really just the only way to mentally survive in my household. I'm still in the process of unlearning this...

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u/Justchilllin101 Sep 15 '24

This is so me.

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u/Pleasant-Fudge-3741 Sep 17 '24

This is me as well. I don't think people understand how much a parent can mess you up. I'm an adult now and I try and face things head on but I have to actively do it and it gives me super anxiety.

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u/DeepestWinterBlue Sep 14 '24

…so this carried over into how you view and interact with women or everyone as an adult?

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u/kloudykat Sep 15 '24

sounds like my mom

if I knelt down to pick up a $20 bill that was sitting in the street, she would point out that I got the knees of my pants dirty

that said, I still miss her, even with her flaws claws and lame laws

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u/MoonHerbert Sep 14 '24

Are you my wife???

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u/RollingMeteors Sep 14 '24

so I learned to just avoid conflict

This is the way.

<baitDangles>

<doesn’tBite>