I believe you do have hope inside of you. You have hope enough that you wrote this post and we want to help you. I think you are strong enough do what you hope to accomplish with new business. What is your culture? Is dating something you are wanting in your life right now? I believe you can have a distant yet loving daily relationship with your family but sometimes things will happen when you are close around family that can trigger old emotions. That is okay, it is okay to have bad sometimes because without the bad we cannot have the good. If you find after trying that you are unable to deal with some things then give yourself permission to separate yourself from those negative things.

My mother abandoned me to take care of my 12 year old sister when I was 16 because she was addicted to drugs. My father has been in and out of jail and i do not have a relationship with him. I find now that when I am around my mother who is fully better and not on drugs now that I am angry sometimes. I was very sick recently and all i wanted was a hug, but I didnt get that from her. I do know that I am happy my mother is alive and I realize that she can’t really care for me if she cant care for herself. I think parents are just people sometimes and will never be a parent. I hope that you can see the people inside of your parents and not the icky relationship skills or communication skills they used to raise you. You are wonderfully smart, a great writer on here and in touch with your emotions. You are gifted because you are in touch with yourself, something your parents werent able to accomplish within themselves. You are an amazing strong being.