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Having Trouble Forgiving and Moving Fwd

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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #82653
    Annette
    Participant

    In almost any relationship whether friends, husband, my adult children, I have trouble forgiving and moving forward with any kind of trust. For many many years I just kept going but at some point I hit a brick wall, felt that the betrayals were happening time and time again and that certain people really could not be trusted. No matter how sincere of a conversation or what was agreed to in certain instances these people in my life have just pressed on with selfish behavior that I eventually stopped being able to forgive. I have become stuck, angry, bitter.

    #82656
    Inky
    Participant

    Hi avr1962,

    It’s OK not to trust people who blew it with you. Forgiveness (though noble) is an inside job. It also helps if the other person knows that what they did was wrong and they ASK you for your forgiveness and at least ACKNOWLEGE that to you. Yes, they are selfish, but that is either in their nature, or they don’t think they did anything wrong OR they don’t think you’d mind.

    Instead of being stuck, angry and bitter, put yourself as #1. If THEY put you last on the totem pole, put YOURSELF on top of it. i.e. Blow them off on holidays to go on a cruise with your friends. Redo the kitchen instead of paying for someone’s wedding. That said, Do things that SHOULD be done, not Would or Could be done. Be polite, smile, and say “NO” in peace. You might end up alone, but that beats the alternative, right?

    Blessings,

    Inky

    #82658
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear avr1962:

    It is my guess that when you, avr1962, were a child you were truly betrayed by a parent or both. You were then innocent, competely trusting and betrayed. Then throughout your adulthood there were people who truly betrayed you and often you see betrayal where there is none. If you wrote here an example of betrayal by one of your adult children for example, gave the details, we can examine the story for the real- or imagined (self fulfilling expectation and filtered perception) betrayal. We could separate the real from the imagined, and the imagined from the real. Then you can be angry about the real offenders and make things better with other people, some that … you may betrayed yourself. If you are interested in such courageous examination, please post again.

    anita

    #82752
    Annette
    Participant

    Thank you both. Inky, your advise was uplifting. Anita, you are correct as far as my parents. I am 52, I was the scapegoat in my family, sister was the golden child, my mother had to be pleased or you were ignored and gossiped about behind your back, mom was not emotionally available and has trouble with alcoholism.

    I married a high school sweetheart at 17 and we had 2 children, I loved him dearly but he was a manipulative lying cheat who didn’t want to work or be responsible for his children. After 7 years I caught him in an affair and when confronted then he turned it all on me, everything was my fault…..I was completely at a loss and so hurt, at the time I could not understand why he had turned against me.

    One he left then our 6 year old daughter started blaming me and now, at 34, she has never changed. Daughter was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder when she was 18 and seeing what I have endured with hr I feel my ex also was BP. My ex, my oldest daughter with BPD and my mother have been terribly powerful influences with other family members and friends in my life and repeatedly I have been blamed for just about everything and anything.

    I did remarry and became a stepmom and then husband and I had one child of our own. Unfortunately their was incest among the stepkids which we were made aware of 10 years after the abuse had stopped. I fought long and hard to support my daughters and then recently it started to appear to me that perhaps my oldest had not been as honest about the abuse as she had initially expressed to me. This all came out when I was asked to not attend my stepson’s wedding later this month.

    I made a post on FB voicing my irritation towards the situation concerning the step family. The post was in support of my daughters. I did not go into details as to what happened to them but I did mention that they had been violated. I then realized I had 2 grand children on FB that probably should not see my post so I removed it and apologized to my oldest daughter. She did not reply, took me off FB along with her husband and 2 grandkids. Now my 30 year old daughter is hurt and has told me that she didn’t want anything posted about her personally on FB. This was not on their pages so their friends would see this and details withheld. I thought this would be seen as support for my daughters as that is what I have tried to do for them but not so.

    The family has just exploded. My stepson’s fiances, who I have not met or even had any contact with, has made it known to me that I am narcissistic, mentally unstable, a sociopath, etc. My stepson, who was not a friend on FB, and my BPD daughter are making claims accusing me of things I did not do or say which actually is pretty typical for these two.

    This has been extremely difficult to deal with and am very tired of the blame. I keep cutting people out of my life to protect myself but the more I do the more I find the fingers still pointed at me.

    #82773
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear avr1962:

    I have no doubt that as the child that you were, you were indeed innocent, free of any and all blame, a victim of your mother who had hurt you tremendously. That is a great shame and my heart is aching for you.

    Your first husband cheating on you and only when caught did he blame you for his choices is wrong on his part. You are not responsible for his cheating on you, for him being dishonest with you.

    As far as your oldest daughter, you have some responsibility over the hurt she experienced, the hurt and fear that is the cause for the symptoms listed under the Borderline diagnosis. Those symptoms are not something people are born with and the person’s relationship with their parent/s is most influential in formative years.

    Your intent in posting on FB- as well as your intents otherwise- is only once consideration when examining your behaviors. Your intent is interesting but the result of your behavior is more important. If you have a good intention, but your behavior is hurtful- and you examine it honestly and realize the other’s hurt is valid, then you change your behavior.

    You ended your post above with the fingers still pointing at you. Some of those fingers have no business pointing at you. Some of those fingers do have business pointing at you. It takes much strength to decipher which is which, much courage. And lots of growth is possible with such deciphering, examining. You will be able to help your daughter and have a better relationship with her and/ or other children is you do examine. Maybe through effective psychotherapy.

    Best wishes to you:
    anita

    #82834
    Annette
    Participant

    An apology was given to both daughters. I don’t know what more I am expected to do.

    #82840
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear avr1962:

    Your last sentence in your original post is: “I have become stuck, angry, bitter.” I am suggesting good psychotherapy for you so that you can unstuck yourself from ongoing anger and bitterness. In that stuckness you can’t see as far as you could if you unstuck yourself through effective psychotherapy.

    anita

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