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Update: Going No Contact With Dysfunctional Parents
The latest news from fucked-up-istan
I’ve been trying to visit my brother more. He’s a solitary kind of soul — he’s been so hurt and betrayed by our parents over the years, he mostly prefers to spend time with his cats. I hadn’t been over to visit him for a while. His phone has been shut off because he can’t afford to pay the bill, despite the fact I’ve been trying to give him extra money when I can, though I wish I could give much more. He doesn’t mind having his phone turned off, but it means I can’t call him — I have to go to his house — and I’ll admit, I’d been kind of avoiding going over there. For one thing, my brother is not the best housekeeper — to state it mildly — for another, when we’re together, we cannot avoid talking about our parents. It’s a bond we share that runs deep, and it’s complicated. Nobody but the two of us understand what we endured over the years, but talking about it is painful.
Still, we try to laugh about it all, because that’s the only way to stay sane.
Anyway, we hadn’t communicated for some time, and when I finally went over to visit him, he let me have it. He took my avoidance as rejection — and probably abandonment — and he was angry. After some words and tears we made up. He’s my closest blood family and I can’t risk losing him too. I’ve taken…
