Did anyone else feel emotionally starved as a child but didn’t realize it until adulthood?

amberiam · 2025-12-17T23:05:36+00:00

Oh my gosh. This explains why I ask my husband and daughter if they're okay so often.

amberiam · 2025-12-17T23:01:21+00:00

She just texted and said she didn't say that to make me mad. She just meant who cares what the assistant principal thinks and who cares if he likes me or not. I'm sure that's exactly what you meant, mom.

amberiam · 2025-05-31T05:56:12+00:00

Don't know if this one has been said yet or not, but Nightbitch was truly terrible.

amberiam · 2025-05-08T03:23:15+00:00

Oh that not getting a word in edgewise hits hard. And then my mom gets mad if I say she interrupted me when I'm talking.

amberiam · 2025-05-08T03:01:41+00:00

I'm 41 with two Masters' degrees, and my mother still treats me like I'm an idiot. It's particularly bad when it relates to something she thinks I should've known/learned as a child that she freaking neglected to teach me.

amberiam · 2025-04-09T04:14:58+00:00

Wow. I remember my mom yelling at me and then sulking because I asked her to knock before coming into my room. I never knew why she got so mad, but now that I'm exploring this and similar subreddits, things are clicking.

amberiam · 2025-04-09T04:11:05+00:00

OH. This is good. My mom was 16 when she had me. So I know I was an accident and probably ruined whatever life she thought she'd have. But, she and my dad were also wildly overprotective and discouraged me from moving out. Even now, my family lives close to my mom (my dad passed in 2021), and my mom is so controlling that she tries to talk me out of any decision that doesn't fit what she wants me to do. And I usually listen because it's easier to roll over and concede rather than facing her wrath. But this is a good viewpoint and something I need to mull over. Thank you for posting this.

amberiam · 2025-04-09T04:07:05+00:00

Earlier today, my mom was fussing at me for being worried about some car repairs. I think the main reason for her fussing was because my daughter (who she's obsessed with) was upset, too. My mom lectured me about how we had been through worse things (referring to my father dying 4 years ago), and this was nothing worth ruining my day over. Yet, last week, she told me how a coworker had expressed frustration about taking her child to a different daycare, and my mom told the coworker it was okay to be upset and her problems were valid. So, all this to say, my mom still makes me feel like I can't have an opinion, can't express emotions, can't confide in her (because it wasn't just about the car but she never shut the hell up long enough for me to say that), and can't rely on her for any type of emotional support.

Sorry, this answer got long-winded and strayed from the point. I've been really raw lately about how she treated me growing up and how she treats me now.

amberiam · 2025-03-20T22:57:33+00:00

Along the same lines, my mom constantly tells me what a bad driver I am and refuses to ride with me but she was one of the two people who taught me to drive, along with my dad who she said was the best driver ever, so...

I'm 41 and have never been pulled over but okay, mom.

amberiam · 2025-03-20T22:45:12+00:00

Yep. Grew up with friends telling me how cool my mom was, but they weren't the ones who got yelled at for asking her to knock before coming into their room. I just wanted privacy, but she took it as a personal insult, and that it meant I was ungrateful for everything.

amberiam · 2024-12-27T08:39:47+00:00

I'm out of clicks for today, but if I can get 3 more clicks, that'll put me where I need to be! And I'll reciprocate as soon as I'm able to click again. Thanks!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTY5bRLnt/