Mental Health Carer Forum

Hugs for the shoulda woulda coulda @eth. There's potentially so much of that for all of us I am guessing and, as much as it's totally natural to think, it can feel yuck to go there.

I have a similar story but in reverse where I was hurt as a younger person. As an angry teenager I made sure my person remembered it and similar times, but now as a parent myself I can feel bad for doing that. I know my person did the best they could with what they had and I can see and understand all the things that stood in the way of them being able to do better. I feel sad for the missed chances and the challenges they faced more than I feel hurt and angry about things now. There are also so many times when kids behave in a way that isn't so clear cut and there's no way as a parent we can deal with every situation and every happening well all of the time. It's all so much harder when managing our own big challenges, like an undiagnosed mental illness would be.

Hugs again ❤