Yes. This.

We need more representation of people who are comfortable being estranged from their families. TV characters are always like, my parent was an abusive drunk but the worst thing they ever did was abandon me, I’m tortured because I secretly deeply want to reconnect! Obviously there are some people who feel that way, but…

When my ex and I were still married, we legally took in our then teenage oldest son’s best friend, because his mother, in addition to being batshit insane, was also an addict, and his father was dead. With the help of his social worker, we got him legally emancipated and his social security survivor’s benefits…

Absolutely. The press should be more careful about how they help abusers communicate to those they victimize. What Workman said was in no way news, nor did it tell us anything about her daughter but to confirm that she was god damned strong to get out of her mother’s control.

There are really crummy archetype people who act like this - (oftentimes alcoholism and fundamentalism are underlying, exacerbating stmptoms). All around garbage people, such gaslighters.

Absolutely.

Those people are lying to themselves and not just to you. I had as close to idyllic a childhood as anyone can have and it makes me more likely to advise people with shitty parents to kick them to the curb as soon as possible.

Straight to hell.

Yep. Whichever adult said “Yes, let’s air this.” can go straight to hell.

Christ, that’s a fucking corner to get shoved into. :(

Yeah, and I found out my abuser has Borderline at the same time, so how is that for a mind fuck?

What I’ve found difficult is that it isn’t just that people don’t believe you, it’s that as a child, you’re very much torn between the instinct that what’s happening isn’t okay, and that you must actually be deserving of what’s happening because they’re your parents, and they are supposed to be good parents who love…

“But family is the most important thing in the world! They love you! You gotta forgive them!” people somehow seem to love saying to people who were abused by family.

Haha, no, it was an unrelated joke.

You went through that shit too? Fuck. :/

Ugh. I’m so sorry you went through that. No one should.

It is so weird to be looking at this from an outsider’s perspective for once. Ariel is extremely lucky to have everyone who helped get her emancipated.

I wish I’d known there was such a thing as emancipation from one’s parents as a child. Because that was my life 24/7.

You know if she was truly interested in forming a positive relationship with her daughter she wouldn’t have said any of this to a tv show. She’s just interested in playing more mind games with her daughter.

It’s really a shame they’re related because I get the sense he and Candace would be perfect for each other.