Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a support system from theirfamily, which often leads to estrangement from some of the most important people in a person’s life. Having to go through it alone can further result in overwhelming feelings like guilt, stress, exhaustion, and frustration.
RedditorSouth-Gold-1475knows this all too well. Throughout his childhood, his mom and stepfamily pushed him aside, treating him less than. But after he finally left the household, he was able to do quite well for himself. Meanwhile, thefamilyfound themselves on the brink of homelessness, asking for his help. Faced with confusing feelings, he turned to netizens for their unbiased opinions.
Without family support, it can be significantly harder to go through life
Image credits:Pressmaster/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
This guy somehow made it, but after some time, the family remembered him, asking for financial help
Image credits:Rodolfo Quirós/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits:YuriArcursPeopleimages/ Envato elements (not the actual photo)
Image credits:South-Gold-1475
It’s common for family members to pretend that nothing happened after they hurt each other
Image credits:Alena Darmel/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Forgivingfamilymembers when they cause pain is far from easy, but it can be just the thing that a person needs to heal. Licensed counselor Julia Hoganurgespeople to keep in mind that forgiveness doesn’t equal forgetting.
Forgiveness also doesn’t mean that their behavior is acceptable. Therefore, it might be a good idea to set some boundaries that respect the wronged person’s feelings. Hogan said, for example, that if your relative suffers from substance use disorder and is unwilling to reach out for help, make it clear that you won’t be around them when they’re drinking. She notes that taking such measures is crucial to protecting an individual’s mental health.
There are times when it’s okay not to forgive
Image credits:Ivan Samkov/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Letting go of grudges is important, as they can carry over to other relationships, negatively affecting them. That said, there are cases when it’s not right to excuse someone for their wrongdoings. A person shouldn’t feel pressured into letting someone back into their life if they constantly demonstrate a pattern of abuse.
Some indications that an individual shouldn’t forgive someone are if they are still feeling the effects of their actions because of how they were treated in the past or if they aren’t generally ready to take that step yet. It’s okay to tell them that, even though they might’ve expressed their apologies and offered to fix their future behavior. If they don’t respect your boundaries, they also aren’t deserving of forgiveness yet, as they aren’t considering your needs and well-being.
Thanks! Check out the results:Monika Pašukonytė
Denis Krotovas
Gabija Saveiskyte
Relationships
