Posted by mist on October 16, 2001, at 16:02:34
In reply to Boundaries/Psychlogical incest, posted by Cass on October 13, 2001, at 18:29:44
Cass,
I'm glad you posted about this. I think it's helpful to talk and hear about the problems people face with their families as that's where a lot of emotional pain originates. My family doesn't have exactly the same issues as yours but the sense of something being wrong (unhealthy) with how members relate to one another, and being the one who is aware of that while the others are blind to it, is familiar. For me, it's frustrating, alienating, saddening and depressing. I'm sorry I don't have anything more helpful to say about your situation. I didn't speak to my family for awhile but am not sure that really accomplished anything for me emotionally—the jury is still out on that.
-mist> I think when a child grows up with a lot of parental neglect, sometimes siblings try to nurture each other (since they know it is unattainable from the parents.) Unfortunately, they lack wisdom to give one another and they also lack a sense of boundaries. It's easy for the situation to become incestuous. This was the case in my family. The physical incest was sort of mild, I guess, but the psychological incest was extreme. I was the youngest of my full brothers and sisters, and I think most of them had a bizzare sense of authority and entitlement over me. I have one brother in particular who still has a terrible problem with that. He doesn't understand boundaries. He does not respect my privacy or autonomy. And sometimes I feel he is physically inappropriate. He tries to act like we are husband and wife. He demands explanations for my actions as if he is my husband or my father. It is very innapropriate. Luckily, I hardly ever see him. However, my siblings and I are planning a family get-together for next year, and I am already really stressed about it. In the past, when I have confronted him, he has responded as if I'm the one with the problem. He sites failed relationships with friends and says I have difficulty getting along with people. (This is pretty rich since, as far as I know, he has no friends. His wife hardly talks to him and has told him she only stays in the marriage for the sake of the kids. His kids have openly told him that they feel neglected by him. I think that socially, I am much more succesful than he is.) He is utterly unaware of how innapropriate his behavior toward me is. My other brothers and sisters also have weak senses of boundaries, so I don't think I will have much support. Our family is full of psychological incest. They don't respect my (or even each other's privacy or autonomy.) It makes me sick. In terms of respecting the rights of others and respecting boundaries, I have a moral compass that they lack. I feel very alone at family get-togethers because I feel so different from the rest of them, especially my brothers. It seems like they have grown very little over the years.
poster:mist
thread:12489
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20011015/msgs/12600.html