Our parents should be our biggest cheerleaders. Whether you finished first place in your school’s spelling bee or last place in the track meet, Mom and Dad should be by your side ready to applaud your hard work and dedication.
But when one man got accepted into the grad school of his dreams, his father seemed less than thrilled. Below, you’ll find the saga that the young man recently posted on Reddit, detailing how he suddenly began feeling unwell and unsafe in his dad’s home.
This man suddenly developed health issues related to his diet
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But he eventually realized that his father might be playing a part in his illness
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Readers assured the man that he wasn't overreacting and warned him about the dangers of his father's behavior
Later, the man shared even more details about his situation
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Concerned readers encouraged the author to stay far away from his father
Later, the man shared an update on what has happened since he made his initial posts
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
Finally, the author clarified that he has no plans to see his father
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Unfortunately, it's not unheard of for parents to make their children sick on purpose
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There’s nowhere in the world that you should feel safer and more loved than in your parents’ home. They’re there to offer support and a shoulder to cry on at any moment, without any judgment. You can always visit for a hot meal, a warm bed and an opportunity to feel at home, no matter what’s going on in your life. Well, you should be able to receive these things.
But unfortunately, some parents don’t know how to show their children love in a healthy way. And instead of giving their little ones the tools to go out into the world and thrive, they try to clip their wings to keep them close.
One example of how moms and dads do this is by making their children victims of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Possibly the most famous case of this was Dee Dee Blanchard, but her daughter Gypsy-Rose is far from the only person to have suffered this kind of treatment from their caretakers.
Some of the ways parents impose this disorder onto their children are by lying about their child’s symptoms, manipulating blood or urine tests, falsifying medical records and/or inducing symptoms or causing infections.
Some parents even resort to poisoning their kids in order to prove to them that they’re ill or that there’s something wrong with them. It’s possible that the father in this story may have tried to poison his son to keep him from moving away to grad school.
As far as the signs that a parent or caretaker may have Munchausen syndrome by proxy, Newport Academy notes that it’s sometimes a person who is a healthcare professional or who has knowledge about the medical field. They might act very friendly and cooperative with healthcare providers, but they also enjoy the attention they receive from medical professionals.
Parents must manage any jealousy that they feel towards their children
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In this particular story, however, we can only speculate about whether or not the father may have this disorder. To be certain, he would have to receive a diagnosis from a mental health professional. In reality, the situation could be as simple as the father just being upset about his son’s situation.
Whether it’s jealousy about the opportunity to go abroad for grad school or bitterness about the idea of his son moving far away, he clearly did not respond appropriately. But Verywell Mind notes that it’s probably more common than you realize for parents to be jealous of their children.
Some reasons for this include the parent having unmet needs, comparing their own childhood experiences to those of their kids or having a competitive mindset. But while this is a normal experience, it’s how moms and dads respond to it that matters.
Experts recommend that parents work through these feelings with a therapist or close friend that they can trust, rather than opening up to their children about it. It’s also wise to reflect on the root of the jealousy and explore how to make the feelings less powerful.
Parents are supposed to want what’s best for their children. Even if that comes with a tinge of jealousy from time to time, the child should never be blamed or punished for it.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you respond to your father if you were in this young man’s shoes? Then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing similar family drama right here.
Readers encouraged the author to press charges against his father and to stop worrying about the inheritance
