Posted by Cass on September 16, 1999, at 19:13:24
I just need to get something off my chest. I was highly neglected and psychologically abused as a child, and I think that one of the biggest barriers to my getting help from the school community or social services was the fact that I came from a white, educated, middle-class, non-drug or alcohol using family. My parents were also somewhat charismatic. When I was in high school, I told a counselor many details of the kinds of bizarre, unkind and neglectful behavior my parents exhibited. Although he listened, he never intervened nor did he do anything constructive that I know of. His only comments that I remember were specualtions that I may be mentally ill. I notice that when I tell people about this past neglect and abuse, the first thing they usually ask is, "Were your parents alcoholics?" The answer is a resounding "no." Once they learn that my parents were not alcoholics, their tone usually becomes skeptical. Few people seem to recognize that some parents can inflict cruelty and hate upon their children without being in an altered state of mind. I feel that my parents had enormous insecurites and resentments. In order to maintain a feeling of superiority, they degraded their children, and pride kept them from admitting that they these had problems. Afterall, they had their social status to maintain (which was not based on the content of thier characters, as it should have been, but based upon superficialities, like diplomas and income.) I'm not knocking education. I love education. But I don't think that being educated necessarily means that one has good moral character. My parents lives ended tragically. ...
Any feed-back is welcome.
poster:Cass
thread:11662
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990914/msgs/11662.html