Teenager’s Father Asked Him Tough Questions In Therapy, So He Answered All Of Them Honestly. Now His Dad Is Laying On The Guilt Trip.
by Matthew Gilligan
Therapy brings out some unexpected things…and that’s not always a good thing…
The young man who wrote this story got real with his dad in therapy and let’s just say that his dad wasn’t exactly pleased with the answers…
But did he do anything wrong?
Let’s see what’s going on here…
AITA for telling my dad to stop asking questions he doesn’t want the answers to even if we are in therapy?
“My dad has me (16m) going to therapy with him.
My parents broke up when I was just a baby. They were never married. Dad wasn’t in my life as much when I was really young.
He had to work out of town a lot. So I would see him every other weekend and if he could take me for two weeks in the summer he would.
That was quick…
Sometimes I went years without seeing him for Christmas too. He only quit the job when he met his wife Lisa when I was 9. I admit it stung a lot. They got married fast (8 months of dating). And I was 10 when Lisa was pregnant for the first time.
My mom ended up having a brain aneurysm the day Lisa had their first kid. My dad was told and he said he couldn’t make it because Lisa was showing signs of early labor. He wanted me to be brought to them but I refused to go and I told him mom was going to pass away and I needed him.
This was a hard situation…
He told me he couldn’t leave Lisa or miss seeing the baby be born. But he said he wanted me by his side so come to him. I ended up staying. He didn’t come. My mom passed away the same day his first kid was born.
Then he tried to take me to the hospital to see the baby like 12 hours after I lost my mom and he talked non stop about the baby. I told him I’d never forgive him. And I haven’t.
Lisa told me I should understand and be happy for them and their daughter that she got to have dad watch her be born. I told her they weren’t my problem. She said I had a bratty attitude. I didn’t care.
I stopped being close to dad. I never developed a relationship with his daughter or his other son. I don’t have a relationship with Lisa. Dad tried therapy a few times. He tried telling me to see the positive. To take joy in the fact I got to come home to a baby sibling.
He didn’t hold back.
I told him I’d rather have my mom. I told him I wanted my dad with me in the worst moment of my life. But his wife and new kid were more important.
Over the years he told me he wanted things to get better but I didn’t. A few months ago Lisa said I should live with my grandparents or my aunt out of state if I feel this way. I said I agreed. Dad thought I was joking and it took him 2 months to realize I was serious and he brought me to therapy.
He got bombarded…but he told the truth.
The questions started. Don’t I love them (him, Lisa and the kids), don’t I want us to move past all this (no is the answer to both except for maybe loving dad but I’m also angry at him). Then he asked me if I really wanted to move out. Yes.
Then it was imagine how Lisa and the kids feel. I don’t care. The therapist lets him ask and lets me answer. They never really say much.
He asked me if I cared about his other kids at all and I said no. He got so distressed and agitated and I told him to stop asking questions he doesn’t want the answers to even if we are in therapy.
He told me I’m not even trying. And I told him I had told him that already. He said therapy is about asking questions and working through things and I’m not behaving the way I should.
AITA?”
Check out what people had to say about this on Reddit.
One person said he’s NTA.
Another individual agreed.
This individual shared their thoughts.
This reader spoke up.
And this Reddit user said he doesn’t owe his dad anything.
He’s just telling it like it is…
And it sounds like Dad doesn’t want to hear it!
If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.
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