Since I’ve been sick, I’ve drifted further and further from my extended family. I grew up being pretty close with my aunts, uncles, and cousins but now I haven’t seen some of them in 2+ years (and they live locally). They don’t know (as far as I know) that I have schizophrenia, so that just makes me that much more anxious to be around them. How about you? Are you close with family?
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I used to be close with my extended family,
Then I had to make some difficult life decisions and everyone got very judgy.
Now I’m in touch with about a quarter of the family I once was,
No regrets.
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do you think your illness contributed to not being close with your family?
There was an event that divided my family.
But I understand how illness can drive a wedge between us and our family members.
Its easy to isolate,
Its difficult to find things in common or enjoy the same things,
And then just plain not being interested in seeing them.
Schizophrenia has kept me from having a normal social life, my entire life,
It makes sense that it would effect family relationships too.
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I’m close, but I’m also a minor
Not really and it makes me very sad. Growing up I was very close with extended family and saw them all the time. When I had my first major depressive episode in middle school I started isolating myself from everyone and when we visited family I would hide and not interact with anyone. Didn’t help that I was the first grandkid so no one knew how to interact with a teenager anyways. Then all of us moved far apart (we’re all scattered across the country) and my aunts and uncles had kids and didn’t have time to visit really anymore and my grandparents health wasn’t good enough to travel anymore. Now we see my dad’s side once a year and my mom’s…irregularly like several years apart.
I miss them. I love them dearly but there is just no way we can see each other more right now. I think my grandparents think we’re too busy or don’t care about them anymore but that’s so far from the truth.
we see each other like once or twice a year. the thing about it is I feel comfortable with all my elders, aunts and uncles and stuff…but I really don’t talk to any of my cousins. it’s like life is a competition between us. I really haven’t spoken to them in years, since I was a kid basically.
my moms family, her moms side are nice people who all live in coal mining villages in the mountains. i wouldnt say im close to them but when i see them theyre all very nice to me.
her dads family, i dont really know and havent been around since i was a kid because her dad is a pos. so that kind of blocked me from knowing the rest of that part of the family.
my dads family, his moms family is also always fairly nice to me. my grandmothers cousin married my OTHER grandmother before i was born and theyre still together, so hes probably the most extended family member im close to (or is he extended, since hes also my step grandfather?)
his dads family, i only really know his dads one brother. hes nice but i dont really know the rest of them and his parents (my dads grandparents) died before i was born
No, I’m not. I hate them all. They are all a bunch of racist bigots. And super rich to boot and not willing to share.
I am close with immediate family. I went to a bbq a few weeks ago and some of my cousins wouldn’t even talk to me.
I didn’t like it very much as we used to talk. I am not sure if I will go to another thing like that.
i used to be close with my cousins too and ive become kind of distant. im pretty sure they know i have issues
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They live about five hour drive away
We used to see each other when we lived together
But time and distance have parted us
Also they have kids now
I’m not close to any of my family. My Dad hasn’t talked to me in years; he has not spoken to me even before I got sick. I hate my Mom, because she abused me when I was a kid. I don’t care to ever see my aunt’s, uncle’s or cousins, cause they’re all so judgemental. I only see my Mom or other family members when I have too; I’ll see them on holidays or if it’s something important.
Yes we keep visiting each other sometimes
I have quite a large extended family, some of them I may not see for a few years at a time, but when we do meet, it’s like we’ve never been apart. We get on very well, and are close despite the gaps in time and distance. Most of them know about my illness, and they are really cool about it.
I have not talked with any family since I was 18
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