Dear Therapist: My Dad Is Trying to Force His Way Into My Life
Editor’s Note: On the last Monday of each month, Lori Gottlieb answers a reader’s question about a problem, big or small. Have a question? Email her at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com.
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Dear Therapist,
My parents divorced more than a decade ago after nearly 30 years of marriage. My dad has always been verbally abusive and an alcoholic, and he was awful to me and my siblings when we were growing up—he would occasionally not remember to pick us up from school, and would choose to do other activities over being present at our various events.
After the divorce, he used money to control everyone in his life, evading paying my mom any alimony or child support.Thiscaused a lot of financial stress for her, a stay-at-home mom who raised me and my siblings. She
