My Horrid Parent

Hi Astra,

Thank you so much for your story. It is so impressive that following the deaths of your parents you have been able to start to heal and make progress in becoming yourself. It is so sad to read that your horrid aunt is starting to undermine you with this behaviour. She does sound like she fits the mould of a difficult person by having a family pow-wow and excluding you. Such controlling behaviour towards another adult is not acceptable. Neither is persuading your cousins to fall in with her wishes. It is also unfortunate that you do not have the option of moving away so you will continue to encounter them in the street.

Our advice would be that you have little option but to accept this to be the case. Try and keep those encounters in the street and avoid any more personal involvement. So anticipate that you may bump into one of them and be prepared to pass them with a brief but neutral comment such as you may give the postman or other local person. So perhaps simply say 'hello, wet day isn't it?' and pass by. If you take the initiative with this it may reduce your horror and astonishment at her lack of feeling towards you.

Continue to focus on your group of friends as they will be able to give you far more support, affection and friendship than your local family by the sound of it. Hang on to your dreams!

Good luck,

Alyson