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During my childhood my father was physically, verbally & emotionally abusive. He was often absent, on drunken binges. I have no memories of my father being a “father”. In fact, there were times when I sought his help as a father, only to be sorely hurt by his indifference. Our relationship has always been difficult. Me fighting back (as an adult) against his abuse & seeking my father’s love. I can’t begin to describe the myriad of emotions I experience when it comes time to purchase a Father’s Day card & I read all the beautiful words describing how wonderful other people’s fathers are. Yes, in spite of what I’ve written above I have cared for & guided my father through various serious medical incidents, acting as his advocate, ensuring he receives good medical care & attends all his appointments. Yes, I have fixed & smoothed over problems of his own creation. Yes, when it became apparent that he was failing to attend to his responsibilities & becoming unable to properly care for himself, I took on those responsibilities & found a good place for him to live so that he received the care he required but still with independence in all things. Yes, I have also supported him financially. I did these things because in spite of everything I believe he is deserving of proper consideration, I feel a duty of care, & yes, I still seek his love. He has not made it easy though. Despite his age & frailness he is still very much the abuser from my childhood. Physically he is unable to hurt me, but that doesn’t stop him from threatening violence. His words are unkind & cruel. He enjoys upsetting me to the point that I get angry & then calls it a joke or accusing me of lacking a sense of humour. He is disrespectful & dismissive of me, often making cruel remarks about me to others in my presence. He lies, oh my god does he lie. He will behave like a monster to me but with the home staff, various care workers, physicians, etc. he is charming. I wish they could hear the things he says about them when they are not present. He is contemptuous of women. He has always depended on & needed women, & they have always been present in his life to support him & make his life comfortable, yet he hates women.Recently, he received a first threat of notice of eviction from the home he lives in, because he has been smoking in his room. He knows he is not allowed to. He knows there is an outdoor designated smoking area. For months I have suspected he has been smoking in his room but he denied it. Last month he lost track of time & was surprised by my scheduled visit. I witnessed & smelled the smoke from the hastily flushed cigarette he was smoking in the bathroom on my arrival. It’s almost hilarious to share this part, but his first instinct was to deny he was smoking! What followed was a heated conversation about how he cannot smoke in his room, that he must smoke outdoors. He insists that he does not smoke in his room that he only has one. He does not comprehend that that is smoking in his room! The only card I had to play was to tell him if he did not stop smoking in his room I would report him to management & the company who supplies his oxygen. Yes, he is on continuous oxygen therapy. My threat led to his threats. I did not report him. Until I did, after the 2nd time I caught him smoking in his room & after I learned others have caught him & had similar conversations with him. The argument that followed has brought us to the cusp of no contact. He blames me for the eviction notice, has called me a troublemaker (among other things) & has told me he doesn’t want to see me but that I can still take him to his appointments. I told him no, I won’t, that he is on his own — in everything. He also threatened that he has something planned & I will know about it when he does it. I know this is a toxic relationship & that I enable him, but the fear I feel for him is tremendous. The fear I feel for me is tremendous. How do I go forward?

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Do you have POA for financial and Medical?

Your Dad is mentally ill. His brain is not wired right. What he needs to learn is...he no longer is in charge, you are. He needs you more than you need him. What you need to tell the Director is they do whatever they need to. But, they will need to call APS and tell them they need to evict a vulnerable adult and he will need to be placed in LTC. If you are paying for his AL, you cut that money once he is evicted. You tell APS you are done. You have tried to help this abusive man but he chooses to have things all his way. You cannot do it anymore. Its time for the State to take over his care. You are backing off for your mental and physical health. He is a Narcissist. He uses people and your not allowing him to use you anymore.

NEVER feel guilty. He put this on himself for not following rules and continuing to abuse you. Let the State find him a nice NH and them filing for Medicaid. In a NH all his needs will be met. They will even clothe him with hand me downs. I believe what goes around comes around. This will be Dads come around.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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I’m sorry you never had the father you needed or deserved. And that, sadly, you never will, at least from this horrid man. He’s beyond blessed that you’ve continued to care, but he’s too sick, twisted, cruel, mean, whatever, to ever see your love and concern. You have real opportunity here, to break away from such undeserved abuse and suffering, and to build a life with people who bring positive, good things to you. Please get some wise counseling to help you on a new path. Let your father be cared for by others and heal yourself. You matter and you deserve so much better
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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How do you go forward?
With therapy.
To learn it's OK to remove yourself from harm, to stay away from abusers. To put your own oxygen on first & keep breathing for yourself.
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Reply to Beatty
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He is in a care home .
You take yourself out of this now . He will be assigned a state appointed guardian who will make sure he gets the care he needs .

If you have POA, go to a lawyer to formerly give it up and for guidance of how to get all Dad’s care to be managed by a state appointed guardian .

You have no obligation here. You should have no contact with this abuser .
Seek therapy do deal with the trauma from dealing with this man .
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Reply to waytomisery
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How do I move forward, you ask. You love yourself, you put you first. You accept that people get old, it's a fact of life. Most of us will grow old , all of us will die .

I suspect that like me your guilt, is not guilt, it's grieving, your grieving for the little girl , who never felt loved. Your grieving for the man that he once was, even though that man was the flawed.

You do something for you, that doesn't involve thinking about your dad, you can meditate, mindfulness. you can read a lot of good self help books. With you being a child of an alcoholic, id read anything Melody Beatty, wrote.
Codependency, No More, for starters

I strongly suggest therapy,

You take care of you first, family next, and Dad after.

Best of luck, welcome to are forum
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Reply to Anxietynacy
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Anxietynacy Sep 8, 2024
Or better yet, dad not at all, he sounds like a pretty horrible dad.
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I also didn't finish it yet, but I wanted to say before I forget that, no you did not do all these things because he is deserving of love, you did those things because you want your dad's love, you want what every child deserves, parents unconditional love, and you never got it.

If your dad is anything like many parents of disfuctional families, Im very sorry to tell you this but you never will.

Trust me , I know this from experience, I'm very sorry, your father wasn't a father. I'll go finish reading, I just really needed to say that
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Reply to Anxietynacy
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I am really sorry to tell you that I stopped reading at the point that, after telling of his abuse, you told us that you are supporting him financially and think he is deserving of care.

You two must be very enmeshing, to the extent you have not been able to move on with your own life.
Moreover, your use of the word/feeling of "guilt" is very wrong. Guilt belongs to those who are RESPONSIBLE for evil doing and who refuse to stop evil behavior. Guilt is appropriate for your father, but for you, grieving is appropriate. You should grieve that you did not and will not ever have a father with anything but severe and serious limitations; he is not now and never was and never will be capable of "fathering you".

Because your situation is so dire, and because your reactions are really self-abusive after a lifetime of knowing nothing but abuse I feel that the opinions of a bunch of folks on a Forum are completely inadequate to your situation.

You need the help of a very well trained and very good psychologist who will shake your world and help you get onto a path away from your own self destructive habitual behavior.
There is no miracle here. It is terrifying to take responsibility for yourself as an adult when you never had anyone to teach you what responsibility IS. But without your having the strength and courage to take the step toward good therapy I am afraid you are in some very dire straits.

It is pure luck who we are born to. I likely had parents as good as they ever come. I am 82 and to my dying day I will be eternally grateful to them. Would that I was 1/8th so good with my own progeny as they were with theirs.
I am so sorry you are going through this and I wish you the very best of luck ongoing. Please get help for yourself.
PS, you didn't cause your father's needs nor can you fulfill them.
You aren't a god nor a fairy with a wand.
You aren't responsible for your father's happiness. HE was responsible for YOURS and he failed miserably in that. What a sad and pathetic man. Leave him to the State who will give him good solid and non-judgemental care by trained caregivers. Make a life for yourself so you don't pass on his evil legacy.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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“He also threatened that he has something planned & I will know about it when he does it”. My guess is that he has planned to top himself and make you feel guilty forever and ever. Whether or not he does it, he is hugging to himself the feeling that ‘they’ll be sorry’. It will mean that he's still in charge.

My suggestion would be to tell him that’s what you think he means, and that NO you won’t be sorry. It will solve a lot of problems, for both him and for you. If he gets more specific about it, call the police as a threatened suicide.

If that idea cranks up your feelings of 'fear worry and guilt', you need counseling. We all have to die, and if he chooses to do it himself, the responsibility is on him, not on you.
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Reply to MargaretMcKen
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Nope right on out of there.
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Reply to anonymous1784938
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You're locked in a dance with dad, and you're the only one who can stop it. You owe nothing to your abuser.

How about if you found a new time-consuming hobby of which he can't be a part? Something that would draw you away from this monster and his life? I'll leave you to figure out your own capabilities, but I'm sure you could find something that appeals to you. Hiking, birdwatching (they offer all-day trips), quilting with a deadline in mind for a finished product. Learn a new language. Refinish furniture. Needlepoint, knitting. You need some thoughts and aspirations that have nothing to do with your abuser.
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Reply to Fawnby
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Why are you scared of him?
You hold all he power here, not him.
He is a cruel coward. And a bully.

He doesn’t love you. Never did. Never will. His loss.

Let him threaten all he wants. If he gets violent, call the police. Block his number.

STAY STRONG. Cut ALL ties now!
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Reply to LoopyLoo
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I am so sorry that you were abused by this thing all your life and that you are still being abused. You will never get the love and approval from him that you so desperately want. He has proven that he is still an abuser and if he had the strength he would try to beat you physically the way he did when you were a child.

A parent has a duty to love and protect and shelter and care for their children. He was not a parent, he was not even a decent human being. People like this are literally souless ghouls that inhabit this earth. It is impossible for me to understand how or why these creatures are able to bring innocent children into this world and inflict the most heinous and insidious evil on the most vulnerable in our society.

You have no duty to make sure he is sheltered or feed or that his medical needs are met. While you may feel guilt and a hundred other emotions by walking away from him and remaining no contact, my advice is to feel those uncomfortable feelings but continue to stay away from him. That means no phone calls, no taking him to his medical appointments, no bringing him food, no finding him a place to live, etc. There are resources available to him that he will have to find on his own.

Why don't you value your own safety and security over your abusers?

It is time for you to stand up and be the survivor that you are. To choose yourself over this parasite that just happened to help create you. You deserve more and you deserve to be free from his abuse and torment as an adult. He has no power over you anymore because you are a strong and capable and caring adult. All the things he never was and never could be.

The only peace your father will have is when he is dead. Peace from his corrupt and deceitful mind and his abusive nature. I hope for your sake that this happens sooner rather than later because I don't think in your mind you will ever be 100% free until that happens.
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Reply to sp196902
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You go forward my dear by stopping the enabling of your abusive father, and letting him lie in the bed that he has made.
You owe this sperm donor NOTHING! As in NOTHING!
Just because he was your sperm donor does not make you responsible for his care now that he's older and probably doesn't have anyone else to help him. That is his problem, not yours.
It truly breaks my heart how many children that were abused by their parents often are still willing to step up and try and help them all for the sole purpose really of seeking the love that they never received as a child. And in most of these cases they still never receive it when things are all said and done.
Being a survivor of childhood abuse myself, I am a FIRM believer that the abused should NEVER take on the care of the abuser. PERIOD, end of sentence.
You gave it your best shot and now it's time to cut your losses and move on.
Your father was the ass here, not you, so you have nothing to feel guilty about, or nothing to fear for either of you.
We all have to live with the choices that we've made in our lives and your father has made some really bad ones, but again, that is on him and not you.
Please seek out some good therapy so that you won't continue on in this very toxic relationship, and know that you don't need to have your fathers love to be whole. Besides you have your Heavenly Father's unconditional love and that is what is most important anyway.
Be strong. Stick to your guns and word, and if your father needs to go somewhere, his facility will provide that transportation there and back.
You are not alone. There are sadly a lot of us now grown children of abusive parents who have had to figure out what was best for our own mental health regarding our parents, and most of us(I hope anyway)are doing just fine, as the abuse does not define us and who we are.
God bless you as you stand strong and do now what is best for you and your mental health.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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