My girlfriend is pregnant but I’m terrified due to my traumatic childhood
DEAR DEIDRE: I CAN’T imagine being a dad because both my parents were abusive.
I’m 39 and, despite enduring a traumatic childhood, I’ve managed to carve out a decent life for myself – until now.
My girlfriend, who is 37, just announced that she’s pregnant and the news has crushed me.
I told her that I didn’t want kids, but despite my fears around starting a family she’s insistent that she’s keeping the baby.
The news has triggered unwanted feelings of dread and brought back some dark childhood memories.
How can I be a good parent when I never had one?
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MORE FROM DEAR DEIDRE
DEIDRE SAYS: You’ve bottled up your feelings surrounding your child-hood for years and maybe now is the time to work through them.
You could be experiencing symptoms of post- traumatic stress disorder.
Counselling can really help you work through these troubling emotions.
My support pack How Counselling Can Help explains more.