Struggling with Parental Guilt

Yes because my family thinks my kidney disease is my fault since medication killed my kidneys.

i was born with a rare disease that caused my kidney failure. the disease is one in a million. my mom said even if she was aware of this risk she still would have had me. you should know even if you think it is, your life is not a burden on anyone. you deserve happiness even if you’ve had a harder life than others or it takes longer to get there. this disease is very hard and i also recommend seeing a therapist or someone you can talk to.

I definitely feel bad for my mom, she was pregnant a number of times before me and got very sick with of them. I ended up being her only child and of course I had to have health issues. I would always think about how if she would have just aborted me and tried again maybe she wouldn't have got stuck with me. I know she loves me but I definitely feel her life would be easier.

I do. Been on this earth 26 years and 24 of them have been dealing with chronic medical issues. My mom has care givers syndrome and my parents marriage is nonexistent because she would be raising me in the hospital while he worked. I often feel like my father is ashamed of me for not living on my own and managing all off this indepdently by now but I’ve been so isolated all my life i feel like I am just now reaching my teen years as an adult. That feeling you get when you know other people talk about their kids getting married and having kids and your parents can’t brag about your accomplishments cuz your just …alive. I have often thought their lives would’ve been better if they had lost me and tried again ..maybe gotten a healthy son.

I sure do!!! I seem to have gotten all the bad genes in my family!

I hear you, and you’re not alone. When I first found out about my kidney disease, on top of my other chronic illnesses, I definitely went through a period of grief because it felt like my body was just struggling so much at being a human body and doing things I felt like it “should” be able to do just as easily as other people’s bodies manage to. I have processed (and probably will continue to process) those feelings with the help of a lot of therapy, and I would really encourage you to seek out support from your friends, family, and a therapist or doctor. You don’t have to deal with these kinds of heavy feelings alone. And in case you need reminding: your life has value and meaning, and people are glad you’re on this planet with them. ❤️