It Doesn’t Erase the Happiness

Join Erin and her guests, as they delve into what it means to be a child of a narcissistic parent.  Each fortnightly episode is crammed full of honesty, humour and hope.As a child raised by narcissists, it is far too easy to remember the difficult stuff. There are good times. There are happy memories. But…connecting that happiness to those who inflicted so much pain can be very confusing for the mind and heart!Why should I credit any of my narcissistic parents with my happiness? Gratitude feels wrong and uncomfortable. I mean…imagine praising your kidnapper. Wrong! I can’t deny the happiness, but it can make the hurt sting even more. It isn’t surprising to say that love looks strange when offered by a narcissistic parent. The love is conditional…so any happiness is tarnished with any or all of those conditions. There was happiness. I can’t erase that.But, was it genuine? Was I really happy?