I watched Maury today (I know, I know) and this girl was 21, crying her eyes out because she had no idea who her mother was. Other than that she said her life was ok, but that not having a mom really "affected" her life.

Same thing with this other girl who was 18, she didn't have a father and she cried through the entire show because of it. It was really sad.

But wtf, I don't get it. If you've got one or no parents, as long as you've got friends or other relatives (and everyone has at least someone that way) what are you missing out on?

i feel sorry for you because you have to ask this question

Are you serious?

Yea I am. I don't know, my parents were the abusive type and never really around. I'd rather not have had that but I'm not all emotional because i didn't have a family the way everyone else does.

Your parents play an intrinsic part in forming your first experiences of what the world is all about. No matter what school of psychology you come from, parents are a major role in everyone's life.

Obviously your parents did suck.

I wonder the same thing.....I have a mom, and a "step-dad"....if you wanna call a man who just bitches and yells at me all the time that. You dont see me crying about a lack of a father. Meh, maybe they are just over dramatic about it

Parents play an integral role in your life. In essence, from birth you learn from them, and they more or less are your only link to anything for the first few months of your life. However, if your parents don't give a shit, or put you up for adoption, then you're pretty much fucked out of any chance of having a "normal life"

Ah fuck it, the sopranos are back on.

Basically, see my big ass post on how my dad is a dick. Even though he can be bitchy and irrational, parents are important.

Period.

Just because it might not consciously afect doesn't mean, your entire life system isn't totally based on everything you experienced through your parents. Your mental construct of the world is so heavily influenced by them, that later in life, when you notice a pattern of failed relationships that won't stop until you face the deeper issue that resulted in childhood.

I'm actively working on making myself the woman I want to be, I meditate and actively think and analyze my own actions and reactions to things and try to change the behavior that results in negative shit. Only through pinpointing the root of my problems, have I been able to really tackle who I am and how to get over this habit of thinking in a certain way.

I've read a shit load of books, I've talked to tons of uneducated and educated people about the subject, I've done a lot of self-reflection and my thoughts have evolved over time. And now, only when I'm making amends with my parents and taking responsibility to change myself for the better, I'm fixing the problem. I'm consciously changing my personality, my view on the world and how I think.

When you're able to trace the source of your issues and make connections in behavior and thoughts, you'll be able change. As long as you refuse to admit your childhood and parents have had no significant and active influence on your life right now, you'll be stuck in the same bullshit situation, being depressed, not being able to hold a job, esteem issues, sex issues, social problems, identity problems. All these major adult afflictions all originate from childhood barring the traumatic event of rape or something like that, but even it late adulthood, how you react to that rape originates from lessons you learned in childhood. Your world revolves around what your parents provided you with. You have no idea.