They Said It Was “Just a Joke” Until I Saw My Daughter Struggling

the way I had learned to manage myself within that family system as though my own comfort and my daughter’s safety were things I had to earn through careful behavior. My therapist asked me once, early on, why I had kept going back.

I had to think about that for a long time.

“Because I thought I could eventually get it right,” I said. “I thought if I continue reading …