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Overbearing Siblings

Old 02-13-2016, 01:00 PM
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Overbearing Siblings

I hate when my oldest sister meddles with my plans. Started out as a vegas trip with friends and families, then compromised to an LA visit bc of the temptations. Still wont but out. FML.
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Old 02-13-2016, 01:51 PM
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Sorry your having sibling trouble lean on us MG
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Old 02-13-2016, 02:23 PM
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Sandy Beach once spoke about a TV show he's seen. In it a griping mother goes to stay with her son. She complains and criticises all weekend and he takes it all very personally and feels like his head's going to explode. The next week the mother goes to stay with her daughter. She's just the same there - complaining and criticising. But the daughter, knowing that it's just the way her mum is, just laughs each time and says 'Ohh Mom.' In both the son and the daughters cases the mother behaved the same way. But it was his reaction that caused the son his pain. People can be a complete pain in the proverbial - if you make the decision to let them get to you. I remember being asked by a know-it-all old-timer "Is he behaving any differently to how he's always behaved?" I answered that ""No, he jolly well wasn't" (or words to that effect ). He shrugged at me and said "Well, why are you surprised? This isn't about you. It's about him. " At that particular point I was pretty mad at him, but later on I realised he was right. Why would this person change? The old-timers (irritating) words really helped me find a place of acceptance - eventually. And it's a place of acceptance I still need to work on to maintain.

Resentment (even justified resentment) is a dubious luxury. Do you want to stop being annoyed by her? If so, then serenity prayer; resentment prayer; and asking for / finding acceptance are the way to go. While you want to hold onto the resentment then you will do - and you will suffer the consequences of being resentful. I never heard a truer saying than the one about holding onto resentment being like trying to kill someone by drinking poison yourself. The only person you're going to hurt with this is yourself. Please try to let this go - remember, acceptance isn't about right or wrong; fair or unfair; but about realising that if we're powerless over something, the only options are acceptance (and the peace that brings us) or staying angry, and wasting valuable time and energy being so, which will be detrimental to your recovery. And you know what - that is YOUR choice (and therefore your responsibility) not hers.

Did you do any inventory work around your sister with your sponsor in AA? If not, I'd suggest that you try to do so as this could be very freeing for you. I know that I managed to free myself of a good 30 years worth of resentment towards my brother and other family members by doing the step 4 & 5 inventory work. It was such a relief. Like when you finally sit down after being on your feet all day and realise that you hadn't even known how hurty they'd got until it stopped - or having a troublesome tooth removed.

Wishing you well in your recovery and hoping you find some relief from your resentments.
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Old 02-13-2016, 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Beccybean View Post
Sandy Beach once spoke about a TV show he's seen. In it a griping mother goes to stay with her son. She complains and criticises all weekend and he takes it all very personally and feels like his head's going to explode. The next week the mother goes to stay with her daughter. She's just the same there - complaining and criticising. But the daughter, knowing that it's just the way her mum is, just laughs each time and says 'Ohh Mom.' In both the son and the daughters cases the mother behaved the same way. But it was his reaction that caused the son his pain. People can be a complete pain in the proverbial - if you make the decision to let them get to you. I remember being asked by a know-it-all old-timer "Is he behaving any differently to how he's always behaved?" I answered that ""No, he jolly well wasn't" (or words to that effect ). He shrugged at me and said "Well, why are you surprised? This isn't about you. It's about him. " At that particular point I was pretty mad at him, but later on I realised he was right. Why would this person change? The old-timers (irritating) words really helped me find a place of acceptance - eventually. And it's a place of acceptance I still need to work on to maintain.

Resentment (even justified resentment) is a dubious luxury. Do you want to stop being annoyed by her? If so, then serenity prayer; resentment prayer; and asking for / finding acceptance are the way to go. While you want to hold onto the resentment then you will do - and you will suffer the consequences of being resentful. I never heard a truer saying than the one about holding onto resentment being like trying to kill someone by drinking poison yourself. The only person you're going to hurt with this is yourself. Please try to let this go - remember, acceptance isn't about right or wrong; fair or unfair; but about realising that if we're powerless over something, the only options are acceptance (and the peace that brings us) or staying angry, and wasting valuable time and energy being so, which will be detrimental to your recovery. And you know what - that is YOUR choice (and therefore your responsibility) not hers.

Did you do any inventory work around your sister with your sponsor in AA? If not, I'd suggest that you try to do so as this could be very freeing for you. I know that I managed to free myself of a good 30 years worth of resentment towards my brother and other family members by doing the step 4 & 5 inventory work. It was such a relief. Like when you finally sit down after being on your feet all day and realise that you hadn't even known how hurty they'd got until it stopped - or having a troublesome tooth removed.

Wishing you well in your recovery and hoping you find some relief from your resentments.
I found your post really helpful beccybean...thank you. I am holding alot of resentment towards my parents for past hurts that I didn't deal with at the time and directed inwards...which has been harmful. Although it is important that I finally work through the difficult feelings and emotions I have supressed for a number of years, which I have been doing with the help of therapy, I do see that in order to move on, I need to now let go of the resentment x
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Old 02-13-2016, 10:55 PM
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Originally Posted by nova84 View Post
I found your post really helpful beccybean...thank you. I am holding alot of resentment towards my parents for past hurts that I didn't deal with at the time and directed inwards...which has been harmful. Although it is important that I finally work through the difficult feelings and emotions I have supressed for a number of years, which I have been doing with the help of therapy, I do see that in order to move on, I need to now let go of the resentment x
The CoDa handbook & meetings might be useful to you as well Nova. I found their material very enlightening. Meetings - All

I hope that you find the freedom that you seek.

x
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Old 02-14-2016, 05:50 AM
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How are you today MG
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