How could my Parents do this to me?

When you find out that your parent has HD you might wonder "how could my parent do this to me?" It might seem totally unfair that this is happening in your life and you might be really angry at your parent for letting this happen.

You might feel embarrassed that your parent looks different, is no longer able to do the things he/she used to do, and that everyone else will know that he/she is sick. You might feel like nobody understands what is going on and that your parent doesn't know or care that this is affecting you.

You should try to talk to your parents about the way you are feeling. They can explain what HD is and that they have no control over it. If your parent relies on you for emotional or physical support and you are finding this too much, you need to say so and encourage him/her to speak to a doctor or friend about getting some help.

Thinking that your parent may not be around in the future to care for you, could make you feel angry too. If you are really worried about this, you could sit down with your parents and talk to them about how you are feeling. You might be surprised to find out that they have been thinking and worrying about the same things or that they have already put some plans in place in case anything happens.

You might just be starting to get a life of your own and some real independence – maybe your driver's licence, a plan to move away to Uni, or staring a new job and now this has happened. It is normal to feel angry when things like this happen. No one has to be blamed for this, but it is something you will need help with, and maybe, in the future, you might feel more confident about yourself because you got through it. Refer to Your Feelings for tips about managing your anger.