I was really excited about this show, because my sisters and I had a difficult relationship with our recently deceased mother. But is was more of a "she said, she said" and didn't resolve anything, even remotely. I have to say, I was emotionally responding to Megan, because public opinion is immediately against you if you say you "hate" your mother. I got over hating my mom, but I will never get over the emotional scars of growing up as a supporting player in her drama. My sisters feel the same way. We think she was probably abused as a child and developed some kind of narcissistic personablity disorder. And intellectually you can say, "Oh, well she couldn't help being the way she was." But I still wonder what it would be like to have had a parent who makes you feel wanted and important as a child. Our parents were WWII-generation, and I often wonder what kind of person my intelligent and witty mom might have been had she been born in say, the '70s. They got married and had kids, because that's what you did. We were made to feel like we DID ask to be born and were just a burden. Our dad was almost as bad as our mother, but mostly absent and a military male-chauvinist - but that's for another show; at least in later life he felt bad that he hadn't been a better father. My mother remained negative and critical until almost the end of her life. And like a final insult, she spent the last few weeks of her life being quite pleasant, probably just so we wouldn't feel like dancing on her grave. I was sad when she died, but for what might have been.
So you can see how much I'm still grappling with my emotions over this, and the darned show didn't help, just brought up feelings that hurt - mainly that those who had good parents - apparently including Dr. Phil - don't truly understand what's it's like to have had bad parents. And no matter how much you move on and let go and seek the positive in life, it's always gonna be there in the background. So when someone says, "But she's your mother!" you just cringe and realize there's no point even trying to explain, even to Dr. Phil.
(Please don't judge me on this one post; I'm generally a positive, upbeat person who just wants everybody to get along!)
