My Dad does not understand

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It's hard to not feel envious of those that had close relationships with their fathers. My dad would just say mind over matter when I got overwhelmed. He would focus on the negative such as pointing out when I was swinging my arms. My passions, or special interests, he would respond by saying not to get obsessed or just ignore me. He praised rarely, pointed out the negative, and was emotionally distant to me. This led to depression, anxiety, and years lost in a drug induced fog due to all the prescription drugs I was on. Although I am off the drugs and have had years of therapy, I still bear the scars from my dad. I am trying to get close to him, though he systematically shoots down my ideas still. I know it should not still affect me, but it hurts. I read somewhere that Albert Einstein had a supportive father. Would he have turned out differently with a dad like mine? I'm sure other people here can relate.

My father wasn't as bad as your father; he was nice----but when it came down to serious stuff, he just didn't want to get into it.

We all have regrets in life. We all wish things would have been different.

Probably, your dad should have been a better dad----that would have made it easier for you.

But, at least, you've taken steps to better your life on your own. I'm sure your father respects that, even though he doesn't show it.

Regretting the past is usually useless. Learning from the past is useful.