yes, yes, yes to all of those things!! I am the baby, I am the only one who went to college, delayed motherhood and marriage, and I am the "black sheep"; my family only every interacts with each other, in a very unhealthy way (judgmental, opinionated, racist, you name it...) I have moved to the opposite coast and yet I realize it is not that easy to get away from......

I thought I was the only one who had this problem :)

wow! this sounds so much like me its un believable. I was brought up in foster care after escaping the grip but i am so different to my brothers and sister and my mum . My mum hates me because i have morals and try to have a "nice" outlook on things. She hates me because i know the difference between wrong and right and calls me boring because i dont drink alchohol every night. I havent seen her properly for nearly eighteen months now but when i did she would exclude me from stuff on the basis that i was abnormal or weird and my brothers and sister who are in and out of prison and treat her really badly get much better treatment from her. i often thought that perhaps it was because i was brought up in foster care and therefore she thinks that i think i am better than them but i always tried my best to be as good a daughter/sister as i could. I have always worked etc so have never struggled for money, something else she dispises and although i do have depression etc i am fiercly indepdent. I have never asked my family for anything over than love and yet my brothers and sister have done allsorts to harm and hurt my mother... im ranting a bit now and im sorry but this as really struck a chord with me... youre not alone xx

To everyone who goes through this...dysfunction likes to maintain dysfunction..it does not want to see people get well, get healthy, etc... If this happened the dysfunctional people would have to admit their dysfunction and god forbid have to change...dysfunctional systems ie families don't like change...

To everyone who experiences this ....distance yourself by any means needed...and surround yourself with "family" that embodies the values etc that match you....do not waste an ounce of energy on things that are counterproductive to that...

I think every dysfunctional family has a good blacksheep!
I am the one who went to college, who is married to the father of my children, owns a house, provides for myself (with my husband), etc.
I have a cousin-in-law who is one of 7 and the only one raising his daughter with his wife and without a rap sheet!

I don't know about you, but I honestly take pride in being the odd ball!

I questioned it even when I was young. I thought I was the only one who questioned these things. Wow!

I really was adopted, and i am soooo much diffrent than my family. My mom and Dad are proffessinals, my brother is in law school. I got pregnant at 18 and i do everything wrong, and have all these mental problems. If i didnt know i was adopted, i would sure think i was, lol!

Wow this sounds like me. I'm the youngest, with a much older brother, who I am so different from. My family have always been so protective of me, they too aren't into letting people know about everything, to be super careful and be paranoid. I on the other hand, am shy but empathetic and sensitive, and I am into reaching out for help and helping others. I am the only one who hasn't finished college and am looked at as the "black sheep". I hate it and I wish my family were different. My fiance's family are more supportive than me, I'm sure my family doesn't like that.
But I so hear ya on this. Just keep on being yourself, 'cause it's hard trying to be someone else just to keep your family happy! Take care.