The Narcissistic Parent Doesn't Miss You — They Miss Access to You

They don't miss you. They miss having access to you. This isn't about a parent who is simply sad you moved out. It's the mechanism underneath: what looks like love is often access - the guaranteed reply, the standing invitation, the person who drops everything. When you become happy, busy, and independent, you stop being available, and the pull gets harder. In this one: why the guilt arrives before you can think, why milestones trigger the crisis, the difference between a parent who misses you and one who misses access, enmeshment, hoovering, boundary testing, and what to do when guilt was the only proof of love you were given. More from The Pale Mirror:    / @thepalemirror