When Gentle Dad Became A Different Person

Growing up, I always knew my dad as a gentle and loving man. He was the type of person who would do anything for his family and never raised his voice in anger. He was patient, kind, and always had a smile on his face. However, when I was twelve years old, something changed in my dad and he became a completely different person.

I remember the day vividly. It was a Saturday morning and my mom had asked my dad to help her with some yard work. I could hear them arguing from my bedroom and it seemed like the argument was escalating. Suddenly, I heard a loud crash and my mom screamed. I rushed out of my room to see what was happening and I was shocked by what I saw.

My usually gentle dad was standing over my mom with a look of pure rage on his face. He had thrown a plant pot at her and it had shattered on the ground. My mom was crying and holding her arm where the pot had hit her. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. This was not the dad I knew.

After that incident, things changed drastically in our household. My dad’s temper became unpredictable and he would often lash out at my mom and me for small things. He would shout, curse, and sometimes even become physically violent. It was a complete shock to our family and we didn’t know what to do.

At first, my mom tried talking to my dad and asking him what was wrong, but he would always brush it off and say he was just stressed from work. However, it became clear that there was something deeper going on with my dad. He had never acted like this before and it was starting to affect our family dynamic.

As time went on, my dad’s behavior became worse. He would come home late and drunk, get into arguments with our neighbors, and even lose his job. My mom and I were scared and didn’t know how to handle the situation. My dad’s transformation into this different person was affecting all of us.

One day, my mom finally convinced my dad to seek help. He agreed to go to therapy and we found out that he had been struggling with depression and anxiety for a long time. My dad had always been good at hiding his emotions and we never knew the extent of what he was going through.

Through therapy and support from our family, my dad started to open up about his struggles. He had been dealing with a lot of stress at work and had been trying to hide his feelings in order to keep going. However, it had reached a breaking point and he couldn’t control his anger anymore.

It was a long and difficult journey, but with therapy, medication, and our family’s support, my dad was able to overcome his depression and anxiety. He apologized to my mom and me for his behavior and worked hard to become the gentle and loving dad we had always known.

Looking back on that time, I realize that mental health is something that can affect anyone, even the people we least expect. My dad’s transformation into a different person was a wake-up call for our family to pay attention to each other’s emotions and mental well-being.

Today, my dad is back to his old self. He is still the loving and patient father I grew up with, but now he is also more open about his struggles and takes care of his mental health. We have all grown from this experience and are stronger as a family because of it.

In conclusion, when gentle dad became a different person, it was a difficult and challenging time for our family. We had to face the reality that mental health issues can affect anyone and we need to be understanding and supportive of our loved ones. My dad’s journey taught us the importance of taking care of our mental health and being there for each other through the ups and downs of life.