Those of you who lost a parent when you were a child...

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

Has it affected you and how?

My df died when l was young. I seem to carry a burden of inner loneliness everywhere. Even in crowds and when I’m happy.

Depression and anxiety are my constant bedfellows.

Is anyone else like this?

Such a sad thread to read

I haven't personally lost anyone close young, however my Aunt died in her 30's leaving behind two children aged 8 and 4. Their Dad didn't cope and moved them away, we didn't see them again until 5 years ago when we traced them. They'd grown up with such sadness that they'd not only lost their mum, but also their grandparents, Aunt, Uncle and cousins. Sadly we found them just after our grandparents died (4 weeks apart) so they never got to make peace either

So today has been horrendous. My dads not well and it's not good. I was with him at the hospital he's got have a biopsy to see if it's cancer. I can't stop crying I don't know what to do. I'm not ready to loose him

My dad died when I was 14, while my dm was suffering from the illness which went to kill her. I think I coped well but I am very non huggy and no nonscence but also resilient. My ds's df died recently when ds was 10. I hope I have been well placed to help him and he seems to be coping very well

Lost my dad very suddenly as a young teen. Struggled with accepting it through later teens and twenties, becoming depressed. Over time it got easier to accept although it’s still a sad thing to have lost him so young.

My dad died suddenly when I was 16 and my dsis was 12. Like a pp says, during the difficult teen years. I think it's affected my relationship with partners. It's still incredibly painful 25 years on

I'm a bit late to the thread but wanted to contribute.

I lost my Dad to cancer when I was 11, he was 41 (I'm now 28). I developed anorexia as a teen and still struggle now with bouts of anxiety and depression. It has taken years of therapy and working through the grieving process to get to the place I am in now, where I am able to reflect on the time I had with my Dad, the kind of person he was and I really try not to dwell on what could've been. It's so hard though as now have children of my own (I well up thinking about the granddad he could've been)!

Many people say to me 'Oh it was years ago, aren't you over it by now?' but the truth is I will never 'get over it'. To this day I have a massive fear of abandonment and fear of loved ones dying (especially DH as he is close to the age my Dad died).

My poor mum tried to hold things together after he died, but she was grieving too. Life was never quite the same again. Therapy helped me accept that it was hard for her too and she did her best, despite me resenting her all through my teens.

This, and the fall out isn't talked about enough. It's brushed under the carpet, almost a taboo because people feel so uncomfortable talking about death. Having to face it as a child is one of the hardest things to go through, just when you are forming your attachments with people and perspectives of the world.

The article I've linked to is almost 4 years old, but I read it all occasionally and realise I'm not alone in how I feel about losing my Dad. I'm sorry for the massive dialogue here. I just wanted to say yes, OP I feel it too.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/commentisfree/2016/jul/26/losing-parent-in-childhood-prince-harry

‘Aren’t you over it by now?’

What a hateful wicked thing to say😡

How can you ever ‘get over’ losing your parent as a child?