Dr Phil: A Mother Accused and Unstable
Previously on Dr Phil, Jennifer complained that her parents, Anne and Charles, are out to get custody of her 6-year-old daughter. The whole family, including Jennifer’s two teenage children, thinks that she is out of control and irresponsible. But Jennifer thinks that every bit of this is a smear campaign against her.
After speaking with Jennifer and her parents in day one of his family counseling session, Dr Phil had a new face onstage for part two. Jennifer’s 20-year-old son Josh has made no secret of the fact that he cut his mother out of his life two years ago. Josh said that his mother is a danger to his sister. She has had her out at all hours of the night. Josh said that she abuses drugs and lacks the resources to care for a child at this time.
Dr Phil: Pointing the Finger
Jennifer’s family confronted her about her abuse of prescription drugs, her relationship with a creepy guy, and her neglect of her 6-year-old on Dr Phil. (mararie / flickr)
Josh told Dr Phil that he wants his mother back. He would love for her to “regain the respect that she actually deserves,” he said. Lately, her behavior has not been winning many people over, especially among her family members. “She’s just pointing the finger at everybody else,” Josh said of his mother’s attitude during her time with the family at Dr Phil’s show.
Josh said that Jennifer did recover from her divorce and the family had a pleasant period after that. But he said that when his mother began taking ADD medication, things took a turn in his eyes. Dr Phil turned to Jennifer, pointing out that her parents and her kids were there to help her, not to attack her.
Dr Phil: ADHD Symptoms in Mom
Jennifer wasn’t interested in solutions, but preferred to attempt to set the record straight by addressing one of Josh’s comments about her prescription use. She also had something to ask Dr Phil. She admitted that she has made mistakes and wrong choices in the past. But Jennifer claimed that the facts were being misrepresented and things were being left out.
When Jennifer tried to formulate a question, you could be forgiven for thinking that your television froze up. Instead, she stuttered and stammered like a toddler attempting to form a sentence for the first time. She just could not decide which words to string together. When the audience laughed, she explained that this is a symptom of her ADHD, and that it’s how her brain is wired.
Dr Phil: Fending Off Her Attackers
As Jennifer continued to get worked up, it seemed like she might never actually stop long enough to acknowledge and accept the problems in her life that brought everyone to this point today. When Dr Phil finally got Jennifer to take a breath, he wanted to address her underlying question about how to fend off her attackers.
Dr Phil also told Jennifer that he and his team have been over all of the medical records she shared with the production team. Jennifer said that she had so much paperwork that she couldn’t even account for all of it, which is reasonable because medical care does generate a lot of paperwork.
Dr Phil: Daughter Steps In To Raise Sister
Dr Phil pointed out that Jennifer claimed to have lost some of the documents and records that Dr Phil’s producers were looking for in preparing this story for the show. Jennifer denied this, insisting that she provided everything they wanted. She also got off on a tangent about accusations of domestic violence and child custody vagaries.
Anne, Jennifer’s mother, recalled a vacation during which Jennifer drunkenly stumbled into a fire pit and injured herself. But even Sarah, Jennifer’s 18-year-old daughter, didn’t understand what this had to do with the matters at hand. “I basically raised her for you,” Sarah told Jennifer about her 6-year-old sibling, who now lives with her grandparents.
Dr Phil: Mom Brings Creepy Guy Home
Jennifer admitted that she used to party with a divorced girlfriend. There was also at least one “creepy guy” coming and going from the house. Josh said that what he has seen and heard about his mother’s behavior is upsetting. “This is just unacceptable. If you think you’re actually good enough to be a mother, and you’re doing these kind of things, you’re just lost,” Josh said.
“You guys would scream in the middle of the night,” Sarah recalled of a particular creepy guy her mother was involved with. The kids remember the timeline differently from the mother, who insisted the man only stayed over once. But Sarah said their late night fights would keep her up on school nights.
This family seems to have its heart in the right place. Everyone is in agreement about the problem except Jennifer, who is the source of the problem. Let’s hope that the family can patch things up now that they have cleared the air. Have you ever had to repair a relationship with a parent or child? Share your story by leaving me a comment.
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