Parents have a big role in the development of a child. How do you deal with an overbearing parent that won't let you be you?

[Nsync]

I'm long over this stage but many things that haunt and plague me were put there by my parents. Religious beliefs that never made sense and a difficult time relating to the opposite sex. My mother shouted a lot and everything had to be her way. I had very little choice but I created opportunities that may bit have been the best thing but it was rebellion.
Could I have done anything differently?

[WindAtMyBack]

Your parents can have a very big impact on you. But eventually you have to take responsibility for your own life. You are who you are. A big part of that came from your parents. But now you are your own person. Everyone starts in a different place. But whatever that starting point, it's up to you to take it from there.

Could you have done something different? Yes. That's true of everyone. But just like you can't change the influence of your parents, you can't change your own past actions. You have to work with who and what you are now.

If you haven't done it yet, you also should learn to forgive your parents. You are who you are, partly because of things beyond your control. It was the same with them. They were also molded by their upbringing and environment. If you understand that your own problems are not entirely your own, you can also understand that your parent's problems were not entirely their own.

Forgiveness of your parents and forgiveness of yourself are closely related. It really helps you to move on with your life.

[likelyOK]

If that is true it sounds like you did the right thing, some people don’t have the guts to stand up to their parents