How do you cope when you can’t stand your sister?
Ask yourself if you hate, dislike or are just plain jealous of your sister. If your rivalry affects other areas of your life it needs to be dealt with swiftly.
You may have been spiky with your sister for years and, as a result, she now responds accordingly. Try being less aggressive with her and she may warm to you.
If you’re feeling negative about life, step back and reassess it objectively and positively. Find something you’re good at that has nothing to do with your sister. Once your self-esteem increases, the jealousy will fade considerably.
Phone your sister for a chat, visit your parents. Be nice to them - they’re as much a part of this as she is. Remember, the first thing to trigger sibling rivalry is parental attention.
Accept that if you want to improve your self-esteem, it’s up to you and no one else. If you’re expecting your sister or parents to apologize or make things up to you, it won’t work.
Most parents don’t intentionally hurt their children. Remember, parenting doesn’t come with a handbook, it’s learn t through on-the-job training and anyone can make mistakes. The reason they were more generous financially or emotionally with your younger sister maybe because they felt more confident as parents and had more money to spend. It doesn’t mean they love her more. Parental love is infinite.
Still finding it hard to come to terms with your jealousy? See a therapist. Don’t be afraid - therapy will not unearth things you don’t want disturbed. No therapist is going to force you to say things you don’t want to and if you don’t like your therapist, simply change to one you like.
If you know deep down you’ll never like your sister, be easy on yourself. Society tends to make the assumption that we should get on with someone whose gene pool we share, but this isn’t always the case. You don’t have to like her. But you can’t live a life that’s constantly overshadowed by jealousy.
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