The English translation of the Arabic bestseller on parental abuse, childhood wounds, and the journey toward recovery.

What happens when a child learns that being loved means becoming someone else?

In The Parent I Despise, bestselling author Dr. Emad Rashad Othman explores the wounds left by parental abuse and painful childhood experiences, and the ways they continue to influence our sense of worth, our relationships, and our understanding of love.

Some wounds remain hidden behind an appearance of strength. Others emerge as shame, self-doubt, resentment, or the feeling that we must keep earning acceptance. With compassion and candour, Othman gives language to these experiences and to the conflicting feelings we may carry toward the people who raised us.

Through reflective discussion, stories, and examples, he examines the roles children take on in dysfunctional families, the beliefs they carry into adulthood, and the relationship patterns shaped by early hurt. He explores boundaries, the stages of recovery, the importance of supportive relationships, and the gradual work of reclaiming a sense of self.

Despite its provocative title, The Parent I Despise is not an invitation to hate or condemn our parents, nor to define ourselves solely through the harm we experienced. Othman acknowledges childhood pain without encouraging readers to remain trapped in blame or self-pity. He explores how understanding the past can help us take responsibility for our lives in the present, without excusing abuse or denying its effects. The focus is on recovering a sense of self, making conscious choices, and building a life no longer governed by old wounds.