I have never told my parents that I love them. How can I overcome my anxiety and tell them?

Question

I have never told my parents that I love them. How can I overcome my anxiety and tell them?

Answer 1

How is this possible?  Do they never tell you they love you?  Just say it and you'll feel better.  They are your parents, and you should feel comfort in telling them that.  Some family's don't say it much, and figure it's an unspoken thing, but I feel saying it once in a while is good for the soul.  I tell my mom every time I  talk to her that  I love her.  It's the same with my whole family.

Answer 2

Sounds like you want to tell them, it is important to you.  Not sure if they have said it to you.  If they don't say it much, maybe it is hard for you too.  Maybe you have other reasons for feeling vulnerable, mushy, or too open by airing your feelings.  

You could start small, I call it the foot in the door approach.  At the end of a phone call or saying good bye, you could say "love ya".  Or When they have done something nice, "I love that you did that".  Getting used to the words in small steps can make it easier.

If they are not feeling people, as some parents are, they may not react exactly as you are hoping.  They may be quiet or not flow with mush.  Know that is ok.  You are saying how you feel because it is important to you.  They may become more comfortable after hearing it from you.

FYI - a lot of people say more about feelings after they move out of the house and are on their own.  As there is more independence and space, is seems more "ok".

Be courageous and go for it.  Life is short.

Answer 3

You have anxiety about telling them you love them? Try writing it in a letter then or a card. Its easier.

Answer 4

Write them a poem.  That is how I started with my mother!  She has 4 kids and I am the youngest and when I was 21, I wrote her a poem  about how I felt and how much I loved her, and what she meant to me, and she cried and from then on, when I left or got off the phone with her, I told her I love you,and then she started telling me that. My sisters cried when they read the poem and they too started telling her they loved her. She raised us on her own and my sisters are all older then me.  Now is the time to tell them, even if they don't say it to you. You will feel better and they will too!

Answer 5

I don't know if it was anxiety I felt, or if I truly didn't love my parents for a time.  I was probably no older than 10 when I last said "I love you" to my parents, for years.  I never could bring myself to say it again to them until I was 32, just last year.  I don't even know what made me finally open up and be able to say it.  If you can't say the words, please make a point to at least express those feelings to them in other ways.  You won't regret it.  And it will probably make it easier for you to say those three big words in the future.

Answer 6

Just go up to them and hug them and then say "I love you."

All they will say is "I love you, too."

It's no big deal.

Answer 7

Assuming you love them.

I'd open the conversation by saying 'do you guys love me?' and well of course they're going to say yes. And say I love you too. It should be easier.