Life is not always as great as the typical movie family ...
My mother was stung out and had many boyfriends and only kept my brother and I for the govt cheeze. Since my father had died and all I had was my mother, I grew up in a life where my brother was not my friend and I was basically alone and was burnt trusting people until I understood most could not be trusted.
I live only a few miles away from my brother and mother, but I have not seen them for years. This might sound strange, but I don't really care if I have a relationship with them ever again.
I have worked in SE ASIA in my life and found the environment to be much easier to live in because people are just not as spoiled and judgemental.
The truth in life for me is money is easy to come by but a real friend is as rare as finding an asteriod ...
My daughters' father has left their lives after being in and out very randomly. The youngest never really got to know him so theres not so much of an affect on her but my oldest daughter who is now two was a daddys girl and it has affected her more. Sometimes she asks for him and will get her play phone and pretend to be talking to him on the phone. And sometimes when she meets men (only certain men) she will call them daddy and become VERY clingy with them and cry when they or she has to leave. Its like she wants her daddy but knows he isnt there so she has to use a substitute.
Well my father left when i was 5 so i can give you some ideas. Blaming yourself for them leaving, like you weren't good enough or not enough, or you didn't have what it takes for them to love you enough to stay. Things like that. Of course it makes you sad and possibly depressed. It made me not trust other people. Made me think and expect everyone else in my life to leave or walk out on me, which goes back to the blaming myself thing, because hey if i wasn't good enough for that person, why would i be good enough for anyone else. Can cause self esteem issues and confidence issues. Can make you very critical of yourself and try to be perfect so that no one else leaves you. A lot of anger and resentment towards the person who abandoned you, and anger/resentment towards the people who stayed just because of the fact that they allowed the other person to leave. Makes you not expect too much out of others, and question the goodness of people.
Umm yeah, it basically completely messes you up lol