Growing Pains: How a Stolen Childhood Led to a Hellish Teenage Life

Excerpt from Robin Zee’s tell-all memoir, Borderline Me: Beyond the Edge

My teen years were hell but then again so was my stolen childhood. There was nothing innocent about those years.

I wanted to be seen so badly but at the same time I also wanted to disappear and be invisible because those who saw me, saw me in a sexual way or as someone who was never good enough. I just never measured up to anyone’s expectations.

Shortly after moving to Niagara Falls with my Dad and the family who didn’t want me, I attempted suicide and ended up in the phychiatric ward.

I remember my parents berating me for not complying with the psychiatrist, whose opening line was “What’s your problem today? Drop your pants young lady.” My parents gave me shit for not doing as the doctor told me to. He had labelled me as a non-compliant, uncooperative patient.

If only they knew. If only they had bothered to ask me or even tried to talk to me. I doubt I would have said anything. But they didn’t even try. It was not the kind of relationship we had. Anything I had to say was of no value to them. I just didn’t fit into their lives. I was baggage dumped on them which was obviously an uncomfortable, unwelcome situation for them.

If only...if only. It is what it is. I learned to cope to the best of my ability.

It’s common to send kids of divorced families back and forth between parents and families but for me I just always felt as if I was being sent away. To some it may not seem like a big deal, but it was to me, it hurt.

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Borderline Me: Beyond the Edge

Borderline Me: Beyond the Edge is written by award-winning performer and author Robin Zee. Zee’s deeply moving and courageous tell-all memoir is based on the original one woman live show, Borderline Me. You can purchase Zee’s book here.

Free-Them as a non-profit, does not make any commission from links to, clicks to, or sales from the purchase of Borderline Me: Beyond The Edge.

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