I came from one of those places with plenty of ‘mommy boys’ (and subsequently plenty of suffering daughters in law…who then go ahead to have their own sons…and raised them to be mommy’s own build-a-husband/man-in-the-house adult. Thus continuing the circle.)
My own brother was raised like that, now he caters to mommy dearest, and in return my sis in law creates her own perfect future husband for her, in my nephew.
This is more than just a close relationship between mother and son. Those are wonderful. This is not even about son living with or near mom and helping her a lot or calling her everyday. That one is just family thing.
This one is about where a young male child is having it drilled into his head that his own father is useless to satisfy his mother’s psychological needs, so he has to be a perfect son, but most importantly ‘husband in spirit’ for his own mom.
How to heal from this, I want to help my brother and some of my childhood friends. Maybe looking for a male only therapist that came from similar culture?