I am not adopted, but my parents split up before I was born. I am an only child, and was raised by my mother. She later died, and I'd heard (mistakenly) that my father had died, too. :glare:
After I had gotten married, I was doing some genealogy research, and I came across an aunt on my father's side. I contacted her by letter, and unfortunately ( since I assumed my father was dead) I included my phone number.
He wasn't dead....and I had opened the biggest can of worms.
He was an alcoholic/drug addict and was very mentally unstable.
He was also a mooch ( to support his habits, I'm sure.)
After several years of stress, and unpleasantness, we moved and changed our phone number and eventually lost contact with him. I am very relieved.
But it has left such a bad taste in my mouth, and now I tell anyone who is thinking of contacting long-lost family to first consider hiring a private detective to see if they are truly the type of people you woud WANT to have contact with.