The Paternity Test: What Happens When You Discover He's Not Your Father?

We are connected to our parents by a special emotional bond, partially because of the genetic ties and partially because of the shared experiences of family activities while growing up in our parents' home. Much of our self esteem and sense of well being is tied to the identity we believe we have. There's an old saying, "Mama's baby, Daddy's maybe." What happens when we discover the man we called "Daddy" is not our father?   How are we affected if we find out during childhood? What happens if we find out in our teen years? What happens if we find out during adulthood? What are the emotional effects of discovering that you're not who you thought you were? Should a child be told that their Daddy is not really their father? What is the psychological impact of a paternity test that reveals long kept family secrets? Is the emotional bond broken when a child finds out "You are NOT the father!