Ha, Ami, I have heard your father's saying before, but I can trump that with my own daddy's saying, "You can get used to anything, even eating a little cow manure for breakfast!" And that's what we all did as children, didn't we? Got used to something that should have been distasteful.
I know what you mean about how you feel about your past ways of coping. It sounds like you are experiencing regret ... is that what you mean by "waves of depression"? If so, I think it's OK to have sadness for what might have been ... but I also believe that this earthly life is a gift for us to "grow a soul" for eternity ... so in the big picture, I believe that a few decades someday won't matter at all to us. And maybe there are aspects to your soul that grew during those years you weren't coping well, in ways you aren't aware of now ... is that possible?