Self-trust is the ability to rely on your own thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and judgment. It’s the sense that you can listen to yourself, believe what you’re seeing and feeling, and handle what comes next. Losing trust in your own perceptions happens when someone you trust keeps telling you your reality is wrong. Betrayal and gaslighting […]
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Growing up in a dysfunctional family has a lasting impact on us. Many adult children of dysfunctional families underestimate the effects of being raised in a dysfunctional family. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking. Perhaps it’s denial. More likely, it’s shame and simply not knowing that adult children of dysfunctional families, as a group, tend to struggle
This article addresses something that impacts many of us— the lasting effects of growing up in a dysfunctional family. Growing up in a dysfunctional family can be lonely, scary, and confusing. And children in dysfunctional families don’t have typical childhoods. What is a dysfunctional family? Let’s start by defining what we mean by “dysfunctional family.”
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An emotionally abusive or toxic relationship can make you feel trapped, small, and deficient. It can feel like an anchor weighing you down, suffocating you. People who grew up in dysfunctional, chaotic, or unsafe families, develop a set of coping skills that helped them deal with the chaos and dysfunction in their families. Although these
Self-care is the act of doing something that increases your health and well-being. It restores your energy and “fills you up” emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Self-care involves treating yourself with love and compassion. Self-care helps prevent burnout and is essential for living a healthy, happy life. However, some people have a hard time doing things
“Why is my childhood still affecting me? Shouldn’t I be over it by now?” Amy, aged 37, asked me at her first therapy session. “I feel like I’m complaining,” she said ashamedly. “I’m sure other people have bigger problems — real problems. I feel silly coming to therapy to talk about getting over painful childhood
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Once people recognize that they have codependent traits, they often begin to wonder where these codependent tendencies came from. Why are some people susceptible to codependency in their adult relationships? What causes codependency? Why is it so hard to break free from codependent relationships? While the answers aren’t the same for everyone, for most people it begins
