Growing up in an alcoholic family can be lonely, scary, and confusing. Children in alcoholic or dysfunctional families don’t get a childhood. You Don’t Get a Childhood When You Grow Up in an Alcoholic Family Growing up in an alcoholic family has a different effect on different kids. Factor such as personality, internal and external […]
Enabling is doing something for someone that they can reasonably do for themselves. Originally, enabling referred specifically to doing something for an alcoholic or addict (such as loaning him money, excusing his aggression, or driving him to work because he got a DUI) to help him avoid the consequences of his addiction. But enabling […]
Some children don’t get much of a childhood. When children have to act like adults – taking responsibility for their siblings, parents, and running a household– there are lasting effects. What is a parentified child? A parentified child is one that has taken on some or all of their parent’s responsibilities. Out of […]
Are you self-critical and overly harsh with yourself? Or are you too permissive with yourself – not setting limits and allowing yourself to do things that are unhealthy or unsafe? Do you ignore your feelings, have trouble expressing your needs or regulating your emotions? Is it hard to treat yourself with love and compassion? […]
Cutting ties with toxic famiy members is an act of self-care. Not something you do because you’re mean or spiteful. It’s something you do to protect your physical and mental health. It’s never easy to cut someone out of your life. And when it comes to family, it’s especially hard to accept that a […]
Enmeshment is a dysfunctional family dynamic characterized by a lack of boundaries and emotional immaturity. Enmeshment prevents children from emotionally separating. Being close to your family is usually a good thing, but it’s possible to be too close. Enmeshment describes family relationships that lack boundaries such that roles and expectations are confused, parents […]
Experiencing emotional abandonment in childhood can make us feel anxious, distrustful, ashamed, and inadequate – and these feelings often follow us into adulthood and make it difficult for us to form healthy, trusting relationships. What is emotional abandonment? Emotional abandonment means that someone important, someone you are counting on, isn’t there for you […]
Have others minimized, shamed, or invalidated your feelings? Having your feelings diminished, ignored, or rejected is a painful experience for all of us – but even more so if you’re a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) or survivor of abuse or other trauma. It’s important to have a sense of belonging and to be a […]
In my last post, I shared 15 Signs You Have a Toxic Parent. Awareness is a great place to begin, but if you have toxic parents, what you really want to know is how to cope with their crazy-making. How are your toxic parents impacting your life? Toxic parents can make your life […]
Do you have a troubled relationship with your parents? Are they demanding, critical, and manipulative? If so, they may be toxic people. No one has a perfect relationship with their parents or in-laws. If you’re lucky you have a positive and healthy relationship with your parents most of the time. Unfortunately, for […]