Do you have a toxic family member who habitually dismisses your experience or recollection of events? That’s called “gaslighting” — a tactic used by emotionally abusive people to rewrite history, avoid accountability, and make you second-guess yourself. Who Is the Gaslighter In Your Family? It could be your parent (gaslighting is typical of female narcissists), […]
Emotional Abuse
7 Signs of a Narcissistic Parent With a Martyr Complex
Does your narcissistic parent act like the martyr of the house? Then you know never to contradict them, or you’ll be crushed under a ton of guilt. Dealing with a narcissistic parent is hard enough. But try dealing with one that has a bulletproof status of a selfless giver who sacrifices everything for others! It […]
How to Deal With Someone Who’s Always Playing the Victim
Do you know someone who’s always playing the victim? Someone who never takes responsibility for their actions? Then you know how exhausting it can be to listen to their endless tales of woe and feel a mixture of pity and frustration. Bad things just constantly happen to them, don’t they? And no matter how hard […]
Stuck at Home With a Toxic Person: 7 Ways to Keep Your Sanity
Dealing with a toxic person is hard enough. Try it when you’re stuck at home unable to leave or limit your contact! That’s a total nightmare, one that few people are prepared to handle. The latest quarantine order put all of us through the wringer. With nonstop wall-to-wall pandemic hysteria in the news, financial distress, […]
How to Forgive Your Parents for Abuse (When They’re Not Sorry)
If you have a history of abuse from one or both of your parents, you might have wondered at some point: should I forgive them? It’s hard to live your life with those emotional scars. You’ve probably struggled with feelings of unworthiness, low self-esteem, depression, resentment, anger, and maybe even rage. You’ve indulged in self-medication. […]
6 Types of Parents Who Don’t Love Their Children
We all assume parental love is a given, but that’s a myth. Parents who don’t love their children are more common than we think. If you grew up with one of those parents, you went through unimaginable pain. Every child has a vital need for a genuine, loving connection with the parents (especially the mother). […]