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Toxic

Summary:

This is a therapy piece to help me deal with my emotional turmoil this past weekend. Enjoy!

Notes:

Common traits of toxic people include:

Not showing concern for your feelings, needs, or rights.
Acting harshly and critically.
Calling you names.
Violating your boundaries over and over.
Refusing to compromise with you on anything.
Acting entitled.
Always having to be correct.
Feeling the rules don't apply to them.

Other long-term effects of family toxicity can include:
feelings of isolation or loneliness.
Low sense of self-worth or self-esteem.
Patterns of troubled or dysfunctional relationships.
Chronic feelings of guilt, shame, or worthlessness.
Attachment issues.
Posttraumatic stress.
Parenting issues.

Is Your Family Toxic?

They make cruelly critical remarks. ...
They give you the silent treatment. ...
They lie—or deny. ...
They generalize during disagreements. ...
They sow conflict with other family members. ...
They change the subject to turn the tables on you. ...
They make you feel bad about feeling bad. ...
They move the goalposts.

Here are nine signs of a toxic mother:

She Overreacts to Differences of Opinion. ...
She Makes Excessive Demands of You. ...
She Uses Manipulation to Get What She Wants. ...
She Fails to Respect Your Boundaries. ...
She Puts Down Your Accomplishments. ...
She Hurts You With Her Words or Actions. ...
She Refuses to Apologize. ...
She Tries to Control You.

Emotionally abusive mothers are particularly adept at putting guilt trips on their children. Their passive-aggressive language can make their tactics harder to spot and give them plausible deniability about how they're attempting to make you feel, making this behavior hard to spot.

Toxic parents are emotionally out of control. They tend to dramatize even minor issues and see any possible slight as a reason to become hostile, angry, verbally abusive, or destructive—lack of empathy. The toxic person or parent is not able to empathize with others.

5 Signs of Emotional Abuse
They are Hyper-Critical or Judgmental Towards You. ...
They Ignore Boundaries or Invade Your Privacy. ...
They are Possessive and Controlling. ...
They are Manipulative. ...
They Often Dismiss You and Your Feelings.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

 

 

 

A young woman sat in a small park alone, and she'd been crying for a while. A black backpack was on the table. Although a journal was in front of her, she remained too distraught to write.

Beneath her tears, you could also feel the anger coursing through her body. Undoubtedly the young woman was in emotional turmoil. It was evident the woman needed some support.

As if on cue, a beautiful redhead woman approached the young woman. She kindly asked if she could sit. The overwrought young woman had no objection. But, for an unknown reason, she felt instantly calmer in the redhead's proximity.

She noticed the woman had an Irish accent. Yet her dark eyes held warmth and love. She gently asked the woman what was bothering her. The young woman finished drying her tears. Then slowly shared her story of what led her to be so upset. She explained that she suffered from numerous mental illnesses.

She'd been in treatment her entire life. However, virtually none of her issues had ever been resolved. The primary reason she was upset was that her family constantly mistreated her. Everyone disrespected her, and she was abused in every word.

She'd never had a positive relationship in her life. Both her mother and twin sister had physically assaulted her more then once. Her father had verbally abused her. Then, a month ago, she'd gone on a vacation. But it wasn't a vacation as her godmother did nothing but nitpick her. And no one took her side when she came home. So then she sent an awful letter.

She couldn't help but wonder if she deserved this toxic treatment. If everyone in her family was unhealthy and constantly contacted toxic people, did that mean she was toxic? The redhead smiled before replying. "Do you think your toxic? And where did these thoughts come from?"

"I emailed my online friends information about toxic people. But, unfortunately, I couldn't help by doing some self-reflection."

"Hmm, how many people do you think to know you well enough to answer your question?"

"Well, my family isn't one to ask. Since they're toxic themselves and in denial of their toxic behavior."

"Is there anyone you can think of who does know you then?"

"My friends online said they don't see me as toxic. I've told them about my life, and they don't believe I'm like my family. My case manager doesn't think I'm toxic, either. But it still worries me because I've suffered so much. And I can't help but feel there is a reason for being treated like trash."

The redhead seemed to be thinking of her words carefully. "It's true that many humans showcase the worst attributes of humanity. However, being a victim of abuse doesn't automatically mean your an abuser yourself. The same as having toxic people in your life doesn't make you one."

Sighing, she then asked, "I still don't feel for sure I cannot consider it on some level. I don't know if there is anyone who knows me that wouldn't be unbias."

"There is one person who knows everyone inside and out. And He alone knows all sides of that individual soul."

"Huh?"

"I know some hurting people may think asking God for help isn't helpful. But, I also know many people don't like it when others tell them God doesn't give them more then they can handle.

From a human perspective, we cannot tell someone else if they've too significant a burden or not. That's why its up to individuals themselves to decide when their burdens have become too great.

When do they become too great? That's when you should ask God to take some of the burdens off you. But, unfortunately, he may not respond in a way you understand. Or feel as if He responds at all.

However, He will always be there when you need a shoulder to cry on, whenever the world's heavy burdens become too much. Even if you're not a religious person? Know that God loves you, and when do you realize that? Then, you'll feel some of the weight lift off you. I hope that helped you find comfort in some way."

"It's made me feel a little better. Thanks for listening. Have a nice day, Ma'am." the girl collected her things before hopping on her bike to go home. The redhead smiled before vanishing. This was a typical day for an angel of God.

Notes:

9 Signs You Might Have a Toxic Sister (Plus, How to Deal)

9 Signs You Have a Toxic Sister.

She *Has* to Be Right. ...
She's Manipulative. ...
She Doesn't Respect Boundaries. ...
She Insists on Playing the Victim. ...
Her Apologies Are Never Sincere. ...
Everything Is a Competition. ...
Spending Time with Her Is Draining.

Here are ten signs you have toxic siblings.

They're never wrong. ...
They take all the credit they don't deserve (and you often do). ...
They play favorites with the other siblings. ...
They're controlling. ...
They manipulate you. ...
They dismiss and invalidate your feelings. ...
They create conflict out of nothing.

Specific toxic sibling relationships can result if parents are unavailable, depressed, aggressive, narcissistic, controlling, or favor one child over the others. When the parents do not set boundaries or manage the siblings' relationship healthily, these dynamics can become polarised and increasingly detrimental.

A toxic sibling relationship is a relationship that is unbalanced in its power dynamic and may involve sibling abuse and dysfunctional sibling rivalry. Sibling estrangement can be caused by parental favoritism, having immature parents, parental or sibling abuse, and psychopathy.