It is only when they grow up that many people understand how much they struggle with simple things in life compared to everyone else because of their toxic family.
Perhaps you too can relate to this situation.
Here are 5 stages of suffering you will understand if you have a toxic family.
1. Being too critical
Being judged about everything you do has become natural to you. Everyone in your family did that to you to some degree each and every day. Unfortunately, it can be hard to escape from that inferiority complex, even if they’re not around you any longer. And because of that, you have become overly critical of yourself. You have a loud criticizing inner voice that always wrongly reminds you that you’re not worth anything.
2. Anxiety
Having toxic people around is one of the most mentally taxing situations you can find yourself in. This is especially valid in the years of development when it can severely affect mental development. It brings intense trauma for the victims along with possible PTSD development. This can cause most people who have lived through this kind of situation to have some form of anxiety disorder. Sadly, due to your trauma, you have found yourself in the same situation too.
3. Communication issues
Different toxic families all communicate in their own ways. In your case, it could have been the absence of any kind of affection and love. Maybe all your family members were quick to explode into fits of rage or gave each other the silent treatment. Being raised in this way to an extent dictates how you communicate with the rest of the world. As a consequence, you can develop issues in showing emotions and letting other people know that you are suffering as an adult.
4. A life of confusion
You grew up in a mess. Being around toxic people for such a long time gives you no other choice but to see love as traumatic and terribly confusing. Since you have not been given the chance to know what is considered normal and what isn’t, you’re still confused about it. Hence, you often find yourself questioning what is real and what isn’t while trying to figure out how to navigate through the world.
5. Sadness and depression
Family members should support one another. We are meant to care for each other throughout our whole lives. And if we have been robbed of that we can end up feeling a sense of hopelessness. In a similar way, you have begun seeing the world as something cold and negative. You also find yourself feeling utterly sad and depressed at times.
It is completely unfair that many of us don’t have a normally functioning family. In addition, it is truly soul-shattering how much these toxic families can affect us. Your unfortunate situation ends up becoming a part of who you are, and it sneaks into every aspect of your life. It turns each precious day into a struggle.
If you have had the unfortunate fate of growing up in a toxic family, know that you will get through.
You were resilient enough to survive this experience and you will be resilient enough to keep on surviving. In time, your wounds will heal and life will get better.
Have you been raised in a toxic home?
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