Customer Reviews

Toxic Parents

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently realized how much my super-negative parents were affecting me. I bought this book and it made me feel a lot better. First, the author describes the different types of abusive parents. Just seeing actions that my parents did on that list validated my feelings. Also, she describes how to heal. There are various exercises you can do, so you should definitely buy this book. Some of the chapters weren't applicable, but anyone who feels they had even "just" Emotionally Toxic Parents can benefit from it.

I bought this book because I read Susan's "Obsessive Love : When It Hurts Too Much to Let Go". In that other book (and others I've read), she talks about how my parents had a big impact on how I was dealing with my relationships. I felt that if that was true, then maybe it has affected other aspects of my life and wanted to read more about it. This book opened my eyes about just how much my parents have affected my life, both good and bad.
I have been recommending this book to my entire family. Aunts and uncles as well as my siblings and in-laws and they have found that it explains so much. More than that, it helps you deal with it. I feel so much more in control of my life now that I've read this book and done most of what it has suggested to heal (I'm not done yet, but I'm optimistic for once). Beyond being in control of my own life, I am much more aware of the suffering in others afflicted by their parents and am actively helping those that will listen. I firmly believe it should be required reading even for those that have a healthy relationship with their parents so that they can help others overcome their toxic relations.

I bought this book to help me understand a sad situation a friend
of my daughter's is suffering through. My daughter suffered too
because of the toxic parents of this friend. I highly recommend
it for anyone who needs to break free from the emotional web of
toxic parents and move on to a healthy, more "self-defined" life.
It has truly helped me understand the dynamics of a very abusive
childhood (not just physical abuse)and to have empathy with those
who still suffer from one.

Anyone who grew up with toxic parents will find solace in this book. In order to not continue the pattern of passing our hurt on to our children, we need to heal whatever wounds we carry. In that way, we can change the legacy passed to the next generation and find peace. This book is realistic, practical, and ultimately hopeful.

This book exemplifies everything that I have come to dislike regarding modern psychology and psychiatry, both firmly established pseudo sciences that are breeding grounds for charlatans and fortune seekers like Dr. Phil and, the now defunct, Dr. Ruth. (Why do these people never use their last names? Do they consider themselves rock stars like Bono, Madonna or Cher?) In short, this book will try to convince that, no matter how well intentioned your parents were in raising you, they failed somehow and that is why you are now suffering from any one of thousands of make believe disorders that the mental health community codifies in order to bill health insurance companies. All you will learn from this book is how to shift the blame of your own shortcomings onto somebody else. Wait a minute! Isn't that called "projection"? If a therapist recommends it for you, tell them to loan you their copy and mark it up and then it give it back to them to really tick them off.