The Emotional Incest Syndrome: What to do When a Parent's Love Rules Your Life (Paperback)

by Dr. Patricia Love (Author), Jo Robinson (Contributor) "Gwen, 33 years old and a talented graphic artist, came to me with two of the telltale signs of emotional incest-chronic relationship problems and a..." (more)
Key Phrases: emotional incest, healthy family system, sibling unit, Chosen Child, Invasive Parent, Left-Out Child (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From Dr. Patricia Love, a ground-breaking work that identifies, explores and treats the harmful effects that emotionally and psychologically invasive parents have on their children, and provides a program for overcoming the chronic problems that can result.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (February 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055335275X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553352757
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,648 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #30 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships > Dysfunctional Relationships
  #48 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Sexuality > Human

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! What a great explanation of disturbing behaviors!, July 27, 2000

By A Customer

It can be extremely emotionally validating to realize some things you experienced as a child were unhealthy, especially if they get in the way of happy, productive relationships later in life. This book is about recognizing unhealthy, enmeshed relationships and learning how to move toward something more healthy. It teaches you how to do the work necessary to make things better for yourself. You won't change the parent who put you in an emotionally incestuous situation so don't waste your energy on an effort that's guaranteed to fail. Instead focus on learning new ways to respond to the unhealthy behaviors of your parents. This will enable you to recognize and change your own unhealthy behaviors, which is especially important if you are a parent who wants to end the cycle of emotionally-damaging parent/child relationships.

This book helps to identify, understand, and overcome many prior experiences that have been holding you back. It describes perfectly the relationship my husband had with his mother, his inability to pull away for so long, and the reaction of his family when he finally tried to gain a healthy distance from her. Recognizing this behavior and learning to deal with it was an emotional life saver for me. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would!

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Important Book, June 7, 2004

By	CovertIncest.org "Moriji" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

In this comprehensive book about emotional incest, Pat Love goes into great depth about the causes of emotional incest and its devastating consequences. The author explains how emotional incest can take on many forms, depending on whether the parent is neglectful, critical, or sexual. She also provides helpful exercises throughout the book to help emotional incest survivors come to terms with the abuse. Highly recommended.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this if you have an enmeshed parent-child relationship!, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

I have read many. many self-help books...but this is the only one that focuses specifically on this complex and often overwhelming problem. The author exactingly describes "incest" scenarios and the possilble background of your parents that makes them the way they are. I'm now in my 40s, and still struggling with the issues the author discusses...this book has been a tremendous resource. It's comforting to know I'm not alone...now if only we could all form our own support group!