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12 Signs You’re Dealing With a Toxic Family Member

February 28, 2023 · Family
Infidelity family
Photo by fizkes at Shutterstock

They try to control you

A general theme, one of your parents is more likely to display controlling behavior (but this doesn’t exclude the siblings), and this is one of the biggest signs of a toxic family. This might look like belittling someone or having unattainable standards regarding everything, and love that’s 100% conditioned on many things (financial or emotional).

How to react to toxic relatives

If you don’t know how to handle a toxic relative, the best thing you can do is establish some personal boundaries. This way, when these boundaries are crossed, you’ll know how to respond. From this point, you will have two options: either to disengage, or face it head-on.

Also, you NEED to remember that your family members WANT you to engage in toxic behavior. Yes, it’s true, if you act like them, they will feel pleased. That’s why you need to make sure that every time you feel anger, you have to soften the way you deliver information, using a certain language that’s not directly addressed to them. And the most important thing is to remember this: the only thing you can fully control is your actions.

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