But It's Your Family . . .: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath

by Sherrie Campbell

We cannot fix someone’s insides with our outsides.

many children go unheard and disbelieved.

people nearly always believe seemingly well-to-do parents over their children because, well, “kids will be kids.”

The longer I am free of their manipulations, I notice that more memories surface of instances of manipulation I didn’t even have the time to focus on at the time they were happening because the next manipulation was already in play.

simply refuse to keep toxic people in my life and choose not to guilt myself over this. I do not live my life feeling bitter, and I do not feel burdened or emotionally weak out of any hatred of them. I don’t hate my toxic family members. Hating them would give them power over me. I simply feel relief that I no longer have to cope with the persistent pressures of being scapegoated, hurt, and manipulated by them.