Do I Have Toxic Parents?

Do they intrude your personal space?

Are your parents controlling?

Do your parents almost never show empathy?

Is nothing you do ever good enough for your parents?

Are your parents emotionally reactive?

Do they always blame you or others for problems in the family?

Do your parents often say mean things to you?

Are they overly critical?

Do they make toxic jokes about you?

Do your parents put their needs and feelings first?

Based on your answers, it’s unlikely that you have toxic parents, which is of course the result we would all like to see! We can all agree that no one has a perfect relationship with their parents or in-laws and if you are lucky, you have a healthy and positive relationship with your parents most of the time. Parents who are emotionally healthy and balanced display genuine concern for their children's’ emotions and feelings. They encourage them to follow their dreams, they talk in a respectful way and they apologize if they did something wrong.

Based on your answers, you are displaying some signs of having toxic parents. That is not a great thing, and it’s clear that you can’t have a respectful relationship with parents who are emotionally unhealthy. Please remember that it’s not your fault. Toxic parents can create lasting psychological problems for their children. However, to overcome the effects of toxic parents, you need to understand what it really means to have toxic parents and recognize the signs that our parents are emotionally unhealthy. We then need to accept it and free ourselves from the thought to try to change them.

Unfortunately, you are displaying the signs typically seen among individuals who have toxic parents. Toxic parents can cause a lot of pain to their children. Luckily, you can overcome the effects of toxic parents by recognizing that your parents have problems and that they are unlikely to change. This will lead to acceptance, so we can restore our peace of mind. However, it’s still very frustrating to have toxic parents, and you need to find the best way for yourself to cope with your parents’ toxic behavior.