The Toxic Parents Survival Guide: Recognizing, Understanding, and Freeing Yourself from These Difficult Relationships

The book is very well written and researched. It really helped me understand more about myself and why I am the way I am. Can't thank the author enough.

Another juicy scandal regarding crappy, idiotic parents. Great information for going forward.

If you ever wondered what you did wrong as a child that made your parents treat you like something less than human, The Toxic Parents Survival Guide might be the book for you. I grew up with what I later called dysfunctional parents(though toxic is actually a much better word). I left home when I was 15, a home that from the outside looked 'picture perfect', but one where I was beaten down and mentally abused every day of my childhood. I have never regretted leaving even for a single minute, and as you can imagine, being on your own at 15 is no picnic, so the fact that being basically homeless with very few life skills was still a better option to me, says quite a lot. This book does a great job of clearly explaining what it is like to have emotionally unavailable parents who seem to take great satisfaction in letting you know that you aren't good enough. Sometimes, just hearing that you aren't alone and that there isn't anything you could have done differently is enough to get you headed in the right direction. The author covers identifying the toxic behaviors as well as coping skills to help you heal and lead a life free( or relatively free) from your childhood demons. It is a very comprehensive guide to understanding your upbringing and assisting you in moving beyond your past to a better future. As an adult, I thought I could interact with my parents again, but sadly, the dynamics hadn't changed. I read this book at the perfect time, as I began sliding down the rabbit hole again and apparently needed a reminder that sometimes you just have to let go and move on. I highly recommend this to anyone who had a wasteland of a childhood and wants to better understand why. I received an eARC from HCI Books through NetGalley.

Great book

Money well spent.

At first I wasn't sure in what direction this book was heading. There were a lot of definitions and explanations on feelings and emotions. It read a lot like a text book and I felt a bit bored. But then it started getting into the relationship dynamics and how these dynamics can often lead to toxic relationships. I thought these observations were thought provoking and thorough. The author did an amazing job breaking each dynamic down and offering good solutions. The only thing I questioned were the verbal responses. When you're speaking to a parent who is often confrontational asking them how to resolve the issue can sometimes come off as belittling. Often time you have to approach the conversation with organic response that fit the cultural dynamic. I still felt the material was instructive and insightful. Definitely recommend.

First of all, I want to say that I am an estranged parent. I sit on the other side of the fence so to speak. But I wanted to read this book, which is well-written in itself by the author, to perhaps learn something about adult children who allow an estrangement to happen. And I am the first to say that sometimes an estrangement with a parent or parents is the only way to survive emotional abuse, which can occur in families, due to reasons pointed out by this author. However, what is happening now is an epidemic-proportion adult children who are choosing estrangement from parents who, while not perfect, nor were their children, are not emotionally abusive parents. What dismayed me even further was in searching reviews for this book, I found twenty-two other books listed with the same focus...it's okay to estrange from your parent(s) and here are the reasons why...toxic parents. Did anyone ever consider that adult children could be toxic as well? I found the instructive advice on communication skills very good. I'm just sorry that the focus of this book is on toxic parents with definitions, although broad generalizations as the author points out, were listed in the book. I was pre-prepared not to like this book. Instead I found a well-written book on something that is allowing the breakdown of family life in our society today. S. P., Ontario, Canada

This is a good book to help you realize what you are feeling is real. It took me many years to understand that I am enough. I am a good person. It put things in perspective for me. I wish I had read this book, if it had been around, many years ago. It would have helped me resolve a lot of issues I have suffered with. Thank you so much, Bryn C. Collins, the publisher, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this Survival Guide.