Kazza's Reviews > Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life
Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life
by
by

In my opinion, the single best book written on the subject of childhood abuse. I read this book originally fifteen+ years ago and it is still as powerful and as relevant today. The modern methodology for dealing with those who have been abused is much different than it was in days gone past, and Susan Forward makes a clear, concise and compelling point throughout about the strong feelings of guilt, of blame, and associated behaviours. How to deal with it, and how to reclaim your life.
This is a compassionate book but it is powerful and direct, and because of that I feel it is best read in conjunction with actually seeing a therapist. It can create strong visceral and cognitive reactions to past events. I believe talking with a therapist (who understands/works with childhood abuse) at the same time you read Toxic Parents can be a very powerful tool.
Actual patient histories and outcomes are also explored, which helps/allows the reader to relate more intimately with the book. The book is written in an easy to read style.
Toxic Parents is pretty much in two parts - the events, the reason(s) as to why people are where they are. Their classifications. Then ways of coping, healing and dealing with past abuse.
About to re-read it again.
This is a compassionate book but it is powerful and direct, and because of that I feel it is best read in conjunction with actually seeing a therapist. It can create strong visceral and cognitive reactions to past events. I believe talking with a therapist (who understands/works with childhood abuse) at the same time you read Toxic Parents can be a very powerful tool.
Actual patient histories and outcomes are also explored, which helps/allows the reader to relate more intimately with the book. The book is written in an easy to read style.
Toxic Parents is pretty much in two parts - the events, the reason(s) as to why people are where they are. Their classifications. Then ways of coping, healing and dealing with past abuse.
About to re-read it again.
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Quotes Kazza Liked

“Most adult children of toxic parents grow up feeling tremendous confusion about what love means and how it’s supposed to feel. Their parents did extremely unloving things to them in the name of love. They came to understand love as something chaotic, dramatic, confusing, and often painful—something they had to give up their own dreams and desires for. Obviously, that’s not what love is all about. Loving behaviour doesn’t grind you down, keep you off balance, or create feelings of self-hatred. Love doesn’t hurt, it feels good. Loving behaviour nourishes your emotional well-being. When someone is being loving to you, you feel accepted, cared for, valued, and respected. Genuine love creates feelings of warmth, pleasure, safety, stability, and inner peace.”
― Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life
― Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
August 29, 2014
– Shelved
June 7, 2015
– Shelved as:
non-fiction
January 29, 2023
– Shelved as:
work-related