5 situations in which it would be better to end all contact with a member of your family
Nothing is more important than our family, they are close to us in times of need and we can draw strength and inspiration from them when necessary.
Unfortunately, we cannot have the same connection with all the family members and in some cases, the relationship with them is really difficult and nerve-racking.
For this reason, it is sometimes better to cut all ties with a family member to protect ourselves, even if can be a very difficult and exhausting experience.
But how do you know when you have reached the end of the relationship and that it has become irrevocably "toxic"?
- 1. People to absolutely to stay away from are those who always judge and criticize others. Although constructive criticism is very useful and important, gratuitous, repeated and aggressive comments can deeply offend a person. Family members who tend to behave in this manner are also among those you should stay away from.
- 2. It sometimes happens that you have to make a confession and thereby expose your vulnerabilities to a person close to you to ask for advice regarding your deepest fears. Discovering that your secret has not been kept can be considered to be a very hurtful and serious betrayal, especially if it comes from a loved one, from a family member or a best friend;
- 3. Do you know the technique of psychological violence called "gaslighting"? In practice, it consists of affirming something that is false to create doubts about the victim's memory to make them feel insecure, powerless, and to question their own mental integrity. If someone close to you behaves in such a way, it is time to get them out of your life.
- 4. A bad family member may decide to stay close to you only for the benefits and for what they can gain from this closeness. When they need advice or something, you notice how they will hang around and then disappear after they have obtained what they wanted;
- 5. First, they praise you, then they scold you and again later insult you and then judge you! This is the classic manipulative behavior of people who are trying in every way to manage and control you!
If you have identified one or more characteristics in the behavior of a person close to you, it may be a relationship that has become "toxic" and therefore risks only ruining your mental as well as physical condition.
Although sometimes it is really the only solution, it is never easy to replace or give up a person that is so close to you, especially if it is a family member.
This does not mean that you must necessarily do without them, you can indeed work on the existing relationship to make the difficult coexistence as tolerable as possible.
Of course, the best thing to do would be to end the relationship and cut off all ties, although the wounds may take a long time to heal due to feelings of guilt. Remember though that sometimes you need to experience pain to protect yourself!