Product Description

Millions of lives are damaged by the legacy of parental abuse. Parents who ignored their children's needs or overburdened them with guilt. Parents who were alcoholic or addicted to drugs. Parents who were exploitative and cruel, or simply indifferent and inadequate. When these children reach adulthood the damage done by their toxic parents manifests itself in depression, or difficulties with relationships, careers and decision-making. This book confronts this painful legacy and shows why it is so difficult to put the past behind you. She offers alternatives for achieving inner peace and for freeing yourself from the frustrating patterns of your relationships with your parents. Filled with case histories and testimony from adult children of toxic parents, this book also offers the self-help techniques Dr Forward has developed to change the lives of her patients.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16845 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Abigail Van Buren,
'A dynamic, powerful, hard-hitting book. It offers tremendous hope as well as understanding. It could truly be a lifesaver'

John Bradshaw, author of Healing the Shame That Binds You
'I consider Susan Forward to be among the foremost therapists of our age'

From the Back Cover
ARE YOU THE CHILD OF TOXIC PARENTS?

WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD...
*Did your parents tell you you were bad or worthless?
*Did your parents use physical pain to discipline you?
*Did you have to take care of your parents bacause of their problems?
*Were you often frightened of your parents?
*Did your parents do anything to you that had to be kept secret?

NOW THAT YOU'RE AN ADULT...
*Do your parents still treat you as if you were a child?
*Do you have intense emotional or physical reactions after spending time with your parents?
*Do your parents control you with threats or guilt?
*Do they manipulate you with money?
*Do you feel that no matter what you do, it's never good enough for your parents?

In this remarkable self-help guide, Dr. Susan Forward draws on case histories and the real-life voices of adult children of toxic parents to help you free yourself from the frustrating patterns of your relationship with your parents - and discover a new world of self-confidence, inner strength, and emotional independence.

Customer Reviews

life changing.
If you had bullying or controlling or abusive parents this is a MUST!!! It will help you understand the root of every issue or problem or personality trait which has eluded you. YOU MUST BE PREPARED to get angry, cry out loud. Try to give yourself time to read and come to terms with what you learn. I read it on holiday! It will force you to address issues with your parents in order to move on and be a real whole person. Reading this book has been the best and most life changing thing I have ever done-also the most painful.(therapy with someone familiar with the text is to be recommended post read!!!!) All I can say is thankyou Susan !!!!!

The best sraight talking advice I've had outside therapy
Susan takes you through the process of accepting and trusting what you feel and remember about your childhood to be real, accepting the incredible impact your parents still have on your actions and decision making capabilities, and also urges you to let go of the fantasy that your parents will change and make you all better again. Instead, she shows you specific ways of gaining control of your life and choosing how far your parents will remain the dictating influence in your thought process. I read it cover to cover in 48 hours - just to make sure there were no 'traps' or things I am too afraid to do. There aren't. You are in control, you set the pace, and you don't need to move on to the next stage until you are ready. A must for anyone who feels like they don't know how to be themselves, or even just "be". I'm about to go through it again and sort my life out. No more burying my head, now I'm in control!

A Hard Hitting Ground Breaking Book...
A hard hitting ground breaking self-help book where ultimately you confront your parents. As a committed Christian confrontation is not the way for me so I followed her idea of how to confront a dying or dead parent. It was amazing. Susan's frankness could really turn your life around. She has an iron fist in a velvet glove approach to the truth of your life-style of defeat, distress or anger. Toxic Parents is an easy read, no highbrow waffle, yet in NO WAY trivial. I just had to get on here and recommend this book.