Emotional Incest |
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We've all met people who still need to cut the (metaphorical) umbilical cord with their parents. This bond can sometimes be toxic, resulting from an insidious form of childhood abuse known as "emotional incest." Blurred lines and parentification are traits of this dysfunctional parent-child relationship, which makes it challenging to establish boundaries with family members and interferes with romantic relationships well into adulthood. Adult survivors of emotional incest often feel guilty, have low self-esteem, over-perform in relationships, "save" their loved ones from emotional distress, struggle to set boundaries, struggle to speak up for themselves, and struggle to find a sense of self outside of the relationship, among other symptoms
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