The 8 Psychological Effects Of Having A Toxic Family
It is often said that no one chooses their family, and that everyone, more or less, tends to have some problem or difficulty from time to time when relating to their family members.
The most widespread opinion over the years about problems with close family members is that they are conflicts that must be accepted and overcome in the best possible way; However, some people can live a true hell in the family context, something that makes it necessary to put taking care of one’s own physical and mental health as a top priority.
In this sense, toxic relationships are those in which their members do not have enough freedom to develop personally as they would like in their private life and, on the contrary, find a context based on a lack of trust, support, affection or love and respect that human beings need.
These types of relationships also occur in the family environment, cases in which there is usually a victim who suffers all types of dynamics that are harmful to them; sometimes through direct attacks, and sometimes because of indirectly suffering the negligence of his family. In the concept of toxic family relationships there is a whole spectrum of experiences that range from abuse to situations in which loved ones are not able to give us support or care for us as they should or even prevent us from maintaining good health. physically and mentally involuntarily.
To better understand this phenomenon, here we will talk about the psychological effects of toxic families.
What are the main psychological effects of having a toxic family?
To learn more about these relationships, below we will review the main psychological effects that people who live in a toxic family environment usually suffer (when this situation continues for several weeks, months or years).
The decrease in self-esteem levels It is one of the main characteristics experienced by all people who are part of a toxic relationship and it is something that also happens in families.
As happens in any relationship of this type, people who live in a toxic family environment suffer all types of systematic abuse, which gradually generate states of discomfort, stress, anguish and frustration that end up affecting their levels of self-esteem.
This is explained because when receiving abuse, insults or humiliation, many victims end up listening to what their abusers tell them and feeling increasingly useless, ugly or undesirable.
In extreme cases, eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia They appear as an attempt to feel good about oneself in the face of this situation of constant attacks and conflicts, especially if the family constantly humiliates the victim because of their physical appearance.
2. Loneliness
Toxic family members often aim to isolate their victim and make them feel less and less protected in the family or social environment of any kind.
That is why living in a toxic family environment also ends up causing great loneliness in the person who suffers from it, since she feels less and less understood and less supported by their relatives in the face of the harassment suffered and the discomfort experienced.
It also usually happens in this type of family that the toxic family member ends up generating a state of confrontation of all the family members against their victim, a situation that generates an even greater state of loneliness.
The appearance of symptoms of stress and anxiety are also typical of toxic relationships in a family nucleus, in which the victim constantly receives attacks or moments in which they cannot trust that the other person will do what they should in favor of them. your safety or well-being; all this feeds a need to be “on guard”.
Suffering this type of violence daily ends up causing the person to be constantly on alert and each interaction with their family or toxic family member ends up generating states of anxiety or stress.
Anxiety is one of the most common psychological disorders and can lead to serious modalities such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, phobias and psychological rumination.
4. Relationship difficulties
Growing up in a toxic environment can in turn cause the person to not satisfactorily develop all the relationship strategies and capabilities normal in any human being.
For example, a person who lives in an environment where violence and aggression, both physical and verbal, are common. may not learn to relate correctly to anyone in the future if not through the use of that same violence.
Abuse, lack of respect, humiliation, ridicule and insults are very toxic forms of relationships that, like any other behavior model, can be learned during the development process during childhood and adolescence.
5. Fear
The fear of a situation of widespread abuse or mistreatment is also one of the psychological consequences most suffered by people who find themselves living in a toxic family.
Being born and growing up in an environment with abusive or neglectful parents or siblings ends up causing the person to develop a high fear of others, something that contributes to lowering their self-esteem and that in the long term can generate other psychological alterations.
A family home where toxic relationships are established is characterized by having permanent conflicts and arguments, which in the long run can end up tiring on a physical and emotional level and the people who are living in that relationship.
The emotional exhaustion due to endless daily fights or generalized abuse directly affects the mental health of the victims and also other family members who witness it, which leads to emotional instability.
7. Depression
Depression is another of the psychological disorders that can arise from a harmful family context; constant interactions that generate discomfort lead to internalizing a very pessimistic view of life and relationships.
It is a common disorder in people who suffer constant criticism, lack of affection and affection, or low self-esteem fostered by people in their closest social circle.
8. Increased risk of addictions
A situation of discomfort in family relationships can also facilitate the emergence of addictions of all kinds, both chemical and behavioral. This happens because these routines are ways like an escape from immediate reality, a way to escape from what makes us feel bad generating some relief in the short term, but giving rise to much more important problems in the medium and long term.
