The Toxic Parents Survival Guide

If you or someone you love grew up with an emotionally unavailable, narcissistic, or selfish parent, you need to read this book today!

When one suffers through toxic parenting, one didn't get the nurturing necessary to develop into a fully-functional adult. The Toxic Parents Survival Guide will help by giving you the tools needed to overcome.

Written in a clear, easy to access format, this book is a good read and reference for all who are struggling with childhood demons.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I requested this because I grew up with toxic parents and because I was looking to spruce up our nonfiction/selfhelp selection with some new and fresh titles. This book did not disappoint. There is nothing earth-shatteringly new here for those who have explored the topic already but this book is clear, succinct and very readable. A great introduction and overview on dealing with toxic family that also offers strategies and validation for those who suffer from poor and even abusive relationships with their parents.

If you ever wondered what you did wrong as a child that made your parents treat you like something less than human, The Toxic Parents Survival Guide might be the book for you. I grew up with what I later called dysfunctional parents(though toxic is actually a much better word). I left home when I was 15, a home that from the outside looked 'picture perfect', but one where I was beaten down and mentally abused every day of my childhood. I have never regretted leaving even for a single minute, and as you can imagine, being on your own at 15 is no picnic, so the fact that being basically homeless with very few life skills was still a better option to me, says quite a lot.
This book does a great job of clearly explaining what it is like to have emotionally unavailable parents who seem to take great satisfaction in letting you know that you aren't good enough. Sometimes, just hearing that you aren't alone and that there isn't anything you could have done differently is enough to get you headed in the right direction. The author covers identifying the toxic behaviors as well as coping skills to help you heal and lead a life free( or relatively free) from your childhood demons. It is a very comprehensive guide to understanding your upbringing and assisting you in moving beyond your past to a better future. As an adult, I thought I could interact with my parents again, but sadly, the dynamics hadn't changed. I read this book at the perfect time, as I began sliding down the rabbit hole again and apparently needed a reminder that sometimes you just have to let go and move on. I highly recommend this to anyone who had a wasteland of a childhood and wants to better understand why.
I received an eARC from HCI Books through NetGalley.

At first I wasn't sure in what direction this book was heading. There were a lot of definitions and explanations on feelings and emotions. It read a lot like a text book and I felt a bit bored. But then it started getting into the relationship dynamics and how these dynamics can often lead to toxic relationships. I thought these observations were thought provoking and thorough. The author did an amazing job breaking each dynamic down and offering good solutions. The only thing I questioned were the verbal responses. When you're speaking to a parent who is often confrontational asking them how to resolve the issue can sometimes come off as belittling. Often time you have to approach the conversation with organic response that fit the cultural dynamic.
I still felt the material was instructive and insightful. Definitely recommend.

I have not finished this book yet but I'm liking it so much I'll end up buying it so I can highlight and underline paragraphs, which I never, ever rarely do. It's a deep book that can't be read in one session. It breaks down different kinds of emotion/mind sets and the different kind of toxic people that are in the world. It is quite an eye opener. I do like the suggestions and advice this author gives. He does not sugarcoat the situations and tells the readers it takes time and patience for things. I highly recommend it for anyone who is dealing with this sort of thing.. I do hope he comes out with a guide to talk to younger audience because this book is focused on adults and to help younger children an adult would need to read it first and cater toward each individual child. It's a good book.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has had a difficult parent/child relationship. There are different types of toxic parents discussed. It covers the effects of emotional abuse (an offshoot of the toxicity) and ways to overcome the hurt and move on with your life. This book was well written and helped me more than I realized. It will be a good reference piece for anyone that struggles with their feelings and helps steer you away from continuing the toxic parenting rabbit hole.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC version of this excellent book.

4.5 Stars

I chose this book on Net Galley for two reasons: the topic was relevant and I have enough knowledge about such things to know if advice is problematic, but not so much that it would be repetitious.

I am very much impressed with this book. One of the things I really appreciate is that the first part of the book starts with the basics of emotions and feelings: how they feel, how we act, and how we discuss them. As someone who is an English major, I thought the differentiation between primary and compound emotions (and why, for example, frustrated may mean a different combination of feelings for people) was incredibly enlightening in both a scholastic and practical way.

The definitions in the book are concise without having a lot of jargon, and the tone is nurturing and informational without being judgmental (to the reader).

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is or has toxic parents, but also anyone who needs better examples of how emotions feel and work.

*** I received this arc in exchange for an honest review ***

I’m not someone who has toxic parents, but have a loved one who does and wanted to understand more about this. It was an extremely helpful read - coming from a more normal family (what family doesn’t have issues?) made me unable to understand the background and challenges that having toxic parents adds. It is helpful when they are also your in-laws. Would suggest for anyone who has had toxic parents or married into a family with them.

The Toxic Parents Survival Gude is about the various types of toxic parents. Rangeing from dealing with parents that have mental health issues to parents who where abusive, each section has an in-depth look at each type of toxic parent. This give the reader a greater understanding of how eact type of toxic parent can effect the victim. It also gives a guide of how to interact with a toxic parent and how to cope with abuse. I would reccomend this to anyone whom has sufferd abuse from a prarent.