Product Description

When you were a child...

Did your parents tell you were bad or worthless?

Did your parents use physical pain to discipline you?

Did you have to take care of your parents because of their problems?

Were you frightened of your parents?

Did your parents do anything to you that had to be kept secret?

Now that you are 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 drawn 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 an exciting new world of self-confidence, inner strength, and emotional independence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #141406 in Books
• Published on: 1990-10-01
• Released on: 1990-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 326 pages

Amazon.com
All parents fall short from time to time. But Susan Forward pulls no punches when it comes to those whose deficiencies cripple their children emotionally. Her brisk, unreserved guide to overcoming the stultifying agony of parental manipulation--from power trips to guilt trips and all other killers of self worth--will help deal with the pain of childhood and move beyond the frustrating relationship patterns learned at home.

Review
“A dynamic, powerful, hard-hitting book. It offers tremendous hope as well as understanding. It could truly be a lifesaver.”
— Abigail Van Buren, “Dear Abby”

“I consider Susan Forward to be among the foremost therapists of our age.”
— John Bradshaw, author of Healing the Shame That Binds You and Homecoming


Bantam Books by Susan Forward:

Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them:
When Loving Hurts and You Don’t Know Why

Obsessive Love:
When It Hurts Too Much to Let Go

Toxic Parents:
Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life


From the Trade Paperback edition.

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

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


Bantam Books by Susan Forward:

Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them:
When Loving Hurts and You Don?t Know Why

Obsessive Love:
When It Hurts Too Much to Let Go

Toxic Parents:
Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews

The best of therapy in a book!
Toxic Parents is wonderful and extremely useful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the second half of the book in particular. Susan Forward has written and explained various techniques to help you re-gain control of your life. There are that many techniques and activities that I doubt you wouldn't be able to find one that works for you.

I found the book 'Controlling Parents' by Dan Neuharth to be better at explaining the different types of control and more about the insides to the problem, whereas this book I found to not be as in depth in that area. I just found that this book helped tremendously in regards to its therapy techniques.

Overall, both books work extremely well hand in hand. I recommend them both, regardless of whether you are in therapy yourself or not. There is a lot you will learn and come to understand and ways in which you can help yourself regain control of your life and independence.

Also read "Be Sweet" by Roy Blount Jr
If Susan Forward never typed another word her life would be well spent. This book should be required reading for every expectant mother or couple... the sooner we stop the legacy of bad parenting the better. Just as important adults can figure themselves out better if they get a better insight into their own childhoods.

I think one of the great unsung books on the subject of toxic parenting and the confusion it creates from an accomplished author about his own childhood is "Be Sweet" by Roy Blount Jr. It is pure genius and I highly recommend it. Interestingly, a lot of the reviewers and subsequent commenters don't "get it." I would hope that these books get discussed a lot on amazon; it is one of the greatest features of our times and can do a lot to enlighten us individually and as a society.

Along the lines of pure psychological brilliance Alice Miller and Alexis Morgan (recently changed her author's name on amazon to Nancy Carter, author of "Fortresses to Build") are also incredible.

Most significant book I have ever read
I read this book when it first came out in the early 90s. It made me realize that my sister and I were not crazy - our mother was! Our mother had caused us a lot of pain with her belief that her needs always needed to come first. The book opened my eyes. We eventually both broke it off with the selfish monster and led much happier lives. Incredible book.