Family

In the landscape of mental health and relationship dynamics—particularly within toxic families or high-control groups—lines often get blurred. One of the most common confusion points is the difference between a Truth Teller  (someone calling out dysfunction) and someone operating with a Victim Mentality . When you finally find the voice to say, "This is abusive," or "This dynamic is unhealthy," the toxic system often pushes back by accusing you of being dramatic, negative, or

We often hear that family is where we belong, but for many, family gatherings feel less like a homecoming and more like navigating a minefield where you are perpetually on the periphery. Whether it is the family you were born into or one you married into, feeling excluded—often referred to in psychology as being the "identified outsider" or "scapegoat"—is a deeply isolating experience. Exclusion in family systems isn't always a dramatic scene where someone slams a door in you

One of the most isolating experiences for a survivor of complex family trauma is trying to explain their childhood to a younger sibling, only to be met with blank stares or defensive denial. "That never happened." "You’re just too sensitive." "Mom and Dad did the best they could." It can feel incredibly destabilizing. If you grew up in the same house, with the same parents, in the same environment, why does your childhood feel like a survival story while your sibling’s childh