Toxic Parents

Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life

By: Craig Buck, Susan Forward

Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

When you were a child...

• Did your parents tell you 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 often frightened of your parents?
• Did your parents do anything to you that had to be kept secret?

Now that you're 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 draws 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 a new world of self-confidence, inner strength, and emotional independence.

©1989 Susan Forward (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"I consider Susan Forward to be among the foremost therapists of our age." (John Bradshaw, author of Healing the Shame That Binds You)

Good info, but hard to listen to...

Good information & highly relatable (personally). But admittedly hard to listen to, due to Narrator's too "scripted" and somewhat robotic diction.

Incredibly insightful

covers most parent/child issues, gives explanations of how and why they exist including/dialogue/to/discuss/them/in/a/healthy/productive way. excellent

Excellent Book!

Any additional comments?

This book uses the author's years and years of professional experience and actual client dialog to state her case for the ideas she was presenting and provides thorough and effective methods of dealing with the harm caused by toxic parents. Best book I've read here so far!

Powerful and impactful

This book discusses in a completely straightforward manner of very realistic situations. I not only can identify myself in these situations, I also can envision how to seek help and encourage myself to live my life and develop genuine, honest relationships. It does not shy away from discussing the very realistic “setbacks” in relating to parents and family. I am very grateful for the honest advice that the author gives.

Very Good Information

This book helped me to see the things that my parents have put myself and my siblings through in a different way. I even gained some insight as to how my behavior with my own children can cause long term effects if I do not work on myself now. I highly recommend this book to any families that have toxic parents or toxicity in themselves that need to be addressed.

Good Information, Performance Hinders

This book contained some really good information for those beginning the healing journey. For those who have done therapy, they might find the first half as a refresher. The 2nd half I found very enjoyable.

This is a slog of a listen, which is done no favors by the reading performance.

Thoughtful and Mindful

I'm not a wide reader; especially not a self help book enthusiast. But once I got past the extreme title (it took a while), my emotions eased into this book like it's a cup of perfectly warmed up milk comforting me at age 8. It helped me validate my suspicions that I wasn't in a healthy relationship with my loving and overly protective parent. It helped me identify that the brand of love I've received has not all been for my better good. It has freed me to see that it's ok to form my opinion about all this despite how other unknowing people around us would tend to dispute my analysis. In time, I hope to have a truly loving and healthy relationship before it's too late.

This book changed my life

I was totally lost about the relationship between me and my parents. I understood it was toxic, I understood they were toxic, I understood in my mind that it wasn't my fault, but I didn't really understand the mechanisms of what was behind it all and I didn't understand what I needed to do to move on. This enlightened me in every way I desperately needed it to. It got me out of the sticky mire of self-loathing an abusive child leaves you in and got me started on my journey back to personal empowerment.

This is a REALLY insightful book

What made the experience of listening to Toxic Parents the most enjoyable?

There is so much information in this book, it is difficult to narrow all of the applicable ideas down to just one. There are so many good points made throughout the book.

Amazingly helpful&insightful!

You are not to blame!! This book reveals the tragedy of abuse and the sorrowful stories of so many survivors, but also how they gained victory over the torture they lived through!! Very hopeful & helpful read as I am helping a dear friend through their childhood memories. If you are having a hard time dealing with the flashbacks or behavior that is baffling you in your life I am sure this will be a useful book for defeating the hurts holding you back from living the life you deserve! You are not responsible for their cruel treatment! You will be so glad you read this even though it is hard work, you are worth it!!!!!!