Should I Divorce My Parents?

Toxic Parents and Abusive Relationships

The image of a happy and cohesive family is one concept that is often drilled into our heads. As is the idea of filial piety and respect for our elders. However, for some, it can be a bit more complicated. Things just don’t seem to work no matter how hard they try.

This is the reality for some families with toxic parents and abusive relationships, even if the child is generally decent. While such parents might do various things, they share one common theme—they do harmful things, or do things that they know will hurt their child(ren), all in the name of “love”. Such things may include gaslighting, enabling abuse in the family, or blaming the child(ren) for said abuse.

Being subject to toxic parenting is detrimental to children’s mental well-being with lasting profound effects. When they enter therapy as adults, these people tend to report issues with self-esteem, difficulties with interpersonal relationships and parenting.

Despite repeated attempts to “fix” the relationship, many adult children find that some things just don’t change. The decision to divorce their parents, or to sever ties, thus becomes very real.

If you’ve been harboring genuine thoughts about doing so, here are a few things to consider:

Exploring Options:

Helpful questions:
Ψ Can I maintain my relationship with my parents while improving my well-being/ mental health?
Ψ Do my parents show any sign of genuine remorse, or interest, in rebuilding our relationship?

This is an important decision that requires thought and reflection. Taking the time to thoroughly consider will help you feel more assured when you’ve made your decision. It can also help save you lots of possible future stress, guilt or regret. At the same time, don’t forget to consider the importance of your own mental health and well-being! 

Being Firm:

It is natural to experience unpleasant emotions, such as anger, sadness or guilt, during this process. At the same time, people around you may not understand your decision, which can add to the stress and difficulty. After all, this is something that goes against societal norms and is rarely discussed.

It’s important to remain objective and not let these emotions cloud your judgement. Find ways to process these emotions, such as journaling or talking to someone you trust. If you’re currently seeing a therapist, bring this up during sessions. The key is to ensure that your decision was a well-thought one and not simply created out of spite or malice. 

If you’re cutting your ties with your parents face to face, know that it’s okay if they don’t understand your decision. In fact, if they’re not remorseful, it is possible that they might attempt to thwart your plan. Don’t fall for it! Be clear with your intentions and actions and walk away if need be. At this point, it’s okay if they don’t understand. You are no longer obligated to make them do so. 

Letting Go of Guilt:

All of us want normal, healthy relationships. Remind yourself that you have the right to healthy relationships in your life. Understand that you’re not wrong to want this. If your parents remain abusive with little sign of changing, you have the right to walk away.

Nevertheless, it will be a challenge. After all, our parents are ones who raised and provided for us when we were growing up, at least to some extent. It is possible to be grateful for this, and also be cognizant of the abuse they were responsible for. Moreover, the fact that they have the responsibility to raise and provide for you healthily makes it difficult to excuse themselves of what they did. Know that you’re not in any way at fault for the abuse that occurred. 

Moving on

Cutting parents out of your life is a painful decision to make, no matter how awful they might have been. Here are some strategies to help you cope with the pain:

Ψ Make self-care a habit or maintain it. 

This will come in handy when you find yourself questioning your decision. It is normal to feel sad or guilty over your decision. In fact, it is expected. We are wired to form an attachment to our caregivers early in life, and the fact that this isn’t happening to us might make it difficult for us to accept.

Know that dealing with a toxic parent is an emotionally draining and taxing experience. Check in on yourself from time to time. You may consider doing so through journaling, mindfulness exercises or meditation. They serve as mental and emotional inventories and can be effective in tracking your progress on this matter.

Continue to engage in hobbies that you’ve always enjoyed. Therapy and counselling could also be viable options to help you process your emotions and move on from this. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce the effect their parenting has on our lives, be it emotionally or mentally. 

Ψ As long as you trust yourself and your decision, it’s good enough. 

People may be quick to judge you as ungrateful, narcissistic or selfish when they hear about this. More often than not, they do this out of ignorance—they do not fully understand what you’ve been through, your family dynamics and how difficult it was for you to make this decision.

Regardless, tell yourself that it’s good enough if you experience the benefits. We have the right to set boundaries we deem fit. You don’t deserve the abuse or maltreatment from your parents and you’re not at fault. As long as you feel your mental well-being has benefitted from cutting them out, who cares about what others say about it? 

Ψ Find emotional support, be it face-to-face, online or in the form of books. 

Trusting our decisions is easy advice to give, but the process of reaching there is not as simple as it sounds. However, it can be made easier with the right support—the key is to realize that you’re not alone in this. Many others have been through similar processes before.

Attend group therapy sessions, join a support group, or read books about others with similar experiences as you did. Such activities can be rather validating and cathartic. They can also help you learn about the common behaviors from toxic parents. 

There are many things that come into consideration when it comes to severing ties with parents. It is a serious decision to make and can be emotionally draining at times. However, remember to put your mental health and well-being as priority and know that you’re not at fault for whatever that happened to you! It takes courage to make this decision.

If you know of someone who is struggling to make this decision, offer them a listening ear. Understand that it is not an easy one to make. Respect their decision even if you may not completely agree with it. It could very well be a last resort to them.