Hi Indigo --

I am sorry that you have to cope with this. I agree with Leed that skinny does not necessarily equal beautiful. Don't get caught in that trap of commercialism. Advertisers like stick women because they show off the product: no one is drooling over their bods.

I want to add a few words to what Leed said about weaning yourself from a toxic family. My mother was toxic, and I had to do that. I did not cut off contact entirely, but it was very limited.

Decades passed, and I had a counselor that helped me use simple cognitive conditioning to get my mom to say positive, supportive things and let her know directly why I would limit contact if she was negative.

During the last 5-7 years, I finally got the approval I had longed for all my life -- and I'm 64. I was the child who stayed with her day and night in the nursing home as she passed away. I never could have imagined doing that during the "weaning" years.

My point is this: Separating yourself from your family's negativity may be a growth stage and not something that has to last forever. When you are strong within yourself, you will be able to use strategies to better cope with them and even "retrain" them your way.

Good luck.