I agree with Argonautomobile. I left home and joined the Navy at age 18 to get away from my own dysfunctional family, then ultimately told my parents I would no longer tolerate any of their abuse whatsoever. I never tried to tell them what was wrong with them and I never tried to change them, I just let them know I would immediately turn and walk away or hang up the phone the very next time either of them began speaking or displaying even the very slightest criticism or personal attack...and then I did precisely that. I also did essentially the same with certain siblings by letting them know they were completely free to say or to do anything they please, but that I would never again ever let them get any of their spew on me. In my own case, it really did not take very long at all for all of those family members to realize I was non-compromising on the matter, and today the ones who are still living either stay away from me completely or now treat me with mutual respect and civility.
Your present circumstances might make it difficult to place physical distance between yourself and the aggressors, but finding some way to do so without moving into another unhealthy situation will definitely be worth the effort.
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| manic-depressive with psychotic tendencies (1977) | chronic alcoholism (1981) | Asperger burnout (2010) | mood disorder - nos / personality disorder - nos / generalized anxiety disorder (2011) | chronic back pain / peripheral neuropathy / partial visual impairment | Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (incurable cancer) |
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