Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a week of work and writing. We’ve had a snowstorm hit our area and the kids had a snow day on Friday. The storm continued through the weekend, so now we have a winter wonderland in our yard. Hubby put out some bird seed and my family of cardinals has returned. I’m so glad to see them. Something about their consistency gives me joy, but enough about that.
Today, I’d like to talk about dealing with toxic relationships. Now, I’m not a therapist, but since the holidays are coming up many people don’t have a healthy family to celebrate with, and the holidays can bring these relationships to the forefront.
For example, what if you have a narcissist in your family. These people are extremely difficult to be around. They manipulate unsuspecting family members by playing the victim or by piling on the praise. They also try to ostracize family members they can’t manipulate. The reason they do this is because they need to be the center of attention.
These people are hard to be around. The best way to handle them is to detach so they can’t manipulate you. If you have a narcissist in your family, try to keep your distance and get through the holiday. You might be the only one who knows they’re a narcissist. So, any kind of confrontation could end badly with other family members taking the narcissist’s side.
Trust me, if you detach from them and accept them for what they are, you’ll be better off in the long run. There are other toxic relationships in families, but the narcissistic one seems to be the most devastating. Once you let go of trying to change them or your family members, you’re a long way toward alleviating the narcissist’s negative effect on your life.
On that note, let’s be kind to everyone. We don’t know what kind of family dynamics they’re returning to, and we don’t want to make the holidays any harder for them.
How about you? How do you handle toxic family dynamics? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
Great advice. Have a happy Thanksgiving.
You, too! Thanks for stopping by!
Best thing I’ve heard in dealing with a narcissist is to go ‘grey rock’. Just keep your answers short when engaging with these low-vibe people. Yes or no works. Or small talk like the weather. They can’t bait you if you don’t engage with them. Cheers, Lisa! Enjoy your upcoming Thanksgiving holiday!
Ahhh….good advice, Sharon. Thanks for sharing it with all of us! You are wise! ❤
Yes. Yes I am 😌 You’re welcome 😘
Thanks for the great advise. Some narcissist get pissed off on eliminating a bigger rle from your life. But they are a big pain in the ***
They are! And they never ever change. Thanks for stopping by, Arv! I hope you had a great day!
Have a great week ahead, Lisa.
Thanks, Arv! You, too!