The Signs of a Toxic Mother
Toxic mothers can wreak havoc on their child’s life. They are controlling, manipulative, and even abusive. But how do you know if your mother is toxic? Toxic mothers are often difficult to spot because they usually hide their malicious intentions behind a veil of kindness. They act as if they care about their child, but underneath it all, they only seek to serve themselves.
She’s possessive and manipulative
Toxic mothers often feel the need to control their child, one way or another. They are often jealous of their child’s happiness and want to take it away. They want you to be miserable so that they don’t feel so bad about their own lives. For example, it isn’t uncommon for a toxic mother to cut her child off from their friends or even their own siblings. She might even try to control who you date or how you spend your time. These are all signs of a toxic mother and a toxic relationship.
She makes you feel guilty constantly
Some toxic mothers are very straightforward in their abuse. They hit, scream, and even cut their child off from the rest of the world. But many toxic mothers prefer to use more subtle methods. A toxic mother might make you feel guilty for every little thing. She might make you feel bad for not calling her enough, for not visiting her enough, or for not spending enough time with her. If you don’t do everything she asks, she might make you feel really badly about it.
She demeans and criticizes you constantly
She might tell you that you’re too fat, too thin, too short, too tall. She might criticize your interests, your career, and what you want out of life. A toxic mother might even go so far as to criticize your appearance, your hygiene, and your overall health. Some toxic mothers even go so far as to demean their child’s sex life. If their child is dating, she might insist that they are only dating “losers” or “not good enough”. Only you can decide that for yourself.
She is overly critical of your appearance
She might constantly criticize your appearance, from the way you dress to the way you wear your hair. It’s common for a toxic mother to criticize her child’s weight or overall appearance. She might poke fun at her child’s choice of clothing. She might even tell her child to get plastic surgery or change their overall look.
A toxic mother might criticize her child’s body even if they are perfectly healthy. She might insist that her child lose weight, even if they are perfectly fine at their current weight. Many toxic mothers are overly critical of their child’s appearance because they are jealous.
One of the most important things to remember when dealing with a toxic mother is that you’re not alone. Many people have gone through this and come out the other side a stronger person. You can get through this and come out better on the other side as well. With the help of therapy, self-care, and support networks, you can learn to cope with your toxic mother. And as you heal, you can also help your toxic mother heal too.
The author of this article is a therapist from the Sensera app. Sensera is a daily 10-minute self-therapy app. It’ll help you to cope with various mental problems (anxiety, self-esteem, relationship issues). Feel better with CBT audio sessions and exercises. Download now to become happier!
