I Have Toxic Family Members

Sometimes we have to distance ourselves from those we love most.

After enduring a toxic environment with my mother since childhood, I have finally been able to distance myself from her and establish boundaries.

When I mention this in conversation, I often hear “oh that’s so sad, you should appreciate your mom” or “you know, she won’t always be around”.

What they do not realize is that when you are constantly dealing with a person with borderline personality tendencies, it is utterly exhausting. Weathering her emotional instability over the years has landed me in my own hell of mental health issues.

At the age of 48, I have come to realize that I can love her and appreciate her, yet do so from afar.

I’m sharing this because I know there are others out there that struggle with this issue. Please know that you are not alone, and that it is perfectly ok and even necessary for you to put your mental health first and foremost.

Sometimes, this means keeping a distance, no matter how much we may love that person. And that is OKAY.