Growing up in a toxic household isn’t easy, and sometimes it can seem like you’ll forever be screwed up because of it. But for everyone who lives in a toxic household, there always comes a day where you decide that it’s up to you if you want to live with your parents demons and let them affect you, or if you’re going to allow them to make you stronger. Here are 11 reasons living with a toxic parent can actually make you a better person.
1. You have more empathy for others – Chances are, living with a toxic parent has given you a great understanding of other peoples emotions, and you can empathize with them greatly. You make a great therapist and a great listener because you’ve dealt with plenty of strong emotions at home.
2. You’ve learned to be independent – Since you grew up in a house where your parent was incapable of giving you what you needed, you’ve learned that the only person that can truly help you is yourself. You know that you are your biggest motivator and your worst critic, and so its up to you to make it happen if you want to succeed at something.
3. You know yourself – Since you had to tune your toxic parent out over the years, you know that you should trust your own inner voice and opinions, rather than let anyone else tell you who you are or what you’re going to become.
4. You’ve learned forgiveness – Living with a toxic parent has made you forgive and move on so many times over the years because you had no other choice. You understand that people say things they don’t really mean, and that forgiveness and acceptance is a must in order to move forward, heal yourself, and make the best of your life.
5. You’ve learned how to distance yourself from people who aren’t good for you – Even though your mom or dad is a toxic parent, they are still your mom or dad, and so you’ve had to decide to continue your relationship with them or not, and have learned that distance can be the best thing for people who aren’t helpful to your well-being.
6. You’re wise beyond your years – All those years of struggle has made you ponder and reflect about life and all of its details about pain, love, and the meaning behind life itself. You’ve had to reason through the rough times, and learn from the mistakes of the people you love as well as yourself, and so you are much wiser for it.
7. You can easily tell the good souls from the bad – All of those years being around harsh emotions and strong reactions has given you a keen eye for spotting untrustworthy people. You know when someones trying to fool you, and you’re extremely good at picking a genuine person out of the crowd. This can be a great tool for surrounding yourself with positive people who can help you live a happy life, and not allowing negative people into your life.
8. You have more motivation to succeed – You’ve seen what being a toxic person has done to your parent, and not everyone has experienced so much intensity at such a young age. You are aware of what making mistakes and holding onto unhealthy things can do, and so early in your life, you gathered all the motivation in the world to live life in a stable and successful way. You can use all of this knowledge and experience to become a better person, and lead a happy, fulfilling life.
9. You appreciate the simple things – When you’ve got it good, you take the time to truly appreciate it. You’re very thankful when you come across people who are gracious and beautiful, and you’re certainly appreciative when life throws happy and peaceful experiences your way. You always like to take the time to go over the things that make you happy and look at how much progress you’ve made.
10. You pride yourself on motivating others – You love to see others succeed, and help them do so. Living with someone who dragged you down all those years gave you the desire to motivate others, rather than drag anyone down. You hate to see other people being picked on and dragged down by negativity, and are the first to lend a helping hand if you come across such a situation.
11. You don’t let your past define your future – You understand that the past is the past, and there’s always a way to make things better, to start anew, and to laugh off old mistakes and heal old hurts. You’ve learned from others mistakes, have become a stronger person through your pain, and you’re all about making the future brighter, no matter what.
