{"id":124647,"date":"2021-11-23T11:00:16","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T11:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=124647"},"modified":"2023-03-13T12:34:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T12:34:37","slug":"toxic-childhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/toxic-childhood.htm","title":{"rendered":"‘Can I Ever Leave Behind my Toxic Childhood?’ 7 Things That Help"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"toxic

Photo by Thirdman from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of us didn\u2019t get the pretty end of the stick when it came to our family of origin, and lived through a toxic childhood<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

And here we are as adults, doing our best. Perhaps even doing a lot of therapy and self-help. But we can still feel haunted by our past, and it can be frustrating.<\/span><\/p>\n

7 Ways to move on from a toxic childhood<\/h2>\n

We can’t ‘cure’ or ‘leave behind’ trauma, because<\/strong> we can’t change our past. And because it’s not a disease. It’s an integral part of who we are, and of our life experience. <\/span><\/p>\n

We can, however, learn to navigate our trauma, to co-exist with it, and to no longer be under its power.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

1. Get glaringly honest about your need to \u2018leave it all behind\u2019. <\/span><\/h3>\n

Moving on as we are truly ready too is one thing.<\/strong> <\/span>Claiming it\u2019s <\/strong>\u2018time to move on\u2019 as we want to escape our pain<\/a>, or we are frustrated, or angry<\/a>, or think we \u2018deserve better\u2019 and are just going to ‘be someone else’? Another thing entirely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If we aren\u2019t ready, if we are still mired in pain, and haven\u2019t<\/strong> done any work on ourselves? Trying to push ourselves forward tends to backfire. We feel worse instead of better, or suddenly act out and sabotage<\/a> something important. <\/span><\/p>\n

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What truly drives your need to put your past behind you? Shame<\/a>? Fury? Rage? Overwhelm? These are invitations to do more inner work, to go deeper, not to rush away.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

2. Reclaim your childhood. <\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"When we suffer<\/strong> neglect, trauma, and abuse<\/a>, it takes a giant brush and paints our entire childhood grey. Our mind only remembers pain and fear<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

But life is always made of<\/strong> good and bad<\/strong>. It\u2019s just that as a trauma survivor<\/a>, you won\u2019t naturally remember it all. It involves consciously deciding to sit down and excavate your past for the good bits. <\/span><\/p>\n