5 Signs You're Dealing With A Toxic Parent As An Adult (And How To Cope)

When you grow up with a toxic parent, it can take years — even decades — to recognize how dysfunctional the relationship really is.

That could be because their bad behavior was normalized over time or because you were holding out hope that your parent would change and the relationship could be salvaged, Peg Streep — author of “Daughter Detox: Recovering from an Unloving Mother and Reclaiming Your Life” — told HuffPost.

It’s important to note that even the healthiest relationships are not immune to periods of tension or disagreement — and your relationship with your parents is no exception, no matter how old you are.

“Adult children make choices that are different from those their parents made in all areas of life, and some conflict is inevitable,” Streep said. “But it’s how conflicts and disagreements are resolved that distinguishes tension from toxicity.”

These toxic dynamics between parent and child don’t just surface overnight; there’s often a history of self-centered, controlling, blame-shifting, overly critical or neglectful behavior.

Sure, a specific issue could come up and cause a rift in a reasonably healthy relationship, but “genuinely toxic adult child/parent relationships don’t spring up out of nowhere,” Streep said.

“Parents high in narcissistic traits or who are controlling or combative will continue to behave as they always have, despite the child’s adulthood,” she added.

Below are some signs that you may be dealing with a toxic parent as an adult.

1. They manipulate you to get their way.

Even as adults, we crave our parents’ love and approval. A toxic parent will take advantage of this in order to get what they want.

“Even though you may be making the right decisions for yourself, your parents