OP you're not alone. Everyone in my immediate family and a few members in my extended family are pretty fucked up people, like really shitty people with awful character. Took me til my late 20s to figure it all out after talking with a therapist.

I now love these ppl from a distance and had to set boundaries, cut ties completely with one of them. I no longer spend holidays with any of them and it feels really good, very peaceful. Absolutely no regrets, and I have a young kid. I don't want him seeing or learning bad family dynamics from these fucked up ppl.

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are both like that. It always amazes us when people like their parents & WANT to spend time with them. We really cannot picture that at all.

lol same! We often talk about how crazy both sets are.

Anonymous wrote:Your family might be toxic or evil, or who knows. But, do be careful, at first my ILs looked like "perfect" family. No fights, no arguments, Brady Bunch all and all. But slowly cracks fell apart and it was clear that MIL was deeply unhappy, FIL is a tyrant and everything has to be his way or hell will break loose. SIL is a slob, BIL is very now that he is adult, controlling freak like his dad. They are still ok compared to many, but far from roses and sunshine once you really get to know them.

+1

OP, happy fully functional people are rare and far between.