50 Times Delusional Family Members Made Extremely Entitled Demands (New Pics)

People may throw around the word 'toxic' nowadays when talking about almost anything. But when the topic is unsupportive and difficult parents, it's mostly fitting. As Psychologist Chivonna Childs, Ph.D., explains, toxic parents are those who put their own needs in front of the needs of their child. "They're more self-centered than other-centered," she says.

The most obvious signs are, of course, physical and verbal abuse. Emotional abuse might be harder to spot. Things like stonewalling, silent treatment, manipulation, blaming, etc. Not respecting your boundaries is also a common trait in toxic parents.

That sounds pretty narcissistic, doesn't it? Not all toxic parents are narcissists per se. But narcissistic parents share some toxic traits. Clinical Psychologist Ramani Durvasula distinguishes the most prominent six: 

1. They support you in public but criticize you in private;
2. They create a space of mistrust;
3. They treat you differently from your siblings;
4. They treat their kids as extensions of themselves;
5. They want their child to mirror their emotions;
6. And they shame you for having or expressing your needs.

In fact, narcissistic parents are only one type of toxic parent. The other most common three are helicopter, dismissive, and passive/permissive parents. Helicopter parents don't let their children experience the world on their own. By trying to shield them from even the most minor dangers, they rob them of developing their own identity.

Dismissive parents often reject and show disdain toward their children. Clinical Social Worker Kimberly Perlin explains that dismissive mothers, in particular, are not empathetic to their child's needs. "They often send the message to their child that they are too needy or clingy when the child is expressing developmentally appropriate needs." 

Permissive or passive parents fail to set boundaries for their children. They avoid confrontation at all costs, so the children may have difficulty with authority later in life. Jeff Nalin, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, says that permissive parents "fail to teach their children to respect themselves and others, which can negatively impact the way they interact with teachers, peers, and authoritative figures."

What happens to children of toxic or narcissistic parents, and how do they differ from those who grow up in healthy families? Most often, they're plagued by self-doubt. They constantly battle the anxiety that they're not good enough. Not good enough at their job, at being a parent, a friend, or even at being a good son or daughter.