As a society, we continue to ignore the baggage that many adults have from living with toxic family members. We also ignore the way those people can still treat us long after we have reached adulthood and moved out of the family home. Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members addresses many of these topics and holds space for those working through dealing with toxic family members and learning to uphold healthy boundaries.

I used this book to help me deal with toxic family members. This book has been a game changer for my wellbeing and self care practices. For anyone that has to deal with toxic family members this book is for you. Read it, learn it, and live it.

As an adult survivor of childhood abuse, I found the book difficult to read because of the memories it triggered. However, I also thought the information it contained to be really useful. Wish I had had this several years ago when I ended the relationship with a toxic parent.

Fabulous resource for anyone with difficult family relationships. The style was clear, detailed as f2f informative. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. This book is a great resource that will help you learn how to deal with toxic family members. Campbell does a great job handling a tough subject. This book will give you a realistic look at dealing with toxic family members.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for an early copy of this ebook!

As an adult in my early twenties having to cut ties with a parent, I was really intrigued by this book from the beginning. The statistics throughout this book made me feel less alone on this journey that can oftentimes feel extremely isolating. I loved the "Moments of Insight" scattered in this book, and I found myself highlighting a lot of them. I also enjoyed the journal prompts included in the "Take a Moment for Yourself" sections of the book.

The flow of information in this book was not as organized as other nonfiction books I have read, and it made it hard to follow along at times. Some passages of the book also felt less like I was learning information about the topic and more like a friend and I were venting to each other, and that isn't typically my intent when picking up a nonfiction book like this.

Overall, the book was pretty comforting in making my experiences feel seen.

This was a very informative and filled with tools needed to be an adult dealing with past family trauma. It was written very well and felt as if the author was in my head. The information was helpful in creating boundaries and learning from the past and how to deal with my family. I will be re-reading this multiple times in conjunction with my therapist. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

This is a heart-wrenching but also extremely empowering book. Sherrie Campbell is a clinical researcher in psychology who is also a survivor of a toxic family, giving her exceptional insight into this particular flavor of trauma. Let me say right off: this book is 100% supportive of cutting off all contact with toxic family members. As far as she's concerned, half measures do not work. Basically, there is no freedom but freedom.

Campbell cites studies showing that in the US, at least, there is a silent epidemic of estrangement between adults and their family members, but no one talks about it because there's so much risk of being shamed by outsiders who assume that family therapy, etc., will be more than enough to fix things. Campbell counters that, "Parents are meant to let their children go, not keep them in a stranglehold their whole lives."

And facing that stranglehold is the work of this book. Campbell coins the term "foundational anxiety" to describe anxiety rooted in attachment rather than brain chemistry. Then she breaks down the development of toxic shame according to the stages in Erikson's psycho-social development framework. Finally, she works through the various keys to healing.

I want therapists to read this book, especially if they deal with family trauma. Every page resonated so strongly with me, and yet I've before never seen a book so clearly encapsulate the damage of toxic families of origin and what is needed for an adult survivor to heal...right down to what to do when well-meaning third parties try to intervene. It's really nice to see practical solutions as well as easy-to-understand theory. Usually, it's one or the other, not both.

Note: I am entirely unable to be objective about rating this book. I'm giving it five stars because it hit me right in the heart, but I'm very curious how other psychologists will review it.

ARC

I wish I could say that I found this book helpful. The table of contents looked like it would contain a lot of guidance about identifying toxic family members, how to maintain boundaries with them and, if it becomes necessary, how to sever ties with toxic family members.

Unfortunately, what I found to be the author’s tedious writing style made it impossible for me to get much out of the book.. At times, the book seemed to me to be almost a blog run amok. The author repeatedly inserted herself into the chapters to the point that at times it seemed more like a memoir than a self-help book. Because of the author’s writing style, I found it impossible to finish the book. Had the author worked with a professional ghostwriter, perhaps this book could have better provided what is promised in its title.

Ms. Campbell appears to have considerable expertise, both personal and professional, on the subject of toxic family members. Had the book been written differently, I am sure that I would have learned a great deal about toxic family members and how to deal with them. Because writing style is a matter of personal preference, readers who don’t share my issue with the author’s writing style will likely get much more out of reading the book than I did.

Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain Boundaries, Deal with Criticism, and Heal from Shame After Ties Have Been Cut is exactly what I needed during my current situation. I highly recommend it. Five stars.

First, to the author Sherrie Campbell, thank you for being brave enough to tell your story so others know they are not alone, even at great personal cost to you. I applaud your courage. Secondly, about the book, this is a really good in depth walk through of the process of making the decision to cut ties with toxic family members with in depth insights throughout the entire process, along with real life examples of what individuals have experienced as they went through the different levels of progression in their healing. What most people don't realize is that one's family is the cornerstone of how one builds their life, and when one decides to pull back and maintain boundaries apart from that person, or persons, it affects all areas of your life, your support system, your foundation, your security, your identity, just to name a few of the areas. This book helps to define three main areas of the process of those tools, making peace with your decision, whatever that decision may be, how to keep/maintain that boundary once that decision has been made to allow you to start the healing process, and practical ways to handle the aftermath, even if it means reestablishing those boundaries. While I have sped through reading this advanced readers copy, thanks to the publisher, it is one I would highly recommend for those who are trying to heal from their backgrounds, and I will be purchasing a hard copy to go back over again more slowly so that I can take more time to really process all the gems of wisdom within.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

While I'm sure this book will be an incredible resource for some people, I had a big issue with the writing style. Since the sentences ran so long I lost track of what was being said sometimes, grew bored, and generally felt I couldn't take in anything to learn or understand the author's message. There were fantastic points brought up about how to cope with toxicity and recovery, but they felt muted due to the writing style. I'm sure this will work for some people however, it just didn't work for me.

The book I didn't know I needed. I devoured every page of this book, hungry for advice and perspectives for my own life and for those around me. This book is going to change lives!

As a survivor or childhood trauma I have lived most of my life without toxic family members. While I have gone through many years of therapy to deal with the lasting effects, I have never been able to fully articulate what it means to lose some of the most important relationships a young child should have. It truly changes you as a person and how you view the world and the people in it.

Sherrie Campbell does an outstanding job of using both her own experiences as well as those of her clients to illustrate what toxic traits look like, how we should set healthy boundaries to safeguard our own mental health, and applicable tools that will end the cycle once and for all. She beautifully combines the emotional and scientific which allowed me to feel truly seen and fully known.

Reading this as a electronic book was nothing short of life changing, but I must obtain a physical copy. I want to study this book over and over, take notes, and revisit it in my moments of weakness.

If you or someone you know has grown up with toxic people, needs to eliminate toxic people, or has eliminated toxic people PLEASE buy this book! There is so much wisdom in this book to be gained.

I want to thank NetGalley.com and New Harbinger Publications for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my pure and honest feedback!

I had to DNF this book due to the writing style. It felt more like a rambling blog than a self-help book. I tried to get past it but could only make it through the first chapter. Hopefully others who need this material will find it beneficial and will be able to make the most of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I give this 3 stars. Definitely read this as everyone has toxic family members but only take the info that applies.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I was drawn to it as I have been no-contact ("NC") with several toxic family members for the past several years and was looking for a book on this topic to reaffirm some of my choices and find commonality with other individuals who have gone NC. I know Sherrie Campbell is the other of another book on this topic and will definitely be checking that out. To say this publication was helpful would be a severe understatement. She took some of my thoughts and feelings right out of my head and articulated them in print. I am forever grateful to have this as a reference as I navigate a truly difficult situation.

Estrangement between adult family members can bring shame and self-doubt along with relief at the freedom from abuse and harm. In "Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members," Sherrie Campbell addresses the messiness of harmful adult family relationships compassionately and realistically. She gives practical tools for emotional healing, growth, and for establishing healthy and workable boundaries.

I would not hesitate to offer this much-needed, timely book to those who are considering cutting off contact as well as for those who have already taken that step. I'd also urge friends and partners of survivors to read this book, since it can be hard for them to know how to offer support.

Thanks to NetGalley and New Harbinger Pub. for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members gives an in depth, non judgmental look at what it’s like to deal with toxic family members/unhealthy relationships and how to deal with them. There are plenty of resources and useful tools that will help you grow and learn how to release yourself from
the tires you have with undeserving family members. It is a tough subject to handle but Campbell tackles it well and with compassion, going in thorough detail that was tough to read it times. This book offers a realistic look into living with toxic relationships, and validating how hard it is to finally break those ties as guilt-free and healthy as possible.

Ok…. Here it is. This was painfully good and I enjoyed the fact that she understands and has helpful guides and suggestions to healing. I dread telling anyone about my childhood and haven’t really even told my daughters. Parts of my life are unbelievable. So I wasn’t thrilled to open old wounds. I really though I was done. But lately I see the need to reassess my situation. This is full of hope and no judgement. I thought the book useful and I highly suggest reading it. All of it was very helpful.
Thanks New Harbinger via NetGalley.