This is how narcissistic families hide their abuse
Ever wondered why it’s so hard to understand your abusive upbringing? The answer maybe pseudomutuality.
by: E.B. Johnson
Around the globe, millions of us are waking up to the reality of our childhoods and the upbringing that we had. For some, this realization is happy. It makes them proud to be connected to their parents and their siblings — but for others it’s different. Some of are coming to terms with the fact that we were raised in narcissistic families. But why has it taken so long to come to these truths? Narcissism is a tricky personality to deal with, and its effects are far reaching. Even when we’re right amid the chaos, the unstable bonds and power structures make it hard for us to see our siblings and caretakers as they really are.
What is pseudomutuality?
We struggle to see the behaviors of our narcissistic family because of pseudomutuality. In the APA dictionary, this refers to “a family relationship that has the outside appearance of happiness and openness, though in reality it is rigid and depersonalizing.” These families seem cohesive, but behind closed doors they are chaotic and the members are disengaged. Toxic bonding at its best, pseudomutuality is manifested in a lack of…
