Fear-based or authoritarian parenting style

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        ⚔️&nbsp; What it means to have grown up with a controlling parent or family member
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        <strong>Did you grow up in a household where rules and control dominated everything? Did your parent leave little or no room for questions, feelings, or your own personality to emerge?</strong>
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        Does this sound familiar?
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        💎 You learned to be the "perfect" child on the outside while hiding your real thoughts and feelings where they couldn't get you in trouble.<br><br>
        💎 Even now, freedom still feels uncomfortable or frightening, and making your own choices can feel overwhelming and paralyzing.<br><br>
        💎 The voice of harsh judgment in your head sounds suspiciously like your controlling caregiver, criticizing your choices and questioning your competence.
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        You may have learned that expressing your authentic thoughts and feelings was dangerous territory. Speaking up meant risking harsh consequences, so you became a master at self-censorship, rehearsing conversations endlessly in your head and over-explaining simple choices because you were conditioned to justify every decision against unpredictable scrutiny.
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        You may have developed hypervigilant self-monitoring where you constantly filter your own thoughts, feelings, and expressions to avoid triggering negative reactions. This created a pattern where approval became more important than authenticity, and you learned to read others' moods and expectations with microscopic precision while losing touch with your own inner compass.
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        💔&nbsp; The Core Wound
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        "You learned that expressing your authentic self was dangerous, that control meant safety, and that your own thoughts and feelings couldn't be trusted—leaving you questioning whether it's truly safe to be yourself in any relationship."
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Tools & Learning

⚔️5 Ways Controlling Parent Or Family Member Trauma Affects Your Relationships

Loving and Hating Intensely

Same Dance, Different Partners

Sex as a Movie

The Performer

The Secrets Keeper