[THREAD] let’s talk about parents. They are the cornerstone of our early socialization and the environment they provide at home is one of the main contributors to mental health whether it is in a positive way or negative way. Our culture is very parent centric, they are revered,

and we are taught to owe them a lot. However, one of the main issues is that this is a one way relationship. Parents often expect respect and obedience without providing that in return. They can get away with things we can’t and do things that if we do them back, we get

punished. Talking about corporal punishment, it is often used a lot by parents in our culture and that also leads to a deterioration in the trust and relationship and the creation of mental health issues. The most common ones are self-esteem problems from being constantly

told we are not good enough or we don’t do things well, trauma and complex trauma from the corporal punishment and living in an environment of fear, pressure to achieve because parents can use guilt by saying that they need the children to do well in order to provide for parents

later in life. There is also a lot of emotional manipulation that goes on where kids feel pressured to get married or do something because parents bring up what they did for them as children and that can cause a lot of harm. Let’s not forget the body shaming that can happen

frequently by parents especially in regards to their daughters. In many families, there are many or all of these components present, in an environment that is supposed to be safe and teaches us about the world out there. If the household is full of trauma inducing behaviours,

we are going to see the outside world as one that is full of bad things, something to avoid because it is a reflection of what happens in our home. We don’t have any safe spaces. So what do we do? Like any toxic relationship, it is important to leave as soon as we can. Parents

May resist or try to guilt us into staying but if we are independent, they can’t do much about it. If you want to fix the relationship with your parents, family counselling can be important to change the dynamics that are happening and foster a good relationship moving forward.

Most importantly, it is important to find a safe space, whether it is your room, a park outdoors, a place where you can always feel safe, to do a lot of self care to protect your mental health as much as possible and externalize to your friends and loved ones who support you.

However, we need to change completely the expectations and ways we parent in our societies. This is the only way in which we can prevent a lot of these mental health issues that are currently happening. Also, whenever you are independent, go to therapy and solve the

consequences that this upbringing may have had on you. It is definitely going to help shift things a lot and help you be happier and more confident in your adult life