⚔️ What it means to have grown up with a controlling parent or family member
Growing up with a controlling parent meant your house felt like a place where rules and control dominated everything, leaving little room for questions, feelings, or your own personality to emerge.
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.
You may have developed hypervigilant self-censorship where you constantly filter your own thoughts, feelings, and expressions to avoid triggering negative reactions. Even now, freedom might feel uncomfortable or frightening, and making your own choices can feel overwhelming because you've become so skilled at mirroring what others need that you've lost touch with who you actually are.