7 Signs You Have A Toxic Sibling, Creating A Legit Family Feud
byKelly Anne Bonner
You may not be fighting with them directly, but it’s still possible you have a toxic sibling poisoning your life in ways you’re not acknowledging more outwardly. Maybe you awkwardly avoid them at all costs, or your parents hang out with you separately because they don't want to deal with potential drama. Whatever the issues you two have, it probably spans way back, and the reasons you recoil from them proliferate in your mind until you can’t stand to be at the same wedding, the same room, or even that same state.
Recognizing your brother or sister is a negative influence in your life is different than identifying other harmful relationships, because you can’t really leave a toxic family relationship in the same way you can a romantic one. But realizing you have one is the first step, and there are courses of action you can take to minimize their impact on your life. If it turns out they are toxic, you can either potentially get counseling to help heal the friction between you two, or, if that isn’t an option, steer clear of them as civilly as possible. Whichever route you end up taking, it’s not always easy to tell in the first place that your relationship with your sibling has gone from simply less-than-stellar to downright poisonous, but it’s an important distinction to make for your own future mental health. Here are seven signs that you have a toxic sibling, and that you need to start taking strides to make things better for yourself.