I, too, had a very dysfunctional childhood environment; it was both of my parents and my only sibling hating on me. It took years of nervous breakdowns, hospitalizations, and a failed marriage for me to finally realize that I had to cut them out of my life as much as possible. Now, my Dad is dead, my Mom is 92 and now living with my sister nearby. I have been trying to do more with them, but I am suffering and the bad dreams and severe anxiety and depression have returned. It is just not worth it. I refuse to live with hate in my heart, but I need to sever the connections again. Thank you for this thoughtful article.