Family Trauma & Boundaries: When Love Comes with Conditions

Unwritten Chapters

Family trauma runs deep — and sometimes, it echoes through generations.
In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I share a recent experience that reopened an old wound — a message from a family member that didn’t ask how I was, didn’t recognize what I’ve survived, but instead demanded justification.

I’ve been here before — having to explain why I’m hurting, why I left, why I needed distance. But this time, it wasn’t a sibling — it was someone from the next generation. And that’s when it hit me: family patterns don’t just persist. They multiply.

💬 What you’ll hear in this episode:
– The emotional toll of being asked to justify your pain
– Why boundaries are not betrayal
– How trauma survivors are often expected to be the most emotionally responsible
– What it means to finally stop apologizing for your healing
– The difference between love and control — and how to tell the two apart

👉 If you’ve ever had to explain your silence, your distance, or your healing — this chapter is for you.

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