Breaking the Cycle: A Survivor’s Plea to Escape a Toxic Family

Two Dear Abby letters describe a toxic, abusive family: the youngest sibling was repeatedly punished for others’ misdeeds and even faced the possibility that a brother was the real offender; Sara may have been raped by that brother, leaving the writer ostracized. Abby says the family needs abuse counseling and directs the reader toRAINN for support. In a second case, she tells a writer dealing with a depressed, dismissive father to set boundaries—invite help or move out and seek senior-services assistance if needed.