Ty za to nemůžeš – Villiers Helen (2025)

This Czech-language book examines how childhood family circumstances affect people, with particular attention to those emotionally abused by a narcissistic parent. Some abusive behaviours, such as instrumental parentification, remain common in society, and people often recognise only later what they have experienced. The book helps readers identify the toxic narrative that persists as a critical inner voice and provides tools for silencing it. It also addresses unhealthy relationships based on traumatic attachment, from which people may struggle to break free because of learned relationship patterns passed down through generations. To deal with traumatic reactions, people develop coping mechanisms that this book helps them identify. Although these mechanisms protected them in childhood, they can complicate life in the present. The abuser is responsible for the abuse, but responsibility for recovery must be accepted by the survivor, who can then build a strong identity, establish healthy boundaries and regain a sense of self-worth. The authors also stress that there is no need to forgive the abuser, and that it may instead be necessary to give up hope that the person will change.