Yes. Something can be abusive even if it was common or expected in your family. What is considered “normal” in a specific environment is not always the same as what is safe or healthy.
When certain behaviors happen repeatedly, they can begin to feel ordinary, even if they involve fear, control, or harm. This can make it harder to recognize their impact.
Abuse is defined by its effect on a person’s safety, autonomy, and well-being—not by whether it was typical in a particular family. A pattern can be harmful even if no one around you questioned it at the time.
This page is part of the What Counts as Abuse? section of the CommuniDID site, which helps readers evaluate past experiences and understand why confusion about abuse is common.
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