People often use phrases like "blood is thicker than water" or "You can't choose your family."

And often, these types of statements are used to justify a decision to tolerate mistreatment by a family member.

Being a good family member might also mean putting up with things you wouldn't tolerate from friends or co-workers.

Toxic relationships come in all forms; they can be between friends, relationship partners, parents, siblings, or colleagues, but most often, it's the person closest to you who harms you the most.

40-year-old Anna-Marie Namboga cut ties with her biological mother.

Namboga says she took her on an emotional rollercoaster ride on a regular basis, often leaving her with a range of conflicting feelings such as confusion, obligation, pain, guilt, betrayal, anger, and grief.

As incredibly hard as it was to let her mother go, she said it took a tremendous amount of courage.

She adds that time after time, one finds themselves trying to understand and rationalize their behaviour and then forgiving their actions because it's family.

No matter the circumstances, she adds, society expects families to have a bond that is never broken, even when a toxic person within the family makes life difficult with their abuse.

She has coped with a lack of love and a lack of a positive relationship with a blood relative, she adds.

Namibians are urged to rededicate themselves to the essence of human rights education.