You were nine years old, making breakfast for your siblings because no one else would.

You were twelve, listening to your parent cry about their divorce-becoming their therapist before you finished middle school.

You were fifteen, managing doctors' appointments, bills, and the entire household while your friends talked about crushes and parties.

People called you "mature for your age." They said you were "such a good helper." What they didn't say was that you were carrying weight that was never supposed to be yours.

What happened to you has a name: parentification-when children are thrust into adult roles before they're ready. And if you experienced it, you already know: the patterns don't disappear when you turn eighteen. They become the water you swim in.

Too Much, Too Soon is a compassionate, research-backed guide for adults still carrying the weight of a childhood spent taking care of everyone else. This isn't about blaming your parents or rewriting history. It's about finally understanding why you're exhausted, why receiving help feels uncomfortable, why you don't know what you actually want-and what to do about it.

Inside, you'll discover:

• The two types of parentification and how they show up in adulthood
• Why "just get over it" doesn't work-and what the research says about lasting impact
• The Reclamation Framework: self-discovery, receptivity, boundaries, and imperfection
• How to learn who you are when you've spent your life attending to everyone else
• Why receiving care feels so uncomfortable-and how to practice letting people in
• Setting boundaries without guilt (even with the family that parentified you)
• What to do when the old patterns pull you back

You weren't born "the responsible one." You became that way because you had to. And you've been performing that role ever since.

This book is your permission slip to finally put yourself first.

You carried enough as a child. It's time to set it down.

Sarah Mitchell spent seven years as a therapist specializing in anxiety and life transitions before turning to writing to reach more people. Her books translate psychological research into practical strategies for readers who are overwhelmed, exhausted, and skeptical of self-help that ignores real-world constraints. She believes in the radical idea that you're not broken?you're just human, living in a world that asks too much. Sarah holds a master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Ben, their two kids, and a rescue dog named Biscuit who has never once reduced her stress levels.