A: When it comes to dealing with negative people who cannot be avoided, I would say that some relationships can definitely be saved, but you will need to stand up for yourself.
Some people are not really aware that they may be hurting you with their actions or their words. There are some parents out there that think they need to just give you feedback all of the time, and some in-laws may be just the same. Some people respond really well to criticism. Other people don’t. It may be a matter of you just needing to be assertive and letting them know that they can support you by not doing what hurts you.
One suggestion may be to take the person aside, one on one, and say, “Hey, I really want to talk to you about something. I'm really hurt whenever you talk about XYZ and I don't feel supported by you. I want us to have a really great relationship, and I really respect and love you, so here are some things that you can do that will be more supportive.” I have had that conversation with different people in my life, and was able to save our relationships.
Another thing you could do is try to encourage them to be a little bit more supportive by saying, “I appreciate how much you guys love and support me despite all of my XYZ,” or “I really appreciate your advice,” just to acknowledge them. Sometimes they really do want to help you, they just don't know how to.
On the other hand, some relationships cannot be saved. Some people are psychopaths, or for lack of a better word, or sociopaths.
There is a book called Emotional Vampires by Albert Bernstein, that I would recommend you to check out. This book is about people who get their energy from hurting other people, or putting other people down.