- Being easily overwhelmed or discouraged
- Cutting of emotions
- Low self-esteem
- Perfectionism
- Fear of rejection
Emotional neglect isn’t as black and white as physical neglect or abuse might be. Often times, individuals don't even know that they experienced a form of emotional neglect or abuse until they are in adulthood. It is also not uncommon for these parenting styles, such as authoritarian or permissive parenting, to be learned from childhood. It is possible to break the cycle, though. By facing your childhood emotional abuse, you are able to forgive your parents or guardians and help yourself move on.
Become aware of your negative and positive emotions
You might be used to keeping your negative and positive emotions under wraps due to your lack of emotional freedom during your childhood. Start to make mental notes of when you feel a postive or negative reaction to a childhood memory or a specific family member.
Take it one step at a time
Childhood emotions are a lot to confront. Make sure to be kind to yourself and give yourself credit for trying to work on making a positive change in your life. It will get easier, but remember to go easy on yourself. Adults who suffered emotional abuse as children are often very critical of themseves. Let yourself feel your emotions and slowly pull off that bandaid. It will only get better with time.
If you are looking for counseling for your childhood emotional neglect, contact us at TTHI Counseling Center. We offer a wide variety of counseling services, including counseling for depression. Contact us below!
