The Hurt
Emotional Abuse: Even though it is often hidden, emotional abuse/neglect is very real and debilitating. The subtle put-downs, the mind games, the name-calling, the constant blame on you, the threats, the shaming, the intimidation, the direct or indirect insults, the stonewalling, the passive-aggressive responses, the insinuation that you’re never good enough. It can wear you down and erode your self-confidence.
Emotional Neglect: If you find yourself feeling empty inside, unfulfilled, ignored, disconnected, like you never belong, or that it’s easier to connect with animals than people, it may be due to emotional neglect. You may have a hard time identifying if you’ve experienced emotional neglect because it’s so invisible. You didn’t have a “bad” childhood, there was nothing you could point to that was obviously wrong, so it can be hard to validate the reality that you did not get your basic emotional needs met. Or it may be another factor on top of other more blatant trauma you experienced.
