When you grew up being emotionally neglected, the scars run deep. But the most dangerous part is that you blocked that time out of your conscious mind. So as an adult, you might experience symptoms without knowing their real cause. Here are 5 signs that your parents failed to respond to your emotional needs.
1. Self-discipline is hard to attain
Because you grew up thinking that there’s something wrong with you, as an adult you might have a tendency towards addiction. Alcohol, games, over-eating are your coping mechanisms.
MORE: 5 Things You Need To Do For Yourself If You Were Neglected As A Child
2. You often feel numb
It’s hard for you to feel genuine joy or to feel happy about your accomplishments. Many times, you feel empty inside, as if there’s a hole where your thirst for life should be.
3. Asking for help is hard for you
Because you couldn’t depend on your parents when you were a child, now you feel that the only person you can rely upon is yourself. That’s why, when you need help, you don’t know how to ask for it.
MORE: 7 Things To Know If You Love Someone Emotionally Abused As A Child
4. You don’t respect yourself
Because your parents’ neglect made you think that you didn’t deserve their affection, now all you can see are your flaws. You are very hard on yourself, even though you have no problem feeling compassion for other people. You can shake the feeling that there’s something essentially wrong with you.
MORE: 5 Phrases That Can Really Damage A Child
5. You often cannot identify the source of your sadness
Because there was nobody there for you to validate your feelings, to put together cause and effect, as an adult you have a hard time identifying your emotions and understanding them. That’s why your negative emotions seem to come out of nowhere.
The most important thing that you can learn as an adult is that your emotions matter. That your parent’s neglect is not your fault. You are not worthless. You are worthy of love. Pass this on!
