Signs of Emotional Neglect and How To Deal With It

A lot of people know about some of the signs and symptoms of childhood abuse. Some of the signs are easy to recognize, while others may be more difficult to notice. Emotional neglect is also a form of abuse that can occur in the relationship of a parent or primary caregiver and their child.

Emotional neglect can form in a few different ways. When a child doesn’t feel like they’re receiving love or when they don’t have the support they need in challenging times. It can also occur when a child doesn’t feel like they’re receiving enough love, attention, or validation.

Emotional neglect isn’t something that forms overnight, which means that overcoming the feelings, thoughts, and emotions associated with this type of neglect will take some time. Emotional neglect is something that can carry with someone into their adulthood.

Let’s learn more about some of the signs of emotional neglect and how to deal with it.

The Signs of Emotional Neglect

Emotional neglect is known as a form of trauma. This is mostly due to the long-lasting effects and impact it can have on someone’s overall mental health and wellness. Let’s dive deeper into some of the signs of emotional neglect.

Difficulty Managing Emotions

Someone who has a hard time managing their own emotions or finding ways to express themselves and how they’re feeling may have struggled with emotional neglect. Emotions that are experienced may be hard to describe. People who have difficulty in this area tend to use a few words to express how they’re feeling, like “happy,” “sad,” or “okay.” You may be confused about feeling a certain way instead of allowing yourself to feel and acknowledge your feelings. And if others share how they’re feeling with you, you may also have difficulty responding to them.

Lack of Self-Compassion

While you may have empathy and compassion for other people in your life, you don’t give yourself the same grace. You tend to hold yourself to higher standards and critiques. When it comes to yourself, you have a hard time showing yourself grace, forgiveness, or patience.

Unhealthy Relationships

Unhealthy relationships are common in individuals who have experienced emotional neglect. These individuals tend to stay in unhealthy relationships where they’re not respected or even abused. This is all based on your feelings towards yourself. There is a lack of self-worth, insecurity, and doubt.

Self-Blame

Individuals who have gone through emotional neglect tend to blame themselves for any negative events that occur in their lives, even if they know that it’s not their fault. If you catch yourself constantly berating yourself and beating yourself up over both big and little negative events, it could be a sign that you experienced emotional neglect. Emotions are completely healthy and normal. Emotional neglect can make it feel like you’re not supposed to feel anything, but that’s not the case. Emotional neglect can bring on the sensation that something is wrong with you and that you’re different from your friends and family even though you can’t control what was done in your past.

How to Deal with Emotional Neglect

While you may not be able to control what happened in your past, you can take control of your future. Healing from emotional neglect takes time, but it is possible to heal and move forward. While seeking support from a licensed and trained mental health professional is encouraged, there are lifestyle changes that you can implement and make on your own end to help kickstart the healing process.

• Acknowledge how you’re feeling
• Create a list of your wants, needs, likes, and dislikes
• Learn more about being assertive
• Practice self-compassion
• Set boundaries and stick to them

If you’re interested in learning more about how to deal with emotional neglect, reach out to us today to set up a consultation for trauma therapy.