Your childhood may have been fine, so why do you feel this way?
You may have all that you need. You “should” be happy, and yet, you struggle to connect with your loved ones because although you’re giving as much as you can, it’s still not enough…
How do you know if you’ve experienced Childhood Emotional Neglect?
The impacts of Childhood Emotional Neglect are difficult to deal with because they can seem almost invisible:
You’ve internalized feelings of invalidation or of feeling ignored, and have ultimately disconnected from your emotional self.
You’ve worked hard to keep these emotions in check, perhaps to the point that you have difficulty identifying what it is that you actually feel. Or you feel nothing.
You strive for more and more perfection but still feel empty inside no matter how much you achieve.
It is difficult for you to be compassionate with yourself, even if you can be compassionate with others.
You push others away for fear that they will ultimately let you down.
You may feel anger or sadness, but do not allow yourself the freedom to express it because the thought of allowing yourself that freedom is too overwhelming.
Ready to gain clarity, finally connect with those around you, and make impactful changes? Reach out.
What is Childhood Emotional Neglect?
The term Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) was first coined by Dr. Jonice Webb, and it describes those childhood events that leave us feeling empty, unworthy, depressed, living with low self-esteem, or becoming anxious adults, even if we were not mistreated or abused.
The challenge, however, is that you don’t know what you don’t know, and if as a child no one ever taught you that your feelings and emotions are important and valid, you may have grown up to become an adult who suppresses, avoids or ignores them in order to cope.
An inability to deal with emotions in healthy ways can undoubtedly lead to problems in your relationships, physical and mental health issues.
Through therapy, you’ll learn how to:
- Understand and express emotions
- Cope effectively
- Feel relaxed in daily life and secure in life overall
- Develop meaningful, lasting relationships with others
- Set attainable goals and hold yourself accountable
- Establish who you are as a person and identify viable future paths you may want to take
You deserve to live life feeling fulfilled, happy and prepared.
If you are ready to make a change, we would love to hear you out and walk with you along your journey of healing.
Let’s be in touch to see if therapy is the right next step for you.