What Is A Dysfunctional Family? A dysfunctional family is one that has at its core destructive and harmful parenting and a lack of concern for the child. The harmful effects on the child may go completely unacknowledged or be minimized. Often, little or nothing is done to rectify the situation nor to alleviate its …
After my mother threw me out of her house when I was thirteen, I had no choice but to move in with my father and his new wife (and therefore now my stepmother). My father behaved in such a distant manner towards me that he may as well have been inhabiting a different galaxy, several …
The Effects Of Being Ignored By Parents As A Child. Read More »
If we experienced significant trauma in the past we may find we became intensely, psychologically caught up in it, and it retains such a mental hold over us, that it now feels we are almost ‘trapped in time’, unable to contemplate, let alone plan for, the future. Instead, we may find, very much against our own …
Do You Feel You Got Psychologically ‘Stuck’ At The Time Of Your Trauma? Read More »
1431 word article. Sadistic-narcissistic parents need to feel superior to others and maintain power and control over them. In order to achieve this end, s/he is willing to inflict pain upon others, most frequently emotional and psychological pain, but sometimes physical pain too. Sadistic-narcissistic parents will frequently be prepared to inflict such pain on their …
How are identity problems linked to childhood trauma? Our identity (ie how we define ourselves) is based upon our beliefs, values, memories, behaviors, and how we go about living our lives in general. It comprises, for example, our likes and dislikes, our religious beliefs/lack of beliefs, our general philosophy of life, our political leanings, our …
Identity Problems And Their Link To Childhood Trauma Read More »
We can say, with a very considerable degree of confidence indeed, that there exists a strong link between borderline personality disorder and childhood trauma; a large body of research has shown that individuals who have suffered childhood trauma and/or neglect are far more likely to develop borderline personality disorder (BPD) as adults than those who were …
Borderline Personality Disorder And Childhood Trauma Read More »
I have already touched upon the topic of ‘parentification’ in other articles but, in this one, wish to examine its possible harmful effects a little more closely. First, let’s quickly recap what is meant by the term. What Is Parentification? Parentification refers to when a role reversal occurs between a parent and a child. To elaborate: …
Parentification: A Closer Look at The Harmful Effects. Read More »
HADEPHOBIA, also known as stygiophobia, is the intense, chronic, irrational, fear of ‘hell’ and that one may be ‘sent there.’ It is serious enough to disrupt day-to-day functioning and significantly reduce the quality of life. According to the General Social Survey (2008), approximately three-quarters of Americans expressed some belief in hell. Typically, the person …
Hadephobia – The Fear of Hell Usually Stems From Childhood. Read More »
The fear of death is common but can be particularly acute if one has experienced certain kinds of childhood trauma. The acute fear of death (which can be obsessional and greatly impair day-to-day functioning) is also known by two other names : – NECROPHOBIA (which derives from the Greek language – ‘NECROS’ = DEATH) – …
By the time we are adults, most of us have developed entrenched, deeply rooted, fundamental beliefs about ourselves. Psychologists refer to these as our CORE BELIEFS. Once established, they can prove very difficult to change without the aid of therapeutic interventions (such as cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT). A traumatic childhood, especially one …
Image source: Bigstock Research has demonstrated that many serial killers have much in common when it comes to their childhood experiences. Below, I provide a list of the common characteristics they may sometimes share. It goes without saying, however, that people with many or even all of these characteristics will not invariably …
Possible Childhood Characteristics of Future Serial Killers Read More »
If we suffered significant childhood trauma it is likely we were not instilled with an adequate sense of self-acceptance or self-assurance when we were young. Perhaps we were made to feel inadequate and inherently flawed as individuals. Such feelings can extend well into our adult lives, or, without therapy, last the whole of our lives. …
Childhood Trauma Leading To Intense Self-Criticism And Shame Read More »
734-word article My mother was the master, or, in her case, the mistress, of this technique. She would retreat into menacing and ominous non-communication so that a black atmosphere, a harbinger of doom, permeated the house, evoking feelings of intense anxiety and fear – even terror. Silence can be as vindictive as speech. Anon I …
One of the main effects of having suffered significant childhood trauma is that we can become painfully caught up in the past, sometimes reliving our experiences again and again as if we were actually re-experiencing them in the immediate present. This can lead to great distress and can be manifested in the form of …
Learning to Escape Past and Live in Present After Childhood Trauma Read More »
Those of us who experienced significant childhood trauma are at a far higher risk of developing the psychiatric condition known as DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER in adulthood than are the rest of the population. Unfortunately, however, it often goes unidentified as it can, not infrequently, be misdiagnosed (most commonly as depression). Not least because the …
Always ‘Zoning Out’? : Dissociative Disorder Explained. Read More »
When parents/primary caretakers, the very people who have a profound responsibility to protect and nurture their child, perpetrate abuse against him/her, the child’s psychological development is likely to be damaged on a fundamental level. The child will come to view the parent/primary caretaker as a threat and danger to him/her; as a result, the child’s …
Most of us are already familiar with the concept of the ‘fight or flight’ response to perceived danger, namely that when presented with a threat our bodies respond by preparing us to fight against it or run from it. This response served our ancestors if they came face-to-face with a dangerous predator or encountered a …
Trauma affects children in different ways depending upon the age group they fall into. In this article, I will look at how 3 different age groups may be affected. These are : – very young children (0-3 years) – young children (4-11 years) – adolescents VERY YOUNG CHILDREN: it is a myth that just because …
Childhood Trauma : Reactions to Trauma According to Age Read More »
My father walked out on my mother when I was eight. Always highly disturbed, my mother became yet worse and threw me out of the house when I was thirteen. This made it necessary for me to go and live with my father and his new wife, where I was not wanted. Indeed, the sense …
If we have been mistreated as children, we may well grow up with a pervasive feeling that we are irredeemably ‘bad’ people. This can lead to what has been termed ‘neurotic guilt’; this occurs when we feel a sense of shame about ourselves and we have a generalized feeling of guilt that is not attached …
