I’ve just recently taken my mental health more serious by finding an amazing therapist to help me on my journey to healing. In the process of doing so, I find myself feeling hopeless and even angry when I think about what has contributed to the way I am today.

It’s so difficult to deal with the affects of childhood emotional neglect. Now that I’m older I realize just how lonely my childhood was.

Raised in a family consisting of 2 siblings much older than me and absent parents who were always working, I was bullied by other children and frequently felt rejected. My basic needs were met (food, clothes, safe home) but my emotional needs were not... so I lived my younger years learning that my voice didn’t matter and that I was too sensitive. I had no one to help me...No one to talk to. So I disassociated.

Sometimes it looks like I’m cold... or uninterested but in reality I’m just trying to deal with wounds that don’t seem to close. I have a very hard time trusting people because I don’t want to be hurt or let down. I distance myself from everyone and retreat to my comfort zone even though I crave the affection that I never received.

That little girl people use to call funny, quickly disappeared and was replaced by an anxious and depressed young women. I hid myself from the world for so long that I no longer recognize who I am. I don’t truly know myself...I feel lost.

If you have young children, recognize that you’re building the foundation of their lives now. Validate their feelings and teach them that they are important and that their feelings matter. Be emotionally available to them and be there to help them navigate their emotions in a healthy way.

If you took the time to read this, thank you!

I hope you enjoy the holidays as much as possible, and stay safe during these times :)