Would anyone say that an invalidating environment is basically "invisible" trauma? The way I figure it: sure, there's all sorts of empirical trauma that is quite obvious to an outside observer ─ things like car accidents, house fires, murder, natural disasters etc. BUT wouldn't anyone agree that trauma can also be invisible, observable only to the individual perceiving it and not clearly noticed by others who share that environment with them? You know, for example those subtle (yet continual) invalidations that negatively, slowly-but-surely erode away at a person's sense of self, e.g. "You don't need to be a cry-baby". Thus wouldn't they not be able to easily verify their individual perceptions of reality (reality checking) with the others around them who would otherwise help to validate them? If this is true, it's a no wonder then why borderlines are doubtful and distrustful of their own thoughts and feelings..

At any rate, wouldn't this subtle, practically "invisible" type of trauma fit in with the concept of the invalidating environment (even loosely)? Any thoughts?

P.S. I hope that all makes sense... my eyelids were getting heavy when I wrote this