Quote:
Originally Posted by Waterbear
I should edit that to say that I was emotionally neglected as a child, but it wasn't traumatic for me. Certainly not in the early years. I didn't know any different. It just always was how it was. I guess it became traumatic in later years though, for other reasons. I get hung up on the definition of words, but please don't think I'm saying that neglect is any worse than any other thing, if that makes sense. I just like to be able to define things
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As a child, I didn't know what neglect was. I didn't know any of the mental health words: trauma, depression, anxiety, even fear. I had no feeling words outside of happy, sad, and mad. And yet it was neglect and I was afraid, suffered from depression and anxiety. But as a child, everything seemed normal. It just was. I didn't know any different. And yet there were signs that I was being affected: mother-figures as early as 5 years old, hiding, avoiding my mother at all costs, no friends, attachments to objects, etc. In my teens there was the depression, the SH, the SI, I preferred my female teachers over my friends, struggling with at home work, struggling with concentrating in classes, etc.
My point is just because you don't know when you're a child, doesn't mean it's not affecting you.