[Hopefull]

I have been on the Depression forum, self-esteem forum and visited some of the others. But, I don't think I have posted much on this one.
I did therapy in college and got sucked into talking about my childhood for a whole session. I think I cried throughout a good proportion of it. I have always felt that my childhood wasn't really all that bad. I mean sure my parents insulted me. That shouldn't be a big deal. However, I have been wondering about things lately. I have noticed a strange ability to transfer on people which annoys me last semester. Prior to my recent drop in the GAF scale, I was thinking about some of this. Also, I recently started therapy again and I was weird in the assessment. She asked if I had ever been emotionally abused. I stated it depended on her definition and then told her some examples. I did the same response to if I had ever been physically abused. Somehow, I just can't quite call my parents saying things like "You're too stupid to be a doctor, " emotional abuse. At the time that was my worst fear. I have learned a lot of my negative thinking from them. So why do I seem to be unable to think of it as emotional abuse? I could tell that my T was defining it as that. I have a bad feeling that the subject of childhood will come up some more.

[hillbunnyb]

Hello back at ya Hopefull. I just picked up a book called The Drama of the Gifted Child, The Search for the True Self. By Alice Miller. It mght help you clarify your issues.
I get the feeling that you will be dealing with your childhood more, too. This is a good forum. C'mn back and keep us posted, ok?

[Beautiful_Pain]

Most people, I think, don't want to think of their parents as 'abusers' or even 'abusive'. It can be tough to realize that things they told you fall into this category, as well as things they did. I hope you and T work through this and hopefully it will help with your negative thinking pattern. {{{{hopefull}}}}

Take care

[Lexicon78]

I have the same problem. I thought I had a great childhood where my parents were involved but am slowly learning that my mother was very neglectful and my father was a little like that too. And recently, I thought I met this great guy but am learning that he's using emotional blackmail and being abusive to me, too.

Sometimes I think that some people are so clever at abusing you that it completely flies you by and you have to live with the terrible effects of it.

So why do I seem to be unable to think of it as emotional abuse?

I think a lot of people have trouble with the term emotional abuse because it leaves no visible wounds or scars, and can be hidden or denied with hardly a second thought.

Abuse is abuse is abuse.

I'm sorry it happened to you.