The Long-Term Effects of Abandonment
I wrote and published this piece a year ago and thought it still pertinent. One of the most egregious behaviors a parent or other caregiver can do to a child is to abandon them, allowing them to suffer alone. The damages done to the child when grown are...
Childhood Abuse and Self-Blame
Self-doubt and self-blame consume many who were victims of childhood abuse. Experiencing childhood trauma leaves the child and later the adult suffering from a lack of self-esteem plus a load of guilt and shame. In this article, we shall explore how survivors blame themselves for what happened to...
Emotional Flashbacks
You walk into your living room after getting out of bed in the morning feeling apprehensive and afraid, but there is nothing to be afraid of that you can observe. An overwhelming sense that something terrible is about to happen permeates your thoughts, and you do not feel at...
Growing Up with Inappropriate Parents
Parents are the most powerful force in a child’s life molding them into the humans they will become as adults. With the appropriate amount of parental guidance and love, children grow up to be healthy both emotionally and physically. However, what happens when parents are not consistent in their...
Neglect the Forgotten Abuse
Childhood neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment. In fact, the U.S. Department of Human Services in 2002 found that child neglect accounted for more than 60% of child abuse cases (De Bellis, 2005). A lot of attention is paid to forms of abuse, such as sexual...
The Lost Child
The term dysfunctional family is used to give a name to a family that does not function within normal parameters. There may be alcoholism, drug abuse, neglect, and abuse. These disturbed families harbor children who, because of their debilitated families, are not capable of living the lives they should...
The Effect of Trauma on the Developing Brain
Child abuse is a rampant epidemic in the United States with millions of kids getting hurt every day. The ramifications of this abuse and neglect are long-lasting and possibly permanent. What happens in the brains of traumatized children? The answer is that a traumatized child’s brain shrinks, and certain...
Childhood Grooming By Sexual Predators
***Trigger Warning*** Child abuse is a subject many would rather sweep under the rug because it is such a vile and heinous crime against humanity. Yet, child abuse continues to happen and will continue to prevail until we bring it out of the darkness and into the light of...
Being an Invisible Child
I am facing my forty-year graduating class anniversary dinner in August. Such an event usually causes people to look forward to speaking with and seeing the people with which you went to school. For me the prospect brings back memories and emotions that are not lovely. I...
Important Facts About Childhood Trauma
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The Difficult Question, “Why?”
Why? The most basic question of all survivors of childhood trauma....
The Lasting Effects of Broken Trust
Trigger Warning: The following article is full of references to abuse issues and mentions things that may be triggering to some. I do not and will not write specifics of abuse on my blog, but the emotions that even talking briefly about these issues can be upsetting. Before I...