Childhood Emotional Neglect

How Brandon Learned to Small Talk and Why It Transformed All His Relationships

Standing uncomfortably in the kitchen at his sister’s baby shower, Brandon tries to make conversation with his brother-in-law’s cousin.
“Did you hit traffic driving here today?” he asked her.
“I did,” she answered. “I came on Rt. 95, and...

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52 Ways to Say You’re Angry

I’m terrible at expressing my feelings.
I always hold things in.
I’m a conflict avoider.
My girlfriend says I always want to sweep things under the rug.
I tend to either under-react to problems or over-react to them....

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Families That Exclude, Ostracize, or Ignore and the Harm They Do

There’s nothing quite like the pain of being overlooked. It is a special kind of heartache. I often write and talk about how it affects children to grow up in a home that ignores their feelings, which is, by definition, Childhood Emotional...

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Childhood Emotional Neglect: 2020 Is Your Year of Living Selfishly

Last August I ran a Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) Recovery Retreat in California. At one point a CEN woman stood up and said, “I declared this my year of being selfish.” She then went on to describe how she had been consciously...

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A Surprising Way to Protect Yourself From Your Emotionally Neglectful Parents

Here we are, it’s the holidays. Right now, we are in the thick of it. In fact, you may not have time to read this post! But I encourage you to read it anyway.
Have you spent more time with your...

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7 Unique Holiday Challenges When You Have Childhood Emotional Neglect

There’s nothing quite like going through the holidays with Childhood Emotional Neglect because here is the uncomfortable truth: Unless your family has healed from the Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) you grew up with, you find yourself re-experiencing it as an adult. On...

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7 Signs You Are Emotionally Numb

The official definition of the word Numb is, “Deprived of the power of sensation; without feeling.”
The official definition of the word Empty is, “Containing nothing; not filled or occupied.”
Of course, the word “numb” is used to describe a...

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5 Ways Childhood Emotional Neglect Makes it Hard to Feel Loved as an Adult

Here is a fact that may surprise you. When you grow up in a family that ignores, devalues, or eclipses your feelings, it damages your ability to feel loved as an adult.
Hard to believe, I know, but it is true....

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5 Things You Can be Thankful For When You Have Childhood Emotional Neglect

It’s that time again, the holidays are coming. First comes Thanksgiving so let's start preparing now.
Since Thanksgiving is generally a family holiday, you may be excited about Thanksgiving or not-so-much. And that is likely determined by the type of family...

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Unintentional Harm: The Most Common Type of Emotionally Neglectful Parents

The most common type of emotionally neglectful parents is also the most difficult kind to identify.
They lurk in fine neighborhoods, fine jobs, and fine houses. They create fine families, and if you are friends with them, they appear to be...

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