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Childhood Trauma

4 Ways Childhood Adversity Teaches Us a Wrong Understanding of Love


The feeling of being valuable—"I am a valuable person"—is essential to mental health and is a cornerstone of self-discipline. It is a direct product of parental love. Such a conviction must be gained in childhood; it is extremely difficult to acquire it during adulthood. Conversely, when children have learned through the love of their parents to feel valuable, it is almost impossible for the vicissitudes of adulthood to destroy their spirit. 
— M. Scott Peck
A...

Addiction

8 Ways Childhood Neglect Affected Your Life


Most people have experienced childhood neglect to one degree or another at some point during their lives. Of those, many don’t even recognize it as neglect or abuse because people tend to idealize their childhood upbringing or even defend child abuse in order to cope with their own unpleasant feelings.

Childhood Trauma

4 Reasons You Grew Up Feeling Not Good Enough


Many people have grown up in an environment where their parents, siblings, family members, teachers, peers, and similarly significant persons told them that they are not good enough. Some of these messages are explicit, while others are covert and very subtle, sometimes to the degree where the child is not even aware something wrong is happening.

Here, we will look at four common childhood reasons why a person grows up into an adult who feels or believes...

Childhood Trauma

Why People Grow Up Idealizing Their Parents and Upbringing

“With nothing and no one to judge them against, we assume them to be perfect parents. As our world broadens beyond our crib, we develop a need to maintain this image of perfection as a defense against the great unknowns we increasingly encounter. As long as we believe our parents are perfect, we feel protected.”
— Susan Forward, Toxic Parents

Babies and small children are new to the world and their brains and minds are still developing. The...

General

5 Reasons Why Holidays Can Be Stressful


The holiday season is here again. People are running around for presents, racing against each other for the better deal, and there are Christmas ornaments and songs everywhere. It’s the holiday spirit, and everyone’s doing it, right? Kind of….

Whether you celebrate it or not, you can’t avoid it. Some people really enjoy this time of the year, and it can be fun and enjoyable. But there are also others who find it quite stressful and depressing....

General

What’s a Narcissist’s Punishment?

How Abusers Get Away with Their Behavior


People with strong narcissistic, psychopathic, or sociopathic tendencies, abusers, manipulators, and otherwise harmful people tend to hurt others. Sometimes they do it overtly, even proudly, and in other cases it’s covert or maybe even unconscious. Sometimes it’s well planned and calculated, while other times it’s careless and reactionary.

Sometimes these people are identified and are forced to accept the consequences of their wrongdoings, while other times they get away with...

Communication

Things Abusers and Manipulators Say to Their Victims

People who have strong narcissistic tendencies and other toxic people are known for their manipulation tactics. Some of them are consciously cunning and deceiving. While others are more primitive and blunt in their disturbing behaviors.
Whatever the case may be, such people tend to project heavily, not take responsibility for their actions, blame others, and use gaslighting.
Here are some of the things abusers and toxic people say to...

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