One reason you may not have clear memories of emotional neglect is that you may not realize some of your experiences were neglectful. If those experiences felt normal to you growing up, they may not stand out as specific memories.
Emotional neglect, like all forms of neglect, is the result of actions that did not happen when they should have. For example, if you were crying and scared but no caregivers offered you comfort, or perhaps even scolded you for being afraid or crying, this is emotional neglect.
In dissociative systems, some parts are likely to notice the emotional neglect more than others. For example, a young child part may deny that a caregiver was ever anything but loving, because they needed to maintain the connection. Instead, another part may hold the memories of times their emotions were ignored, dismissed, or unsupported.
This page is part of the What Counts as Trauma? section of the CommuniDID site, which explains how trauma can occur without obvious violence and why survivors often doubt or normalize what happened to them.
Explore more:
- Questions about What Counts as Trauma?
- The guide What Counts as Abuse? helps readers evaluate past experiences and understand why confusion about abuse is common.
- Can You Have Trauma Without Obvious Abuse?
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