Emotional neglect often occurs during childhood and is when a child’s parent or parents fail to provide adequate emotional support to their child to meet their needs.

Often, abuse is intentional and is done on purpose to be harmful. While this is not the only way, it can happen from parents who are supporting the child each way, and just fail to show or notice the needs of the child’s emotional support or miss out on this one key aspect they need.

A few ways to help treat emotional neglect can be hard, but if consistently worked on, can be overcome:

1. Be more aware of the positive as well as the negative emotions that you may be experiencing.

You may have spent your childhood and adulthood feeling disconnected from your emotions, the first step is to notice your emotions regardless of whether they are positive or negative. Acknowledge them and work through the feelings.

2. Identify the needs you need, and take them to the next step to make sure you are able to meet them.

You may have to break down old beliefs to work through and see the facts that are hiding behind them.

3. Even if you do not believe you deserve to have your needs met, acknowledge this and make sure you understand it is just a belief, not a fact.

You deserve to have your emotional needs met, just like anyone else. The fact you do not believe that is one way to start working through this and noticing no matter what you may have previously experienced, you deserve to have your emotional needs met.

4. Take care of yourself and be gentle, it takes time, and small steps towards your goal will help.

Self-care may often be a difficult feat to deal with when an adult has dealt with emotional neglect. Start by treating yourself, being gentle, and compassionate.

5. Talk to a therapist that has experience and knowledge in emotional neglect in the adult field.

Many adults who have previously dealt with emotional neglect in childhood often notice difficulty with their self-care. As they are often unaware of their needs, feelings as well as not knowing where to even start. They should start looking within themselves and be gentle when starting.

Adults dealing with years of emotional neglect often blame themselves for everything and direct their anger towards themselves then at the individuals that have caused the anger. They often feel guilt or shame about their emotional needs or feelings and hesitate to ever speak about them.

Many adults with emotional neglect often feel numb, empty, or even feel they are cut off from their emotions and that they cannot properly manage their feelings or even express them. They can be easily overwhelmed and give up fast due to this, and because of all of this, they have very low self-esteem.

You can overcome emotional neglect as an adult, by often doing one of these:

1. Therapy
Adults have learned to cope with their emotions in an unhealthy manner from early on in their childhood, with the help of a therapist or a psychologist, they can learn new ways on how to cope with their emotions and communicate them. Our professionals at Reaching Resolution will help you to learn how to identify, accept and then express your emotions in a way that is not only healthy but beneficial to your mental health.

2. Family Therapy
Often adults that are still dealing with emotional neglect, have learned this from childhood. If they still are dealing with this from their parents, family therapy can often be helpful not only for the adult that is being affected by the emotional neglect but the parents who may not even know they are causing it. Our therapists can help the parents, as well as the affected individual, understand the impact of the parent’s actions, and provide ways to better communicate and cope with the issues that have stemmed from childhood up to adulthood.

While early intervention is always best, any type of intervention is great. As you can get the help you need to modify and correct the behaviors that you may have been dealing with which are considered neglect. If you or a loved one is dealing with emotional neglect, talk to our therapist today and feel better. For more information call us today or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 9719 Northeast Parkway, Suite 100 Matthews NC 28105. We serve clients from Matthews NC, Charlotte NC, Mint Hill NC, Indian Trail NC, Pineville NC, and Stallings NC.