Three Must-Read Posts for Mother’s Day If You’re an Adult Survivor of Emotional Child Abuse

Advertisements on TV and the radio go over the top in portraying all mothers as idealized heroic women who did absolutely every single thing right. Motherhood, however, is far more complex and grittier than those bleached versions of it. It's a vocation that, when approached right, requires maternal sacrifice, encourages a selfless love from the …

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Questions From the Mailbox: Allegedly Ruining Your Future, Deciding to Blog, and Wondering Whether to Tell Your Abusive Parents How You Feel

Editor’s Note: The Invisible Scar does not offer professional advice, only opinion. The Invisible Scar receives many emails every month. Some have questions or comments best shared with our readers in this “From the Editor’s Mailbox” column. Though our main advice is for the reader to seek therapy from a professional, we also invite helpful …

Surviving Emotional Child Abuse: You Are So Much Stronger Than You Think You Are

You have made your way to this website about emotional child abuse. Despite all the naysayers and flying monkeys wanting you to remain in the same swampland you've lived by forever, you're here. You've chopped through the choking entanglements around you. You've navigated through the dense darkness of denial. And now, taking a breath in …

Grateful for the Good in Your Life

Thanksgiving is not about the turkey or the football game or the parade. It's not about just how many family members you've gathered around your table or how close your celebration can come to looking like the front of a Thanksgiving card. It's not even about the mouth-watering meal and all its delicious sides. It's …

You Don’t Owe Your Toxic Mother a Card, Candy, or Quality Time on Mother’s Day

Whenever you see your mother, she belittles you, emotionally abuses you, treats you like a peasant, and demands to be fawned over like a queen. After you spend time with her, whether in person or on the phone or even reading an email from her, you feel very, very tiny and insignificant. You hurt inside, …

Soldiering On

I must've argued with myself a dozen or so times about whether I should write this post. I loathe writing about myself. But this post is really for you. See, I understand what a blog reader feels when he or she hasn't seen a new post at a favorite blog for a long time. You …

Emotionally Neglected Children May Feel Like They Are Ghosts

“Emotional Neglect is the white space in the family picture; the background rather than the foreground. It is insidious and overlooked while it does its silent damage to people’s lives.” (Dr. Jonice Webb) Editor's note: I use "he" because "he or she" can interrupt the flow of sentences. But abuse can happen to any gender. …

What Finn From ‘The Force Awakens’ and Adult Survivors of Emotional Child Abuse Have in Common

Editor’s Note: Upon reading this post, some readers may say, “Oh, it's just a movie!” Indeed, but stories, whether in books or movies or television programs, teach us about ourselves, about what we value, about what we love, about what we hate. Recently, I rewatched the latest Star Wars film, "The Force Awakens," and noticed …

Suicide: When Your Sorrow Feels Too Dark

In memory of SKB Sometimes, adult survivors of emotional child abuse feel a deepening sadness that grows heavier and heavier with time. The burden of it can feel too much to carry... and they may think about suicide. So, we need to talk about suicide... and to discuss it with compassion and without judgment. Let's …

From the Editor’s Mailbox: Being a Trusted Adult to Your Siblings, Going No Contact, and Why Therapy May Not Work for You

Editor's Note: The Invisible Scar does not offer professional advice, only opinion. Here's a look at the most common questions popping up in my inbox lately and some thoughts regarding them. My younger siblings live at home, and they're being emotionally abused by our parents. What can I do? Call the Childhelp National Child Abuse …