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 … More Suicide: When Your Sorrow Feels Too Dark
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 … More Surviving Emotional Child Abuse: You Are So Much Stronger Than You Think You Are
Your mind is full of thoughts, ideas, and memories that long to be shared. But you’re not sure just how much to share with your friends, how fleeting those thoughts are, whether you feel comfortable enough putting them in the mind of someone else. Consider then regularly keeping a journal. “In particular, journaling can be … More How Keeping a Journal Helps Your Mental Health & Emotional Healing
Have you recently come to the realization that you’ve had an emotionally abusive childhood? If so, that awakening to the truth can be brutal. But do know that you’re not alone. At The Invisible Scar, I receive tons of emails from people who have had this epiphany. And I tell them that, though this discovery … More What Really Happened: Finding Out You Had an Emotionally Abusive Childhood (and Tips for Healing)
Every adult survivor of emotional child abuse would love to hear the following apology in some version or other: “Child, I’m so deeply sorry for all the pain and suffering and neglect that you endured through my actions or inactions. If I could go back in time, I’d right those wrongs, treat you with the … More Even When Abusive Parents Apologize, They Don’t
Judging from the surge of pageviews and long emotional emails in my inbox, I know you’re hurting and wanting the hurting to stop. You’re tired of the unrelenting emotional abuse and mind games that you’ve endured. Even if you’ve taken the step to create space between you and your abusers, you may still feel out … More Embrace the Quiet Joy of the Christmas Season
After you’ve awakened to the truth that you were emotionally abused as a child (and perhaps continue to be as an adult child), you will definitely encounter some hard-core resistance from some disbelieving people. These people either have known you as a child and believe the image of a happy family that your parents propagated; … More Party of One: How to Stand Strong in the Truth When No One Believes You
You’ve long suspected something is not quite normal about your relationship with your parents. Perhaps you even sought answers and read about the signs of emotional child abuse. Now, you have come to the hard, cold realization that you’ve been emotionally abused as a child—and that the abuse has extended into your adulthood. So, what … More Fear and Guilt Will Keep You in an Abusive Relationship If You Let Them
“I wonder if others feel the tremendous amount of loss and sadness I feel at not having the ‘healthy’ parent experience,” writes an Invisible Scar reader in a recent email. “It’s heartbreaking and my heart is definitely broken,” she continues. “But, it’s an overwhelming amount of grief to process and yet, it has to be … More The Secret Grief of an Adult Survivor of Emotional Child Abuse
If you are an adult survivor of emotional child abuse, you probably have a hard time differentiating the “safe” people in your life from ones that are crazy-makers or harmful to your well-being. In fact, you may not even grasp the concept of “safe people.” That’s not your fault. Raised by toxic people, you weren’t … More How to Find Relationships That Are Good for You and Avoid Those That Aren’t
The Invisible Scar 