Often when I mention Childhood Emotional Neglect the question is “What does it look like in an adult?” Here are a couple of posts I wrote on Medium to begin to answer that question.
Childhood Emotional Neglect Grown Up
Does something spark in you when you hear Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN)?
Does that something wonder how you would know if this is the answer you’ve been looking for? Do you wonder what CEN looks like in an adult?
Dr. Jonice Webb coined the term CEN from years of research and practice. She defines it as
“Childhood Emotional Neglect is a parent’s failure to respond enough to the child’s emotional needs.”
Can You Be Too Independent?
It might be counter dependence
Can you give him a high-five? A bump-it? A smile?
No. Nothing.
I feel the frustration rising as my social toddler buries her face in my shoulder farther with each question. Why does she act so shy?
I tell myself “I should be able to figure this out. I’ve already raised three kids. I’m supposed to know what I’m doing. They would at least give a high-five.”
