😶🌫️ What it means to have grown up with emotional neglect
Growing up with emotional neglect meant you were emotionally homeless—there was no lap to crawl into, no voice that said "I've got you" when your feelings needed comfort and validation.
You may have learned early that your feelings and needs were ignored or dismissed so often that they didn't matter. Your first instinct became hiding your hurts with the reflex of "Don't bother asking. They'll just make it your fault." You became fluent in reading others' moods while remaining illiterate in your own needs.
You may have developed defensive self-reliance where it feels safer to handle everything alone than to need others and risk disappointment. When someone shows genuine interest in your feelings now, you feel both drawn to and suspicious of their attention because emotional care feels like unfamiliar territory that might come with hidden costs.