1 . Emotional Neglect
Your parents / guardians didn ’ t show interest in your emotional needs for love , support , protection or guidance . They either didn ’ t pay attention to you or condemned emotional expressions of need from you . The likely outcome of this was that :
• You developed low self-worth and poor self-esteem .
• You began ignoring your emotional needs .
• You learned to hide from , avoid or repress your emotions as they were associated with feelings of neglect from your childhood .
• You developed psychological or physical sicknesses connected to your inability to listen to , accept and deal with your emotions in healthy ways ( e . g ., emotional repression ).
2 . Psychological Neglect
This type of neglect was manifested in childhood by your parents / guardians who failed to listen to , embrace , and nurture the person you were . As you grew older , you likely developed any variety of these symptoms :
• You developed low self-esteem issues due to forms of abuse such as ridicule , put-downs , overly high expectations , being ignored , rejected , or constantly punished .
• You developed deep-seated anger issues both from unresolved childhood trauma , and an inability to love oneself .
• You developed addictions and neuroses to create a misguided sense of comfort and safety within your life .
• You developed psychological or physical illnesses .
• You have problems sustaining healthy and respectful relationships .
3 . Physical Neglect
At a basic and fundamental level , physical safety and nourishment are some of the most intrinsic elements of a loving relationship . We can see this in nature , with mothers , fathers , and animal parents nourishing their chicks , pups , and cubs with food , shelter , and protection . When this is lacking , however , the following issues can develop :
• Low self-worth resulting in physical neglect and abuse of oneself , e . g ., eating disorders ( anorexia , obesity ), maintaining an unhealthy diet , selfharm .
• Intense safety-seeking behaviours ( such as psychological complexes like OCD ) or extreme risk-taking behaviours ( e . g ., unprotected sex , obsessive daredevil feats , etc .)
• Addictions to drugs , alcohol , violence , food , etc .