What Is A Corrective Emotional Experience?

[Leigh925]

I relate to much of what you've said @Leigh925 too in post #16. Though I don't entirely understand abandonment- when you expect it it seems justified(?)

Just because someone has been trained to expect abandonment doesn't mean it is ever justified! No one deserves that. All humans are biologically wired to desire human connection....some of just happened to be born into families who couldn't or wouldn't or didn't reciprocate it.....but we didn't deserve it!

 

[Leigh925]

beatings my mom took became normal to me. I expected it to happen. Does that make sense? I would cover my head with a pillow at night to shut out her screams.

Totally makes sense. Amazing what so many of us on here considered normal. I didn't know some things weren't normal until I got married and had a family of my own. Sorry you had to go through that. Sounds really scary for a kid.

 

[Tinyflame]

Thank you @Leigh925 . :hug:

I suppose, at least when a child, it wasn't justified. And perhaps if I entirely thought it was justified it wouldn't hurt or bother me. So I would say instead it doesn't matter, but it matters enough to hurt, or influence my self-concept.

I suppose, too, if I expect it it hurts less.

Thank you anyway.