Childhood memories can vary. There are plenty or few. We may welcome them or avoid them. They can be uplifting or shatter our spirit. Whatever our age, some childhood memories can still feel painful and real. What to do?
“What is your earliest childhood memory?” Whether you have ever been in therapy / counselling, or not, you may have come across that question. Some people have a real dislike for it. “Don’t tell me, all my problems are down to my childhood … I don’t want to talk about the past.”
I can see the point. Our lives are too complex, our difficulties sometimes too profound to be boiled down to childhood memories. Yet, the question is not meant to do any of that.
The memory that comes to mind, can give us a clue to whatever emotional achilles heel or vulnerable spot we may have developed and why. I know, sometimes we may not (consciously or unconsciously want to) remember a lot, or nothing at all comes to mind.
For the purpose of this exercise, let’s ask the question.
In case you cannot think of anything, I will volunteer a personal example of one of my early childhood memories.
Let’s think of childhood memories that can still make you feel uncomfortable and that may still hurt you today.
Got one? Let’s place the memory gently in this circle.
Now let’s step out of the circle and let’s sit down here to look back at the memory from a safe distance.
Let’s see what the memory is about:
- who was involved,
- how you interpreted it,
- how it might have shaped you,
- what can trigger the memory and the pain it brings,
- and what we can do about it, let it go, put it to rest?
Sounds a bit ambitious and too difficult? Stick with me for a few more minutes.
One of my earliest childhood memories that I have I put in the circle in front of us, is from when I was aged somewhere between 2-4. I cannot remember, neither can my parents.
I was woken up by thunder and lightning. The room was dark and I was alone. I was shouting and crying, but no one came. I was terrified. I don’t remember much more. But even now, I have a slight sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. And I feel cut off and alone.
I have discussed it with my mother many times. Even now, decades later, she remembers it, too. Because I had been so upset.
What had happened? My mother says it had been a weekday evening, probably some time between 1900 – 2100. My parent had gone out for an evening stroll and got caught up in the bad weather. They had stopped over at the local pub, waiting for the downpour to end.
I know, these days we may not leave little children alone at home. But this was the late 60s in a small West German town. Still, part of me feels, it was wrong.
My mother tells me she struggled to settle me down again. I never discussed the episode with my father. And now I wonder why. Now, he is dead. It is too late.
What sense do I make of it? How does this affect me today and how do I deal with it?
Personally, I think this is a story and experience of abandonment.
I had felt terrified and alone. No one came to make me feel safe. The people who I had bonded with (my parents) and expected to be there, they had not been there. That is a fact, a real experience.
If I felt abandoned, then (even as the little child) I will have tried to make sense of it. And I might have tried to take a lesson from it, so I could protect myself in the future.
- Perhaps I concluded that the others are not to be trusted. They had betrayed me.
- I might have thought that this had been my fault, because I am not good enough to be loved and taken care of.
- Then again, I might have decided that I need to cling to the other, because they might want to leave me, and then I will end up feeling frightened again. Later on, I did develop fear around separation at nursery and at school.
- At some stage I might have concluded that because others, even those closest to me, cannot be trusted, I need to be self-reliant and best look after myself.
I think my achilles heel, based on that childhood memory and probably other episodes, is the fear of abandonment and the tendency to assume, that deep down I am better off taking care of difficult situations myself. Others will only disappoint.
In reality, I know this is not so.
But sometimes I catch myself thinking as if it is exactly so, and then I behave accordingly.
What triggers difficult childhood memories?
For me? Not thunder and lightning or being alone in the dark. Strangely enough, I love when thunder happens at night and I love hearing the crackle of lightning.
Like with any memory, triggers for childhood memories, whether pleasant or not, can be anything from a smell, a sound, a word, an expression, a touch, a picture, a location, a situation. It can be anything that we have associated with that moment.
My trigger for that particular memory is when I feel disappointed and left alone, just at the moment when I need help most.
More often than not, I can catch the moment, when the old childhood memory with its overwhelming terror, despair and anger sets in.
I try and keep the memory separate from the here and now.
That is why I suggested we place our childhood memories in the circle and talk about it at a safe distance.
We need to be able to separate between the often so real feelings triggered by the childhood memory and what is actually happening now.
If we do not do that, then there is a risk, we end up in an echo chamber, where the feelings, ideas and beliefs we have developed from the childhood memory reverberate, get reinforced and start to overwhelm us.
While this is understandable and it does happen, it makes it so much more difficult to deal with the here and now.
Childhood memories can distort the here and now.
My mother is horrified at the idea that she might have done something wrong; that she might have hurt or even ‘damaged’ me.
- I don’t blame her. What good comes of that? Nothing
- I had to forgive my parents. I trust and know they had not set out to hurt me.
- I try not to dwell too much on it all. And I have stopped being frightened of that particular memory a long time ago.
Painful (as well as positive) childhood memories will have influenced who we are today. There is nothing right or wrong about it.
It is human and not a failure on our part, if we have them in the first place and if we feel we have not resolved them.
Blaming and feeling angry, those two feelings alone, are not enough for us to understand things, work them through and take charge.
When you feel an old painful memory comes alive in you, then why not:
- Let it happen.
- Accept it as part of your past.
- Imagine our circle and place it there.
- Observe how you feel and how your mind may wonder.
It is all the old stuff that is on a roll, like an old film or record playing in our mind and heart.
It is then, that childhood memoris are best played out in the circle.
We need to put some distance between the “then”, the past, and the here and “now”, our reality now.
WATCH MY VIDEO FOR MORE ABOUT FAMILY DYNAMICS
I’m about two years old. I’m sitting on my bed, alone, quietly sobbing. I don’t remember what was wrong, I just remember I felt sad. Suddenly my mother is on the edge of the bed beside me. I don’t remember why she entered the room or what was happening around this time – I just remember being told that I need to stop crying immediately. When I can’t stop the tears on command, I am told again that I need to control myself. My mom starts saying that if I won’t stop crying, they’ll take my toys away. Suddenly dad is standing there holding a black plastic garbage bag. One by one I watch as all my favorite things disappear forever into the bag. Control yourself. My cries escalate from desperate pleas to outright screaming for bloody murder as they threaten my toy musical keyboard. “Please! I’ll do anything! Pleeeaaase!” Mom says she doesn’t want to, but if I refuse to stop crying then I leave them no choice. I watch my keyboard disappear and scream. When the keyboard is gone, dad ties up the bag and leaves the room to put the full bag in the trash outside. Mom follows. I’m still sitting on my bed, alone, now sobbing loudly. But now I am allowed to cry, now that there is good reason.
Thank you for this post/lesson. And thank you to all those who commented before me.
Hello, thank you for sharing your story. Reading it I felt your pain. I hope you have good support to process it. With best wishes. Karin
When I was 6 or 7 years old, my cousin took me to an isolated place in the garden and tried to make me expose my privates. He said many disturbing things, that I should show myself to him because in the future some people will do terrible things to me. He claimed he wanted to prepare me for this, so that I don’t get hurt when that happens. I told him I didn’t want to, but then he exposed himself to show me that it wasn’t a big deal. I don’t remember how exactly I reacted. I’m not sure whether I agreed to do as he said. I think I did, but the memory is kind of blurry. I never told anybody about it and of course I never mentioned the incident to my cousin. We still hang out sometimes. I think about it from times to times. I feel guilty for not refusing immediately. If I tell my mother she will not consider it worrying. She will think that little kids are just curious. My cousin has the same age as me. Thank you very much, Yelena
Hello Yelena,
Thank you for sharing your own recollections of a childhood event, that still affects you today. Perhaps it’s worth talking this over with a trusted individual or neutral person like a counsellor in your area. It might help address and shift your sense of guilt. With best wishes. Karin
My parents were not considered poor but they decided to surrender me to another family when I was 10, everyday was a terror since then, foster brother was always angry, yell and said mean thing to me, foster mom made me do a lot of house chores from when I got back from school until 9 pm then I had to wake up at 4:30 am to do house chores until I went to school, one of foster sisters loved to lecture me and made me feel bad about myself, another sisters husband and the other brother commented that I was ugly, when I turned 16, foster dad started to harass me sexually, although I have freed myself from them and now I m leaving in different country, I still dream about living in that house and feeling terrified, I wake up feeling exhausted and I keep telling myself I hate to be me
Hello and thank you for reading and sharing some of your own childhood experiences and how they affect you today. I am sorry you had to go through all this. It sounds very traumatic. And it is not unusual that we end up blaming ourselves, though from what you are describing, you appear to be the last person who deserves any blame. It might be worth considering finding some professional help (eg counsellor), where you can tell your story and get assistance with processing the memories and lifting this blame you direct towards yourself. You might feel a lot better for it. With best wishes. Karin
i was about 7 years old. i had a cold And at night, while I was sleeping with my maid, my nose started to run and burn me. I couldn’t find the napkins and I was afraid of bothering my maid and screaming at me. My mom and dad were not an option. Their room is closed and my dad get drunk, And my mother does not allow us to speak without frightening us about our father. And she was always really afraid. I just sleep with my nose burning . THANK YOU
Dear Hana, thank you for sharing your own vivid experience. Best wishes. Karin
when i was around 3 or 4, my parents were getting a divorce and i was staying with my mom and her boyfriend, her boyfriend said “lets get married, get rid of the kids” so she drove me and my brother to my dads apartment, left us down the building and called him to come down and get us. i remember screaming so loud and crying and grabbing my mom and begging her not to leave me and she wouldnt even answer me or turn around, she got in the car and left with her boyfriend. i cried so so much that my dad put me on his shoulders and walked around the neighborhood for 30-40 mins so i would calm down, and after that i went mute for three months, i didnt speak at all. this memory makes me cry my eyes out
Dear Souleima,thanks for reading and sharing your painful memory. Such moments can affect us in many ways, for the rest of our lives. I don’t want to speculate. But it can affect our sense of self worth, leave us with a fear of abandonment and can make it hard to trust. I hope you and your brother found good support through this difficult time. With my best wishes for you. Karin
My mum recently died and I am bombarded with memories. Struggling to remember the good ones. I remember my older sister hitting my head against the bathroom wall – my mum was there but didn’t stop her. My sister died from cancer a few years ago. Bullying went on all through my childhood and was never dealt with. My sister was very angry and out of control. I remember being hit at a fair ground by an adult and not telling my mum or dad. Infact I don’t think I confided in them at all. I want to remember some happy times! I love my family and mum dad and my sister are all gone so I can’t talk to them. Very painful.
Dear Jane, thank you for reading and sharing your own experience of coping with grief and childhood memories relating to your family. I am sorry to hear of your mother’s death. My condolences. You may know that loss, grief and bereavement can cause either (1) emotional numbness and difficulties in accessing memories (sometimes it’s our mind trying to protect us from pain) or (2) a flood of memories, which can feel overwhelming and exhausting or (3) a mix of both (1) and (2). There is nothing right or wrong about any of this. It is important to understand our own very personal grieving process. It is hard when issues were not resolved or talked about while people were alive. Often it is understandable why these conversations did not take place. Even you sharing a bit about it here is a way of processing the experiences. Often I find myself “talking in my mind” to people who have died and there is ‘unfinished business, anger, sadness, things that were not said, questions that were not answered. Every time I speak to them in my mind I feel emotions, sometimes painful ones, but I also feel relief. We all have to find our own way. And of course, we want to remember the happy times, but that is not always that easy. Happy and unhappy times, love and anger or disappointment can often go hand in hand. You may like to have a look at my “Guide to bereavement” which talks about what to expect and how to cope. My very best wishes for you. Karin
I was 3-4 years old back then, I don’t remember much of it, but then I was sitting alone in the living room, crying silently, because I got beaten by my dad, and he threatened he’d beat me if I cry. He has beaten me a lot when I was a kid, but this was like one of the most general scenes with my mother coming out of the room to calm me down. And every time I think of this memory, I just start crying. And nowadays (I’m 14) when my dad talks about certain things to me (about family or kids) I just can’t stop getting emotional about it and sometimes I just can’t hold it in when I think more about it now…how can an innocent kid, go through such a childhood! But besides this, I’m pretty emotionally detached in other situations, for example what others call empathy, I just don’t get it… anyways can anyone help me stop this weak spot of mine…I’m getting super teary at this point.
Hello JW, Thank you for reading my article and sharing your own story. I am sorry for your upsetting experiences, how they have impacted you. As a teen feelings can still be raw (for adults, too!). Sometimes we hold back from getting too emotional about things, esp if we have had painful feelings before. We all need to learn to live with that, how to regulate our emotions, without cutting them out or feeling extremes. I would not call it ‘weak spot’ – though I see why you might see it is a weakness. Perhaps there is someone you can talk to, at school or elsewhere? I know with COVID some services are difficult to access. Finding someone to talk it over with always helps. With best wishes. Karin
My memory is around age 4 when I moved to a new school. On the first day another girl in my class was put in charge to look after me while I was new. At break time I followed her to join in with the game she was playing with some other girls but instead of including me she told me ‘you can go now.’ I was left on my own and the teacher on duty found me crying and helped me find some other people to play with. For some reason this memory is still so emotional to me! I feel so sad thinking about me walking around on my own and I think a bit of shame that I was rejected ? Kind of a feeling of shame at being found by the teacher and being seen alone? I’m not sure. But I have always struggled with just a deep feeling of loneliness even though I have had a loving family and good experiences of friendship although I can struggle with shyness and self confidence – although I’m sure that is partly to do with early experiences like this one. I still struggle with my self confidence and self esteem. I always expect people not to like me and deep down feel surprised when they do. I have had counselling in the past for social anxiety and I know I worry a lot about being rejected by others. Sometimes when I’m feeling really alone that memory comes up and I can feel all the feelings like it is now! Certain situations also do trigger me now and again like- as I said- I’m quite shy and if I’m struggling to fit into a new group I can overwhelmingly alone and ashamed just like I did back then even though I know I have other friends and I’m not alone . I’d love to know how to move on from these feelings of being deeply lonely that maybe come from this memory.
Hello OD, thanks for taking the time to share this profound experience, its impact and your understanding of it. You are right, such key experiences at an early age can sit very deep. Perhaps it was your first intense experience of rejection and your response of sadness, loneliness, shame and fear. If that does not get balanced with reassurance and ‘normalised’ by someone explaining that we are ok, it is not our fault, these things happen etc then the wound remains. If retriggered the feeling can remain intense and we can live in fear or expectation of it happening again. In a way that all makes sense. It sounds like you understand it. And I would suggest you continue reassuring yourself that you are ok, safe, loved and wanted. Rationalise your fear of abandonment, and remind yourself that it is the fear and sadness of the little girl in you. Reassure the little girl of your love and care for her. She will get stronger and grow in confidence. The wound will start settling and will not be as vulnerable to triggers. It is a process that requires trust and patience. I wish you well. With best wishes. Karin
I was only 3 or 4 years old. A couple of kids who were our neighbors, almost the same age as me or just a few years older, rang the door and asked me to come to the door so we play together. I stopped by the door. They suddenly took down my pants and underwear and they all started laughing at me. I don’t remember that much things from the time I was that age, but these frames are still crystal clear in my mind: The moment they did this, their laughing faces, and minutes later when I went back to my room and was crying so badly. My mom (who I love her so deeply) came to the room and saw me crying but didn’t ask me anything. She should have asked me: Son, why are crying? but she didn’t.. I don’t know why.. maybe she was angry by any reason at that moment, or maybe she thought I was crying with no reason. It took me more than 20 years to finally talk about this memory in a therapy session.
Now, I’m a man starting my 30’s. Every few months, something happens while I’m talking with a group of people or friends which gives me the impression that they are making fun of me. And whenever I’m under such impression, I feel so tense and upset for a while. I have recently started the practice of opening up to people when small things happen to me: “hey, you told me this the other day. It kinda make me upset. Could we talk about why you said that to me?”. And sometimes they react with “OMG we didn’t think you’ll be upset! Don’t take it seriously, it was just something funny and we didn’t intent to say it in a negative way, I’m sorry if it made you upset, but you’re being a bit sensitive, dude!” I’m not sure if what I started is a proper coping mechanism, but here I am: After so many years, I finally started talking directly with anyone when they hurt me by their words/actions instead of suppressing my feelings.
Hello MK, thanks for reading and sharing your own experience. I am glad you are exploring and processing the impact of this event on you. What may look like a childhood joke can lead to a profound sense of shame, confusion, anger, isolation and more. Your mother’s (lack of) response, can have also contributed to feeling alone and protected. Did you ever ask her about it? We can end up feeling we cannot trust, and have to be extra vigilant around others. Coming out of your shell and letting others know, when their actions cause issues, that can be empowering. On the flip-side, people can end up thinking we are “too sensitive”. It sounds like you are going through a process now of stepping out of the shadows of this experience and re-define how you engage on your terms. A helpful advice I was given decades ago and that helped me, was to say to others “What do you mean?” It bought me time to gather and ground myself, when their actions were potentially triggering feelings based on past experiences. It also gave them a chance to explain more what they meant. And me to challenge them in a subtle way, when I felt something was not ok or acceptable. Thanks again for writing in and I wish you success and liberation through your therapy and own efforts. Best wishes. Karin
Your advice sounds very helpful and I will be practicing it in similar situations. Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Karin.
I feel like I am in the echo chamber that you mentioned. How can I escape it? I find myself crying at night, my mind over reactive. Im having a hard time and I resent everybody that played a part in my painfull childhood, I feel robbed of having childhood ignorance and happiness, I feel like ive spent my whole life crying. They say what doesnt kill you makes you stronger but I feel like im getting weaker. At 12 years old I remember wanting to end my life. At 9 years old the stress that I was under made me scratch away at my neck until it was open wounds. I feel like I cant let it go but I know I must in order to heal. Whenever I get upset its like my mind takes me back to when I was younger and sucks me into dispair and depression. Its as if my mind is out to hurt me. I feel alone in this
Thank you for sharing how your own childhood experience continues to impact you so painfully. “Letting go” is not easy. I think this is an ongoing process, rather than getting to a point where we are ‘done’ with it. Processing pain also involves going back to it. And reliving, esp when we are triggered by something that may be happening in our lives now, all that can be painful and make us feel hopeless. We can end up stuck in a loop kind of pain pattern, which can also affect our nervous system, and we can feel emotionally and physically exhausted. Finding a therapist or counsellor that can assist in helping us work it through without getting stuck in the loop, can be worthwhile. You may also develop tools to help yourself through moments of pain. For me such tools include exercises which help calm my mind and my nervous system, like breathing exercises, meditation, calming my heart chakra. There is a lot you can explore on YouTube for example the Meditative Mind Channel. I do not have any affiliation with them, but use their videos a lot. You don’t need to be religious or a great meditator. Dipping in and out can also help. It is about finding the little and big steps in an order that works for you. When we have gone through such tough experiences and suffered the impact on ourselves, we can get stronger through the ways we learn to deal with it. But the path may need to be gentle. You are not alone. With very best wishes. Karin
Without going into details, my earliest childhood memory, at the age of 5, is of an event in which I learned – without a doubt, that my parents and siblings could not be trusted. (I know I was 5 because I was made to go to kindergarten class the day after the first event, escorted by an older sister to make sure I obeyed). Safety, both emotional and physical, were not a luxury I had. I’m no expert but I presume this is why I ended up spending a life time pushing people away or more accurately, arranging my life in such a way that no one would even think to enter and if they did, it would not be for long. I have to laugh about your suggestion of counseling as the one time I did seek out professional help, I was told by the psychologist that it is not possible for anyone to have a memory from the age of 5 and that the event(s) were figments of my imagination. I didn’t bother staying long enough to fill her in on all the other events of the same nature that transpired up to the age of 14 – when I finally extracted myself from the family. So, here we are, at 61. Still haunted by all this crap that I never asked for and can’t forgive. Alone, with not a single other soul in my life outside of pets. Depression? Gee, ya think? So, how exactly does one separate ‘then’ from ‘now’ when ‘then’ is what has shaped their entire universe. I have no idea who I am other than a gate keeper. It has not been a life lived.
Hello ES, Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my piece. Separating ‘then’ from ‘now’ is tough and we are never fully done with it. Personally speaking, I have moments (short and long) when I fail and don’t even want to. But (for me) that does not make trying less valid. Because if I don’t I turn resentful and then I am less productive, less unable “to live” (as you put it well) and feel less well inside myself. But we all have to find our path. I don’t know why the psychologist said what they did. Based on what you are saying here, it all makes sense. Yes, when we have disappointing and unhelpful experiences with practitioners, it can put us off trying again. Best wishes for you. Karin
I feel you…I’m fourteen now and my sibling has simultaneously betrayed me since a kid, my parents never do what they say. What advice would you give me?
Hello everyone,
I suppose my 40 something odd yr old pain resurfaced tonight because my 17 yr old daughter needed me, and I couldn’t get to her right away! This old hurt, even today, makes me cry as if it is happening now.
I can’t recall my exact age. I’d guess 12. My older brother (whom I was extremely close) and older sister. Also shared a close relationship. Decided to take (steal), my mother’s station wagon to drive my sister to see her bf – whom lived in another city. It was wee hours, whilst mom and everyone else slept. We took the vehicle, drove there, and my sister (in love I suppose), stayed longer than we’d planned. Well, my older siblings who I’d committed this crime w, didn’t live w us. You guessed it – I was the fall guy. Faced the music alone, and although I couldn’t drive, sat in backseat, and this wasn’t my plan. My 2nd oldest sister wanted mom to call the cops on us, have us whipped, or, something. She was livid as if her car had been stolen. Mom opted against it as I explained I basically just went along for the ride, like many a dumb kids would’ve. My livid sister waited for my mother to leave (a week after incident), came to me, told me to pack all my things and GET OUT. I did reluctantly, placed all my belongings which fit in two large garbage bags. Called my sister in crime. She walked over to get me, helped me carry my bags to her place. Later, when mom returned, my livid sister told my mother I’d run away. Her, along w my mom and another sister, arrived to get me. Not before being whipped senseless w switches (fresh tree branches). My sister set me up. All because there were to be no consequences for our actions. She wanted someone to pay.
I cried like a baby tonight thinking back to that horrible time in my life! I have not thought of that moment in probably 2 yrs.
Still hurts like yesterday!
Hello Bee, Thanks for reading and commenting. Best wishes. Karin
When I was 5 years old my father beat me until I wet myself all because I was excited that I had just learned to ride a bike. Since both of my parents loved to take any joy I had away, I was forbidden to ride the bike. In an act of defiance, I did it anyway. Not only was I beaten until I wet myself but a couple of days later, my parents went to have coffee at a froend’s house. I was in the next room playing with blocks and heard my father bragging about beating me and the urine running down my leg. He was laughing. About a year or two later, my brother who is five years older than me, put his penis in my mouth and continued to molest me for, I can’t remember how long but I’m guessing a couple of years. My mother caught something inappropriate going on and wagged her finger in my face as if I had the power to be molesting him. Then let me continue to get molested. Now that my kids are going through their childhood, these things and more are coming back to me. At 45 I cut my family out and I no longer speak to them. I wish I had done it sooner. Raising my children and remaining sane with these flashbacks is getting more difficult.
Hi Sandra, the experiences you describe sound distressing, to say the least. You are right, bringing up children (or grandchildren) can trigger our own childhood memories. The fact that you chose to share here some of what happened to you, and how it affects you now, makes me think this might be the time to talk to someone independent about it – a counsellor or therapist. It might help to work this through. My very best wishes. Karin
I was 5 years old, the afternoon kindergarten teacher brought a paper mache’ lamb to school. She put it out in the play yard to dry. It got broke, someone hit it. The boys were gathered up and our hands were hit with an 18 inch ruler. We were falsely accused as a group. She punished all the boys, but not the girls. It could have been any child. I have felt violated for 50 years. The hurt from the false accusation has never left. I try to shake it but when I am very tired and stressed, the pain comes to the surface. I want peace, I will never get revenge so, I want peace. No one understands, I don’t understand why this 50 year old assault and punishment for what I didn’t do still hurts. I have even lied to myself that I did it and deserved punishment just so I could settle it in my head. It did not work, I still hurt. What can I do to stop this painful memory? I should not hurt but I still do.
Hello Jeff, Thank you for sharing this difficult moment and experience in your life. I don’t want to make assumptions from afar, but based on that you are saying: I wonder whether one clue is in the sentence “I will never get revenge”. Perhaps there is part of you that is (unconsciously) connecting “revenge” with “putting an end to your suffering”. I think it is really important and helpful to have the insights you have. Perhaps take one step further: You were victim of an unjust act. There has been no apology and you are seeking justice. You also know you won’t get this justice from the other. You will have to do justice by yourself. How? Understand this have affected you, and that in moments of stress (and perhaps further injustice) the old pain manifests itself. You are the victim. When “the old wound” from 50 years ago shouts for justice. It is the old pain that distorts what is happening right here and now. Eckart Tolle calls it “the pain body”. By keeping yourself in this circle of pain you keep yourself a victim of the old memory and pain. I wonder whether sharing your comment is an important part of stepping out of this circle. You deserved better then, and you deserve better now. Therefor release yourself from those shackles, that are seeking revenge. Its distracts you from peace and perhaps even fulfilling your true potential and gaining happiness. It may take a bit of work and focus and concentration. My best wishes. Karin
In 2015, the end to pain occurred upon my return home. I agree childhood hurts keep repeating until you can forgive them. From 2013-2014, I was trapped with being disrespected by coworkers and the guilt of being not good enough when compared with others. Since then, I’ve learned all the pain and the hurt has all to do with me. Now I’m working on assertiveness and valuing who I am, making peace with the childhood incident so that it’s influence stops.
Thank you for sharing your own experience, KC. It sounds like you have achieved a huge piece of self awareness and change in your life. I find, that echos of difficult childhood experiences will never fully disappear, how can they. But we may learn to separate ‘then’ from ‘now’and for the pain, disappointment and anger to be less intense. My best wishes for you. Karin