Signs Your Might Have Grown Up With Emotional Neglect

Emotional neglect can be incredibly difficult to recognise, especially because it’s about what didn’t happen. You may have grown up in a house that seemed loving, with no major problems - yet still feel like something vital was missing.

If you often feel disconnected from your emotions, relationships, or sense of self, emotional neglect might be part of your story. So let’s dive into it together.

Common Signs of Childhood Emotional Neglect

- You struggle to know what you’re feeling

You might feel numb, blank, or unsure of how you feel in a given moment. Emotional neglect can disconnect you from your internal emotional world, making it difficult to name or trust your feelings.

- You find it hard to ask for help

If you learned that your needs wouldn’t be me, you may have stopped expressing them altogether. Now, you might find it uncomfortable or even shameful to rely on others.

- You’re highly independent - but it feels lonely

Being self-sufficient can be a strength, but if it stems from never feeling emotionally supported, it can leave you feeling incredibly isolated.

- You minimise your own pain

You might tell yourself things like “it wasn’t that bad”, or “other people had it worse”. This can be a way of protecting yourself from painful truths - but it also invalidates your own experiences.

- You feel like you’re too much - and not enough!

Emotional neglect can lead to deep-rooted self-doubt. You might constantly question your worth, feel like a burden, or believe that your needs are unreasonable.

- You have a strong inner critic

If no one helped you learn how to soothe or comfort yourself emotionally, you may have developed a harsh internal voice instead.

- Relationships feel confusing or unfulfilling

You might struggle to trust others, express vulnerability, or feel truly known in close relationships. You might also feel drawn to emotionally unavailable people.

You’re Not Imagining It - And You’re Not Alone

Many oof my therapy clients arrive feelings confused, guilty, or unsure whether what they went through “counts”. The answer is: if it hurt you or shaped the way you see yourself, it matters.

Emotional neglect is real, and it’s possible to heal from it.

If any of this sounds familiar and you’d like a safe, supportive space to explore your experience, I’m here. I offer both online and in person therapy in South London. Click the link below to get started.