"Becoming an adult, for most people, means learning to function, adapt, and survive and in the process, distancing themselves from parts of who they are that feel too sensitive, vulnerable, or unacceptable in a world that rewards performance and success. As a result, many of us leave childhood with something unresolved. Emotional needs may not have been consistently met, safety may have felt uncertain, or validation may have been missing."
"The inner child is the part of us that lives in our subconscious. It carries emotional memories, beliefs about safety and belonging, and the original strategies we developed to protect ourselves (Bowlby, 1988; Siegel, 2012). When we don't have a relationship with this part, it shows up indirectly-through anxiety, self-doubt, emotional reactions that feel disproportionate, or a persistent sense that something essential is missing."
Many adults suppress sensitive or vulnerable parts of themselves to adapt to environments that prioritize performance and success, leaving emotional needs unresolved. Early experiences of inconsistent care, uncertain safety, or lack of validation remain active in the nervous system and influence adult responses to stress, intimacy, and uncertainty. The inner child exists in the subconscious, carrying emotional memories, beliefs about safety and belonging, and protective strategies formed in childhood. When neglected, it expresses through anxiety, self-doubt, disproportionate emotional reactions, or a persistent sense of missingness. Engaging with the inner child offers practical methods to regulate anxiety, strengthen emotional resilience, and improve relationships, but common mistakes can reduce effectiveness.
Read at Psychology Today
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