EMOTIONAL WOUND THESAURUS

LIVING WITH AN ABUSIVE CAREGIVER



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Emotional wounds will steer a character's behavior, corrupt his worldview, and cause negative traits to form. To understand exactly how this occurs, please read our tutorial for the Wound Thesaurus.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect.
NOTES:
Abuse in this entry is centered on the physical and psychological sort. (For information on sexual abuse, please see CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE BY A KNOWN PERSON). Caregivers may be parents, adult family members, adoptive or foster parents, or adults from organizations or institutions that were part of the child's life. When abuse happens at the hand of a trusted caregiver, the aftereffects can be especially traumatic and long lasting. Chronic maltreatment is particularly destructive and can alter the structure of a child's brain during this critical, formative stage. 

WOUND CATEGORY:
Crime and Victimization, Misplaced Trust and Betrayals, Specific Childhood Wounds, Traumatic Events

BASIC NEEDS OFTEN COMPROMISED BY THIS WOUND:
physiological needs, safety and security, love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

LIES THAT MAY DEVELOP FOR CHARACTERS WITH THIS WOUND:
No one wants something that's broken.
Dying is the only way to be free of pain.
Being alone is safer.
I am as useless as my parents said I was.
People will always use love to hurt you.
Life will never get better.
People can sense I am a victim and they will always prey on me.
To take my life back, I need to get revenge.
To avoid being the victim, I must become the aggressor.
A system that fails to protect kids cannot be trusted.

THE CHARACTER MAY FEAR:
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POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND RESULTS:
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POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAY RESULT:
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NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT MAY RESULT:
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TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THIS WOUND:
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STEPS TOWARD HEALING:
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OPPORTUNITIES TO FACE OR OVERCOME THIS WOUND:
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