One of our greatest needs is to be valued and loved. With an abused child, that need is never met. On the other hand, the child's belief that his or her parent can value them and be loving sustains them.
The fact that the child can't come to be valued or loved by their parent or guardian is almost incomprehensible to them. Not coming to this realization, however, leaves the child in an unfathomable reality where he or she is blamed for the battering of their own spirit.
They gradually lose confidence and self esteem - often without realizing it. If they are aware of changes in their self-perception - a lose of confidence, for example -but they're not aware of the cause.
There are vast consequences of abuse, including those concerning the childs self-perception and spiritual validity. In addition to these consequences, children of abusive parents also experience emotional consequences. The following is a list of consequences of abuse, that the child may experience.
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A distrust of their spontaneity.
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A loss of enthusiasm
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A prepared, on guard state
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An uncertainty about how they are coming across
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A concern that something is wrong with them
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An inclination to soul searching and reviewing incidents with the hope of what went wrong
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A loss of self-confidence.
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A growing self doubt.
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An internalized, "critical voice."
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An anxiety or fear of being crazy.
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A sense that time is passing and they're missing something.
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A desire not to be the way they are - "too sensitive", etc.
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A hesitancy to accept their perceptions.
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A reluctance to come to conclusions
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A desire to escape and run away
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A belief that what they do best may be what they do worst.
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A tendency to live in the future -- "Everything will be great when/after...."
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A distrust of future relationships.
Abuse is damaging to the spirit. It takes the joy and vitality out of life. It distorts the child's current and future reality.
Photographer Unknown
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