By Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Adversity in childhood can create long-lasting scars, damaging our cells and our DNA, and making us sick as adults
Read on aeon.co
CLEAR ALL
Our culture has taught us that we do not have the privilege of being vulnerable like other communities.
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The cynical backlash against the success of the personal growth movement is both frustrating and painful for John Bradshaw, the psychologist and author who coined the term “inner child” and popularised the phrase “dysfunctional family.”
Mr. Bradshaw found fame with books and television shows proposing that emotional and psychological damage experienced in childhood was the root of adult ills.
I never got any help, any kind of therapy. I never told anyone.
Guilt and shame can lead to depression, anxiety, and paranoia, but they also nudge us to behave better. Research suggests that they serve an important, adaptive function important for human survival.
Blame and shame will not lead to sustainable weight loss.