When You're An Outsider In Your Family
You may think you’re the only one,
but many people don’t think they fit in with their families, feeling as if
they’re on the outside looking in. You may have had this sense since childhood
or developed it later in life as you’ve grown emotionally healthier. Either
way, a sense of not belonging may be disturbing, but it’s normal and even healthy.
When we’re children, our families
are our mainstay of acceptance and nurturance, all we have until we make
friends and find other adults who can care for us. Oddly, clients who feel as
if they’re outsiders with their families believe that there’s something wrong
with them, although many are actually more mentally healthy than their
families. It’s all in the perspective. Clients report that, unlike their
parents or siblings, they were shy and introverted; creative or exceptionally
serious; unconventional and non-conformist; curious, open-minded and
inquisitive. When families aren’t accepting of members who are different,
children grow up feeling as if there’s something wrong with them, that is, defective.
Often, this identity carries into adulthood and they may continue to feel like
an outsider with their families—and other groups—no matter how old they are.
Alternately, there are adults who
felt as if they fit in fine with family as children, but who’ve changed so dramatically
over time that they no longer experience that same sense of belonging. As
mature adult, they even may wond...
Source: Normal Eating - Category: Eating Disorders Authors: eatnormalnow Source Type: blogs