Kaytee Gillis

2 weeks ago | psychologytoday.com | Kaytee Gillis

Sonia grew up in a household filled with emotional neglect and verbal abuse. Her parents were often absent, both physically and emotionally, leaving her to try to figure out how to deal with things that came up on her own. As a result, Sonia developed a deep fear of abandonment and struggled with trusting others, always bracing herself for abandonment. In her adult life, these fears seeped into her friendships.

2 weeks ago | qoshe.com | Kaytee Gillis

Sonia grew up in a household filled with emotional neglect and verbal abuse. Her parents were often absent, both physically and emotionally, leaving her to try to figure out how to deal with things that came up on her own. As a result, Sonia developed a deep fear of abandonment and struggled with trusting others, always bracing herself for abandonment. In her adult life, these fears seeped into her friendships.

2 weeks ago | psychologytoday.com | Kaytee Gillis

The language we use to refer to victims of abuse often fails to account for the trauma they have experienced. Many survivors of abuse develop certain coping strategies to survive and navigate their environment. Reframing can create a more compassionate approach to supporting those who have been through trauma and abuse.

2 weeks ago | qoshe.com | Kaytee Gillis

“Attention-seeking.”“Daddy issues.”“Abandonment issues.”“Codependent.”These are just a few of the labels casually thrown around to refer to survivors of abuse—especially women and gender-diverse people. On the surface, they may seem like personality traits or pop-psychology diagnoses.

2 weeks ago | psychologytoday.com | Kaytee Gillis

Estrangement implies that both parties cut ties willingly, or that a child ended a relationship with a parent. When a parent ends a relationships with a child, this is abandonment, not estrangement. Making the distinction between estrangement and abandonment allows survivors to understand their experience. I always feel a pang of discomfort when someone refers to my father and me as "estranged." Technically, we haven’t spoken in over a decade—but that word never quite sits right.