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Why You Can’t Shake That Chronic Feeling of Emptiness
How unpacking these core wounds can help your healing.
Trigger Warning: The following content includes personal experiences and discussions around difficult topics such as trauma, emotional challenges, childhood maltreatment, or abusive relationships. While my intent is to educate and share personal insights, some readers may find certain content emotionally distressing. This article is for informational purposes only.
Have you ever felt “empty”? I mean, sure, at one time or another we all have. Feeling hollow or empty may follow a breakup with someone we thought was Our Person. Or, these feelings of numbness may accompany the death of someone we love. In time, the veil of emptiness lifts and we start to grieve, adapt, and eventually feel more connected again.
For others, you may notice a chronic, deep emptiness that never fully goes away. It ebbs and flows depending on many factors such a whether you are receiving consistent validation from others or if they pass your “tests” of their emotional investment to you. Chasing after other people’s approval may offer you a fleeting sense that you are worthy of love, attention, or nurturing where it momentarily helps you feel Good Enough. You may believe that as long as you continue showing up as perfect to the people in…
