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When We’ve Experienced Attachment Trauma, We Don’t Know How To Receive

Unconditional love and support are foreign concepts to us

Patrícia Williams
The Conscious Way
5 min readApr 2, 2024

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Photo by Brandon Lopez on Unsplash

Attachment trauma leaves scars that aren’t always visible. It’s like a shadow that follows us, shaping the way we perceive the world and ourselves within it.

One of the most profound impacts it can have is on our ability to receive love and support unconditionally. We may struggle to accept kindness without suspicion, wondering what hidden agenda lies beneath. Or perhaps we’ve grown accustomed to the idea that love must be earned, that it comes with strings attached.

This is what happens when the foundation of our trust is shattered at a tender age.

When the caregivers who were supposed to love and nurture us failed to do so, we learn to view the world through a lens of caution and skepticism. We become hyper-vigilant, constantly on guard against potential threats, both real and imagined. And in our efforts to protect ourselves from further harm, we unwittingly close ourselves off to the possibility of genuine connection and fulfillment.

It took me years to realize I had this pattern. For so long, I couldn’t understand why I expected the worst in people, why I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop in my relationships.

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The Conscious Way
The Conscious Way

Published in The Conscious Way

The best stories on healing, mental health, and personal growth.

Patrícia Williams
Patrícia Williams

Written by Patrícia Williams

Sharing my healing & awakening journey to make you feel a little less alone on yours ✧ https://linktr.ee/patriciaswilliams

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