When We’ve Experienced Attachment Trauma, We Don’t Know How To Receive
Unconditional love and support are foreign concepts to us
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.
