Member-only story

6 Traits of People Who Were Abused as Kids

Jason Henry
5 min readMar 2, 2021

--

Photo by Sabine van Straaten on Unsplash

Whether you were abused as a child yourself or you suspect someone was abused growing up, it is useful to know the common traits of people who suffered abuse growing up.

If you see yourself, it boosts your self-awareness. If you see others, you’ll be able to be more sensitive towards them, allowing them to feel more seen.

Also, understand that people who were abused as kids are akin to the baby elephant tied down to the ground by a stake. When the baby grows up, they could easily lift the stake out of the ground by merely lifting their feet. But due to the conditioning that they cannot move the stake, it is unlikely that they will ever try.

1. Over-apologizing

Whether they are apologizing over and over again for a mistake on their part or apologizing for the actions of others, children who suffered abuse grow up to become adults who need to ensure that they are on others’ good sides.

In their past, not being on someone’s good side meant a lecture at best or some sort of physical punishment at worst. And no amount of apologizing was enough to change their fate.

As an adult, the solution is simple enough. Sincerely apologize when you make a mistake. If you really mean it, you won’t have to repeat yourself to prove that you really are…

--

--

Jason Henry
Jason Henry

Written by Jason Henry

Counselling Psychologist | Current Writer | Constant Learner | “By your stumbling the world is perfected.”

No responses yet