Self-Esteem: Importance of Healing Our Wounded Inner Child – Part 2
What is our wounded inner child? It is all the fearful, hurt, neglected, and vulnerable parts of our psyche, as a young child, which have separated from our being because of trauma or for survival. These parts never had a chance to express themselves, have a voice.
Most of us, whether we realize it, have various severed child parts at different ages from birth to less than ten years old. In addition, most of us as adults never think about having a wounded inner child. Furthermore, we usually have no idea how to heal these parts even if we wanted to.
So how do we recognize the signs our inner child needs healing?
Do you experience on a repeated basis any of the following as an adult: mistrust, shame, fear of intimacy, desire to please others, issues with authority, judgment and criticism of yourself, anger issues, or feelings of isolation? Overall, do you experience the same repeated patterns of conflict in failed relationships or repeating emotional reactions to people or events?
The above signs can indicate a wounded inner child asking for healing.
Our wounded inner child splits off energetically i.e., disconnects from our psyche because of family trauma. As I said earlier we felt afraid, hurt, or abandoned. We felt afraid expressing these feelings in our family. Yet, the severed parts contain positive qualities of truth, love, or courage etc. that we as adults search for outside ourselves in others.
When will you decide to do something about your pain and suffering?
Usually when someone pushes our emotional buttons, we react from past memories and trauma rather than the reality of the present moment. If your reaction has a lot of energy, this means old wounds have been activated.
As children we experienced powerlessness. As adults we can stop being victims and take back our power. Rather then continuing blaming our parents for their imperfections, we can now decide to be the loving parent we never had and nurture our own inner child. We can learn to hear the inner voice of this child. If we, however, continue to criticize our inner child, for instance, calling ourselves stupid or worthless, we remain abusers or neglectful like our parents.
To begin to connect with your inner child you can ask inwardly when your emotional buttons get pushed, How old am I feeling now? Listen for the first answer you get. Use your intuition. You may get 4, 5, 6, or 7 years old.
To open communications with your inner child get a journal, ask a question inwardly of your child and write down any thoughts that occur without censoring in any way. Use your non dominant hand i.e., the one you never write with.
Methods to Heal Your Inner Child: (a few examples)
- Journal daily
- Painting like a child
- Childlike drawing or doodling freely
- Walking in nature barefoot
- Physical activity of any kind your child enjoys
- Therapy sessions with a therapist or energy healer who has done their own emotional healing
- Soul Retrieval of split off child aspects
- Read & apply methods from inner child healing books. For instance, Healing the Child Within by Charles Whitfield and Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child by John Bradshaw.
Do some of the above activities weekly. When you make a promise, follow through for your child to develop trust and feel loved.
Will you choose to become a loving parent to your wounded inner child?
Have you ever wondered why your life never gets better?
- If your inner child never has the chance to heal, you will continually unconsciously recreate the pain and suffering from your inner child’s wounds.
- Your inner child will continue as it has in the past, to run your life with its emotional trauma and wounds.
Healing our inner child creates a solid foundation for a strong self-esteem.
About the Author
Michael David Lawrience is giving away free 50-pages of his book, The Secret for Freedom from Drama, Trauma, & Pain. His complete book gives more ways to improve your emotional health, chronic pain management, emotional healing, stress release, and ways to heal your self-esteem. This article may be reproduced with a live link back to http://www.emotionalhealthtips.com/dysfunctional-family-role-4 |