Sunday, July 27, 2014

Validation of One's Value - Its Importance and the Consequences of Its Absence or Inadequacy

A friend of mine and I were talking the other day.  In the course of our conversation, we came upon the idea that early-life validation (e.g., by one's parents or primary care-givers) is extremely important.  Conversely, people who are not sufficiently validated early on in life often later find themselves profoundly affected.  Interesting compensatory strategies are often pursued.  One phenomenon often encountered is "Repetition Compulsion", Wikipedia article or trying again and again (often quite unconsciously) to play out the early-childhood psychodrama, and to have it turn out differently, this time.

2 comments:

  1. Assuming for the moment that such a validation-deficit can have profound (damaging, life-altering, lifelong) effects, what can be done about it, for the adult person still hobbling along with this handicap?

    Possible approaches:
    Apply the compulsion constructively, channeling the energy into productive endeavors
    Spiritual healing (via prayer, meditation)
    Cultivate relationships with people who provide such validation

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  2. Interesting psychiatric article on this very issue:
    Revictimization is a consistent finding.Victims of rape are more likely to be raped and women who were physically or sexually abused as children are more likely to be abused as adults. Victims of child sexual abuse are at high risk of becoming prostitutes.Russell, in a very careful study of the effects of incest on the life of women, found that few women made a conscious connection between their childhood victimization and their drug abuse, prostitution, and suicide attempts. Whereas 38 per cent of a random sample of women reported incidents of rape or attempted rape after age 14, 68 per cent of those with a childhood history of incest did. Twice as many women with a history of physical violence in their marriages (27 per cent), and more than twice as many (53 per cent) reported unwanted sexual advances by an unrelated authority figure such as a teacher, clergyman, or therapist. Victims of father-daughter incest were four times more likely than non-incest victims to be asked to pose for pornography.
    http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/vanderkolk/

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