Parents may find it difficult to realize that their child is suffering from emotional deprivation and the resulting effects on his personality, whether in childhood or even after he grows up. However, the effects of emotional deprivation on the child's psyche and personality can be serious and long-term. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the signs that indicate emotional deprivation through the Dalili Medical website and how to deal with them in order to help the child overcome these effects.

What is emotional deprivation in a child?

 

It is the child not getting what he needs in terms of tenderness, sympathy and emotional communication, which weakens or cuts personal ties between the child and his family or caregivers. Emotional deprivation in a child is reflected in his personality and feelings towards himself and towards those close to him, such as parents, siblings and friends. The communication that an emotionally deprived child lacks is very important to confirm love and belonging and is an essential part of upbringing.

Types of emotional deprivation?

 

There are some types of emotional deprivation that a child is exposed to, which are:

Deprivation of protection: where the child loses the feeling of security and protection from the parents, which makes him always feel afraid.

Deprivation of communication: This is when the child lacks the feeling of communication with those around him and understanding his psychological needs.

Deprivation of empathy: Here the child feels that no one hears him, feels him or cares about him.

What is emotional deprivation in children?

 

Emotional deprivation is when the child does not receive the tenderness, sympathy and emotional communication he needs, which leads to the weakness or severance of personal ties between him and his family or caregivers. Emotional deprivation affects the child's personality and his feelings towards himself and towards those close to him, such as parents, siblings and friends. The communication that an emotionally deprived child lacks is necessary to confirm feelings of love and belonging, and is an essential part of the parenting process.

**Ways to enhance the child's feeling of tenderness and affection**

 

**Hug:** Hugging gives the child a feeling of comfort and security, as he feels tenderness and support when one of his parents embraces him. Therefore, it is important for parents to hug him from time to time, especially at times when he feels sad or tired, to re-provide the love and tenderness that he may have lost.

**Shared Activities:** Shared activities play a vital role in building emotional bonds that enhance the child's sense of security and care. These activities contribute to strengthening the relationship between the child and his parents, which helps the child compensate for the tenderness that he was previously deprived of.

**Fulfilling Desires:** One of the behaviors that reflect interest and affection for the child is trying to fulfill his desires. Whether it is by buying a toy he loves, preparing his favorite food, or going out for a walk to a place he wants, these actions enhance the child's feeling of love and care.

**Kissing the Child:** Kissing the child is considered one of the most prominent forms of physical contact that expresses love, as it creates an atmosphere of affection and tenderness that pleases the child and makes him feel the love of his parents.

**Participating in Play:** Participating in play with the child is one of the most effective ways to restore the feeling of tenderness that he may have lost. This participation enhances emotional bonds and helps the child feel love and care.

**Praise and Commendation**: The child feels an abundance of love and tenderness when he receives words of praise and appreciation from his parents, as this praise has a special effect that is different from anyone else. This compliment gives the child a boost of love, respect and trust, making up for any lack of affection.

How can I tell if my child is suffering from emotional deprivation?

 

There are several key signs and symptoms that indicate that a child may be suffering from emotional deprivation. The most prominent of these signs are disturbances in appetite and sleep, in addition to problems with behavior and mood. The child may also show signs of isolation and difficulties in social communication and learning. In some cases, more serious signs may appear, such as stuttering and bedwetting.

**What are the most prominent signs of emotional deprivation in children?

 

**Eating disorders:** Children who are emotionally deprived often suffer from problems with eating and appetite. This may appear in the form of increased gluttony as a way to compensate for what they lack, or a lack of appetite as a result of negative feelings and depression associated with deprivation.

**Sleep disorders:** Emotional deprivation can cause sleep problems in a child, as their sleep becomes irregular. He may suffer from anxiety, insomnia or excessive thinking, which leads to a disturbance in his sleep pattern, such as sleeping for long periods at times and not being able to sleep at other times, or staying up at night and sleeping during the day, in addition to waking up frequently during the night and problems with restless legs.

**Emotional disorders and aggressive behavior:** A child who suffers from emotional deprivation does not receive enough attention and love, which negatively affects his ability to control and understand his emotions. This may lead to nervous or aggressive behaviors, such as feeling very sad for no apparent reason, or exaggerated anger towards simple situations, or low self-confidence, in addition to lack of interaction and lack of motivation in general.

**Loneliness and isolation:** Emotional deprivation can lead to a feeling in the child that he is unacceptable and unloved, which negatively affects his self-confidence, his ability to interact socially and his desire to communicate with others. All of this may contribute to his feeling of loneliness and isolation.

**Sadness and depression:** A child who suffers from emotional deprivation often shows signs of sadness and depression, as his features lack the feelings of joy and fun that are considered normal in childhood.

**Despair and frustration:** A child who is emotionally deprived feels that things are useless, and believes that he is not loved by his parents. Over time, his feelings become numb, leading to feelings of despair and frustration.

**Regression and regression:** One of the most prominent signs of emotional deprivation in children is their regression in some of the basic skills they have acquired, especially childrenFor children under the age of five, who may show a loss of some speech skills, such as stuttering or stammering, or may suffer from bedwetting. They may also return to early childhood habits such as thumb sucking or crawling, and deliberately speak in the manner of younger children. As for older children, a noticeable decline in their academic level may be noted, in addition to a decrease in their ability to focus and pay attention and their desire to acquire knowledge.

**Excessive sensitivity:** A child who suffers from emotional deprivation is expected to be more sensitive in his interactions with others when he grows up. He is severely affected by criticism or even jokes, gets angry quickly, and finds it difficult to adapt to others in a flexible manner.

**Feelings of inadequacy and inferiority:** The increase in feelings of emotional deprivation in a child leads to negative effects on his self-confidence, his vision of himself, and his relationship with his family in the future. He may develop negative thoughts that make him feel unacceptable and that others do not want to form relationships with him, which may lead to the emergence of feelings of inadequacy and inferiority if this condition continues.

**Weak social relationships:** As a result of excessive sensitivity, low self-confidence, and feelings of rejection, whether real or imagined, a person who suffered from emotional deprivation in childhood becomes less able to build social relationships and interact harmoniously with others. He is more cautious and rigid in his dealings with people.

**Weak self-confidence:** Due to emotional deprivation and lack of encouragement, support, and recognition of achievements and abilities during childhood, a person grows up without a positive view of himself, as negative thoughts and feelings of deficiency control him, which leads to a lack of self-confidence.

Developing negative feelings towards parents: A child who is emotionally deprived and neglected in his childhood suffers from negative feelings and thoughts towards his parents, such as feeling selfish, unloved by them, and jealousy of his siblings who receive more attention. All of these feelings negatively affect their relationship when he grows up.

Introversion and communication difficulties: As a result of weak social relationships and communication skills in a child who was emotionally deprived, he may feel frustrated, shy, and rejected. As he grows up, he is likely to tend to introvert and withdraw from others.

**Symptoms of emotional deprivation in children**

 

**Increased feelings of shyness:** Among the symptoms that may appear in a child suffering from emotional deprivation is increased feelings of shyness, which arises as a result of his expectation of negative responses from others, in addition to his low self-confidence and feelings of deficiency that he feels.

**Attachment to someone other than his parents:** A child who lacks emotional attention from his parents may seek this attention from someone else. Therefore, a child's attachment to someone other than his parents is considered one of the most prominent signs of emotional deprivation.

**Ease of being deceived by strangers:** Emotional deprivation creates a fragile and easily attached personality in the child, which makes him inexperienced in understanding the intentions and desires of others, and thus becomes vulnerable to exploitation and deception by strangers.

**Declining academic performance:** Lack of interest in the child is often associated with emotional deprivation, as this deprivation leads to the child's lack of interest in his lessons, which negatively affects his academic achievement and level in school.

Decline in intelligence skills: A child who lacks emotional support suffers from being constantly preoccupied with thinking about how much his parents care for him and love him, in addition to how others view him and how much they accept him. These recurring thoughts negatively affect his focus and make him distracted, which negatively affects his intelligence and skills.

Frequent distraction: An emotionally deprived child appears to think a lot, as he is always preoccupied with how to deal with others and how to gain his parents' love and attention. This preoccupation leads to his distraction and frequent distraction while immersed in these thoughts.

**The effect of emotional deprivation on the child's psychology and personality**

 

**The emergence of attachment disorders:** Emotional deprivation often leads to the emergence of problems in the child's attachment patterns, such as weak attachment to parents, increased attachment to one of them, pathological attachment to friends or siblings, or even reactive attachment disorder.

**Developing disturbed behaviors:** The experience of emotional deprivation may affect the child's personality, causing him to display disturbed behavioral patterns, such as social withdrawal, aggression and irritability, or even excessive silence.

**Delayed growth and personal development:** Emotional deprivation may affect the child's personality development in some aspects, such as weak independence, lack of responsibility, weak life skills, and inability to meet his personal needs.

**Disturbed relationship with parents:** Emotional deprivation affects the child's relationship with his parents, as it weakens his connection with them, makes him less able to express his desires and thoughts, reduces his sympathy for their problems, and may lead to a lack of good recognition of their personalities.

**Delayed development of communication skills:** The feeling of emotional deprivation in the child affects the development of his communication skills, leading to a delay in language acquisition in young children, or weakness in social skills, or the inability to express feelings and desires, in addition to the difficulty of forming opinions and special attitudes towards various aspects of life.

**Personality weakness in interaction with peers:** Emotional deprivation often affects the child's relationships with his peers, which may lead him to avoid interacting with other children or trying to impose himself on them, while feeling that he is less than them and wanting to gain their acceptance.

**Formation of a dependent personality:** Emotional deprivation affects the child's self-confidence, his vision of himself, and his expectations about how others see him. He often feels rejected and lacks confidence in his abilities, which leads to the development of a dependent personality that seeks to follow stronger personalities.

Feeling guilty and blaming himself: A child who experiences emotional deprivation may believe that he is the reason behind this deprivation, and that he is not loved by his parents, who are thePeople close to him. This belief leads to him feeling guilty and blaming himself even for the simplest mistakes he may make.

Results of emotional deprivation?

 

Unfortunately, if the problem of emotional deprivation in children is not addressed, this may lead to the emergence of many negative effects. Among these effects:

A child who feels emotionally deprived suffers from feelings of sadness, depression and loneliness, although he may find it difficult to express these feelings directly, they still affect him greatly.

The child also does not expect others to provide help, protection or sympathy with him, because he is unable to clearly identify his needs.

A child who faces emotional deprivation suffers from feelings of sadness, depression and loneliness, although he may find it difficult to express these feelings directly, they control him greatly.

The child does not expect others to provide help, protection or understand his feelings, because he is unable to clearly identify his needs.

In the long run, the child feels unimportant in his family's life, which leads him to prefer isolation from them when he grows up and becomes an introvert.

**Reasons for a child to hate his parents**

 

There are many mistakes that parents make while raising their children, which may lead to children feeling hatred towards them. Among these reasons are:

**Inequality in upbringing between siblings**: This is considered one of the negative factors that affect the child's psychology. Our noble Messenger recommended justice in upbringing, as he said, peace and blessings be upon him: "And fear God and be fair between your children."

**Neglecting the child's psychology and needs**: When the child does not feel that his parents understand his psychology and needs, this may lead to him feeling hatred towards them.

**Introducing children to the labor market at an early age**: Some parents force their children to work at an early age in their lives, which makes the child feel that he has lost the opportunity to enjoy his childhood, and thus his hatred for his parents increases.

Some parents allow their children to engage in the labor market at an early age, which leads to the child feeling resentful towards his parents because he feels that he did not enjoy his childhood.

If one of the parents is deviant and the child realizes this, it may cause the image of the parents to be shaken in his eyes, making him feel hatred towards them.

Using beating and insulting as a means of upbringing is one of the negatives that lead to the child feeling resentful towards his parents.

Parents' stinginess in showing feelings towards their children, and not only in material matters, negatively affects the relationship between them.

The father's violent treatment of the mother, whether by beating or insulting in front of the children, contributes to strengthening the child's feelings of hatred towards his father.

Embarrassing the child and criticizing him in front of others, in addition to reprimanding him in front of people, leaves negative effects on his psyche.

**How ​​to meet the child's emotional needs and compensate for the lack of affection**

 

**Caring for the child and strengthening the relationship with him:** A child who lacks affection needs to feel the love and care of his family. Therefore, the first step to address the problem of lack of affection is to rebuild the relationship with him and enhance communication, whether on a physical or psychological level, through all possible means.

**Maintaining physical contact with the child:** Physical contact, such as touching, hugging and kissing, is one of the most important ways to meet the child's emotional needs. Physical contact between parents and children reflects the highest levels of affection and empathy.

**Apologizing to the child, especially in adolescence:** Apologizing to the child and talking to him about feelings of emotional deprivation may be an effective first step in addressing lack of affection. This can help reduce feelings of hatred or resentment that he may feel towards his parents, and contribute to correcting the misconceptions that he has formed.

Talk to your child in a friendly way: When a parent communicates with his child who feels a lack of affection and emotional neglect, this can help him overcome these negative feelings in many ways. On the one hand, this can help the child express his feelings and reveal what he is hiding of sadness, discomfort and fear, which helps him get rid of these feelings over time. On the other hand, this restores the child's confidence in his parents and makes him feel important to them, which helps him overcome feelings of deficiency and rejection.

Showing love and tenderness through actions: To compensate the child for the lack of tenderness, this must be accompanied by behaviors that express love and care, such as hugging, kissing the child, and giving him gifts, in addition to not letting him play or sit alone.

Helping the child overcome the effects of emotional deprivation: Sometimes, parents may find it difficult to find the appropriate way to compensate the child for the emotional deprivation he has been exposed to, and they may not have the necessary skills to do so. Therefore, it is preferable to support the child in the treatment process by seeking the help of specialists in dealing with children. These specialists hold conversations with the child to help him overcome negative feelings, and at the same time, they provide parents with the necessary guidance to deal with their children and compensate them for the lack of tenderness.