In this day and age, emotional problems seem to be the norm, not the exception. We keep up a frantic pace and so many today are suffering from depression and anxiety disorders. Too many people are simply being medicated in the hopes of feeling better because insurance companies favor chemical solutions. Medications may help to a certain extent but they simply do not solve the problem in most cases.
Many people seek out therapy and marriage counseling. But what seems to be the most common denominator these days? What I’ve observed and many of my colleagues report as well, the majority of people suffering from emotional distress never really received what they needed to begin with in childhood and since those emotional needs were not met, they are unable to find happiness as adults.
Dr. Conrad Baars, the great Catholic psychiatrist of the twentieth century, along with his mentor and colleague, Dr. Anna Terruwe of the Netherlands made a huge contribution to the psychological literature in their writings about Emotional Deprivation Disorder.
Emotional Deprivation Disorder was first discovered by Dutch psychiatrist Dr. Anna A. Terruwe in the 1950’s and was called the Frustration Neurosis (De frustratie neurose in Dutch; Deprivation Neurosis when translated into the English language by her colleague, Dr. Conrad W. Baars). Dr. Terruwe found that a person could exhibit symptoms of an anxiety disorder or repressive disorder when these symptoms, in fact, were not the result of repression, but rather the result of a lack of unconditional love in early life.
Emotional Deprivation Disorder is a syndrome which results from a lack of authentic affirmation and emotional strengthening in one’s life. A person may have been criticized, ignored, neglected, abused, or emotionally rejected by primary caregivers early in life, resulting in that individual’s stunted emotional growth. Unaffirmed persons are incapable of developing into emotionally mature adults until they receive authentic affirmation from another person. Maturity is reached when there is a harmonious relationship between a person’s body, mind, emotions and spiritual soul under the guidance of their reason and will.
If this seems to describe you or someone you know, we highly recommend the work of Dr. Conrad Baars.
These books by Dr. Baars are available in Online Store.
Born Only Once – Healing the Unaffirmed – Feeling & Healing Your Emotions
The good news is there is hope in the healing love of Jesus Christ. We pray that these materials will be a great aid to finding healing and peace.
May God bless you in your journey.
Allison is also the Founder and President of www.CatholicTherapists.com, and CatholicLifeCoaches.com, which provide nationwide networks of screened and dedicated Catholic therapists and Catholic life coaches.
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