A Mother Wound Therapist Says You CAN Get Angry & Confident
You always wanted that easygoing, best friend mother-daughter relationship. But no matter what you did, it was never good enough for her. Sure, she acted like you two were close, like you were the best daughter in public. But in private? The mask wore off. Nothing was right. Everything you did was criticized. And it just felt like, she did not like you.
What did you do wrong?
Nothing. You are a mother wounded adult daughter and you were raised by an emotionally immature mother.
Okay, so what exactly is a mother wound? Let’s dive in.
I Think I Have Emotionally Immature Parents. Now What?
The way emotionally immature parents are in relationship with you is pervasive. The wounds they leave behind don’t have a clear “beginning” and “ending.” Though not all emotionally immature parents present the same way, they do tend to struggle with similar characteristics and leave a similar impact on you, their adult child.
Emotionally mature parents are typically nurturing and protective and are capable of setting structure and offering guidance. Emotionally immature parents, on the other hand, tend to struggle with one or more of these categories. They tend to be distant, rejecting, neglectful, highly critical, self-involved, or even abusive. Essentially, emotionally immature parents are as described: emotionally stunted and stuck—they are chronologically adults, but their emotional behavior, responses, and reactions come from a place similar to someone much, much younger.