Was my mother emotionally neglectful? I usually refer to her as being cold and not caring, but I have not really thought of it as “emotional neglect”. I’ve always had peripheral / fleeting thoughts of her consciously knowing what was happening and not doing anything. At other times, knowing she knew. It just seems like such a heavy label to put on her behaviour, and what does that mean for me? Was he emotionally neglectful? But he was also caring and abusing.

The darkness feels like being adrift and alone in the dark vast ocean, no light,  and no-one is looking. No-one knows I am missing. Every now and then there is a distant flash of light in the far distance. Then its gone. A week/month later, it flashes. Then its gone again. And any time it could be gone completely.