The Primal Wound

RobertHafetz's picture

This is the third rail of adoption. The wound denied and celebrated by adoptees. Created in infancy,a narcissistic phase, by the separation of first mother and child, this experience is the foundation of many adoptee problems.It manifests itself as shame, vulnerability, feelings of isolation, disconnectedness and makes trust difficult. Form Nancy Verriers Comming Home to The Self; "People with narcissistic injuries are concerned for the most part only about themselves. THis may be very deceptive because there is a perception that they are interested only in others. They are great rescuers. This is often a projection, "I need rescuing therefore I will rescue." Many of you have opbserved the person who is doing things for other people. The question is; Is he doing it for others or is he doing it because he needs others to like him? If it is the latter then it is being done for narcissistic rather than altruistic reasons." I have this experience in my own life. I have been abandoned twice, once by my foster mother and also by my first mother. All of us are effected differently by this experience. ITs important to understand that this is an affective event, remembered as an affective memory, often a painful one. It is painful to explore and thats what makes it hard to overcome. We re-experience shame and grief whenwe open ourselves to it. Many keep it hidden because its just too painful to explore. In my experience it can be overcome, the experience can be owned and strength can be drawn from it. In that case we become better people, more sensitive loving and considerate to others. ITs a long road and not an easy one to follow. More about this later

Comments

now and laters

Copied from your text, Bob, "From Nancy Verriers Coming Home to The Self; "People with narcissistic injuries are concerned for the most part only about themselves. This may be very deceptive because there is a perception that they are interested only in others. They are great rescuers. This is often a projection, "I need rescuing therefore I will rescue." Many of you have observed the person who is doing things for other people. The question is; Is he doing it for others or is he doing it because he needs others to like him? If it is the latter then it is being done for narcissistic rather than altruistic reasons."

Gee... ask any person in the Health Care Profession, Teaching Profession or any area or realm of Law Enforcement careermanship if such a Concept rings true... It's easier to solve the ills of Society than it is to heal that which ails us, Inside.

I believe such "narcicism" is more Sociopathic in nature, but then... speaking as a Registered Nurse, what the hell do I know?

I know of a local D.O. who might be able to answer this on a more Professional Level... should I ask him to join this particular discussion?

More on the wound

Robert Allan Hafetz
Not Remembered Never Forgotten
www.neaspa.com/id14.htm

Lets not confuse narcissisim in the context of adoption with narcissism as a persoanlity disorder or negative anti social behavior. We are refering to a period where ego centricity is normal as the begining of a rift in the heart and soul of the mind. The outcomes of this can be positive. According to Silvan Thomkins personality is created by a series of affective experiences. A traumatic experience at the begining of the creation of personality creates an affective wound, primal wound etc. This then becomes hard wired into our minds and while we examine it cognitively its manifestation is affective. Thats what makes it so elusive to explore. I believe every adoptee experiences this to greater and lessor extents. Also fitting into this is the work done by Nathanson on shame. The separation experience long denied by our culture impacts profoundly on us as adoptees. It shouldnt be viewed as damage but as a profound exprience that requires validation and empathy along with some respect.

Adaptation

Tomay-to...to-mahtoe... it's all luncacy in terms of the linguistics of Logic. One does not have to be Adopted to "suffer" like a beaten dog. In fact, those who have been the blackened sheep of Family damnations are some of the worse cases of Ignored cries for Help I have heard among those who ask to bleed with me.

It's a Language-Thing... and I see it within the words and context a person uses when Writing.

Bleeding, as I call it, is the verbage used by those who have mastered a sense of Logical Control over the list of illogical sequestering events those who had the grave misfortune of evperiencing.

Bleeding is proof of Survival. Period.