Neglect

Not having enough food, or never knowing if there would be food

Growing up in a home where food was scarce, unpredictable, or used as punishment. Going hungry regularly. Not knowing if there would be dinner.

Food insecurity in childhood does not end when the cupboards finally stay full. Many adults who grew up hungry still eat fast, hide snacks, feel a jolt of unease when the fridge runs low, or cannot throw food away without guilt. Those habits were smart once. They were how a child managed a household that could not be counted on, and nobody here will think they are strange.

What can follow an experience like this

No two people carry the same experience the same way. These are some of the effects that people with this experience often describe. Having some of them, all of them, or none of them says nothing about how real what happened to you was.

Hypervigilance The nervous system that learned to scan for danger all the time. Emotional numbing Not depression exactly. Depression Not just sadness. Shame Not guilt about something you did. Anxiety The background hum of dread that is always there. Appetite dysregulation Not an eating disorder exactly, but a disrupted relationship with hunger and fullness. Hoarding Not being able to let things go. Stealing or conning people Taking things that were not yours.

Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and nothing here decides what is wrong with you, because nothing is wrong with you. Something happened to you. This page exists so that when you are ready, you can find people who understand it from the inside.

You do not have to carry this alone.

Bridge of Hope Recovery is a free, anonymous, peer-led fellowship for trauma survivors. Meetings run throughout the week by phone, by video, and in person. No cost, no waitlist, no one asking for your real name.

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