Invalidating a child’s understanding of themselves not only indicates to the child that they cannot trust you with declarations of self, but that the child should also learn to doubt themselves. This disruption of learning to trust oneself can become deeply rooted, disturbing the child’s very sense of self. Numerous studies have shown that invalidating childhood environments are hotbeds for the production of serious mental illness such as depression, eating disorders, and even personality disorders like borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder.
