Question #5: Where did I learn these stories? No one is imbued at birth with a sense of worthlessness. It is through our interactions with nurturing caregivers that we develop our view of ourselves. If, because of their own trauma, they treat us badly, we take it personally. If, for whatever reason, they are stressed or unhappy, we take that personally, too. Awareness of our parents’ distress, which as young children we could not have alleviated, can lead us to question our own value, even if we were assured verbally that we were loved.
