EMOTIONAL WOUND THESAURUS

LEARNING THAT ONE'S PARENT HAD A SECOND FAMILY



Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Emotional Wound Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

CHOOSE MY PLAN

HELPFUL TIP:

Emotional wounds will steer a character's behavior, corrupt his worldview, and cause negative traits to form. To understand exactly how this occurs, please read our tutorial for the Wound Thesaurus.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect.
NOTES:
To many, the scenario seems ridiculous, the stuff of fiction: a parent who has a second family, complete with children. How could that be perpetuated over the long term? How would the families not know? Yet it happens often enough to have become familiar. And with the seemingly impossible logistics of such a scenario, it's no surprise that the parent does usually end up getting caught, leaving a trail of betrayal, lies, destroyed families, and wounded loved ones in their wake. Whether one makes this awful discovery as a child, teenager, or grownup, the results can be long lasting.

WOUND CATEGORY:
Crime and Victimization, Injustice and Hardship, Misplaced Trust and Betrayals

BASIC NEEDS OFTEN COMPROMISED BY THIS WOUND:

love and belonging, esteem and recognition


LIES THAT MAY DEVELOP FOR CHARACTERS WITH THIS WOUND:
They'll always be someone's second choice
If they had been better behaved (or smarter, prettier, etc.), they would have been enough for the parent
They're defective in some way
They're stupid, because a smart person would have seen what was happening
If they weren't enough for their mother (or father), they won't be enough for anyone else
Everybody lies

THE CHARACTER MAY FEAR:
...

POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND RESULTS:
...

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAY RESULT:
...

NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT MAY RESULT:
...

TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THIS WOUND:
...

STEPS TOWARD HEALING:
...

OPPORTUNITIES TO FACE OR OVERCOME THIS WOUND:
...