Does experience of emotional invalidation in childhood lead to growth -- a qualitative enquiry using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Does experience of emotional invalidation in childhood lead to growth -- a qualitative enquiry using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Does experience of emotional invalidation in childhood lead to growth -- a qualitative enquiry using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Sudeshna Das, Deepshikha Ray, Soma Pramanik This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6937533/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 16 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Severe abuse is not the only variant of unpleasant experiences in childhood. Childhood maltreatment in the form of emotional invalidation is potent in shaping future behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive. Traumatic experiences in childhood are such occurrences in which the internal world of the child is thrown into a state of upheaval and disintegration. The very assumptions about this world which had been the source of psychological stability and coherence suddenly seem inaccurate. What follows is an arduous task of reconstructing the assumptions about this world while trying to maintain a delicate balance of attending to and ignoring various aspects of the traumatic event. Method This study tries to explore the lived experience of emotional invalidation in childhood in 5 adult participants who have reconstrued the meaning of such suffering and are leading a well-adjusted life through conduction of personal interview. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al, 2021) have been used for analysis and interpretation of the data. Results & Discussion The results reveal that survivors of emotional invalidation in childhood have been able to achieve a positive adaptation with life through their ability to actively disengage from the trauma by transformation of self and conscious acknowledgment. Their identity is no longer defined solely in terms of their “victimhood” but rather, in terms of newer possibilities in life or relating to others, personal strength, spiritual change and appreciation of life. Emotional Invalidation Post traumatic Growth Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Positive Psychology BACKGROUND The theory by Freud 1 linking sexual abuse with hysteria, or Pierre Janet’s 2 work on dissociation and Bowlby’s 3 attachment theory or Roger’s 4 concept of ‘conditions of worth’ have all focused-on progression toward psychological problems as aftermath of experiences of trauma. The experience of trauma in childhood is not always synonymous with heinous caregiver behaviors like physical and sexual abuse of the child or physical neglect of the child. Subtle forms of psychological abuse which are less conspicuous in the overt behavior of the caregiver and less visible in terms of its impact on the child e.g. presence of psychological injury are nonetheless potent to create long term mental and physical health hazards 5 . The concept of emotional invalidation was originally conjured to explain the milieu the individuals diagnosed with borderline personality were brought up. Thus, emotional invalidation refers to a childhood marked by the caregiver’s tendency to dismiss, disregard or reprimand or discipline a child’s emotional overtures 6 . Linehan 6 categorized three types of emotional invalidating family milieu, namely - Chaotic – a negligent setting as parents are preoccupied with their own difficulties or duties. Parents are more likely to have substance dependence and / or other mental illness conditions. Perfect – efforts here are made to repress negative emotions as parents are incapable of handling such emotional demonstrations. Children thus learn that it is not acceptable to express emotions and if they do, this inability to control their emotions is seen as something grossly wrong. Typical - such a family fails to respond to the fact that their child might face inconvenience while regulating or controlling and communicating their emotions. Thus, invalidating their struggle. It is well documented that people who have suffered emotional abuse in childhood are more prone to develop poor self-esteem, emotional dysregulation and are also at a heightened risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, substance dependence and the like 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 . Following Bowen's family systems theory, invalidating milieu can lead to decline in one’s meaning in life 12 . Thereby, lack of meaning in life can lead to several mental health problems, such as loneliness 13 , anxiety 14 , and depression 15 , and even increase the risk for suicide 16 , 17 . WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO THE STUDY? However, the notion that positive psychological changes can occur in the aftermath of adversity is now not an unfamiliar concept. Bonnano et. al., 18 identified that the number of people afflicted with psychopathology in the true sense of the term still belongs to a minority. This opens the possibility that there might be ‘other’ outcomes than the aberrant behaviors which are usually explored after the exposure to trauma. There is ample evidence which goes far back in history to suggest that this phenomenon of attempting to understand inexplicable suffering and persevering to it has been a part of the human psyche since ancient periods. It is perhaps the greatest of all latent human potentials which keeps the human race survive, live, love and pro-create amidst all these adversities. So, the present research attempts to explore the phenomena and outcome of experiencing emotional invalidation in a different light. It is to reconnoiter how survivors with childhood experiences of emotional invalidation rebuild their inner world through personally significant re-appraisal of their occurrences and circumstances. METHODS Study Design The aim of the present study is to understand the subjective construction of experiences of emotional invalidation in childhood and the sufferer’s own idiosyncratic manner of coming to terms with it. These ‘experiences’ can be thought to be relative to each individual and specific to their own individual social context. Since the assumption was to understand the ‘subjective comprehension’ of the phenomena under consideration, hence, a ‘social constructivist’ paradigm was chosen for the present research. Recruitment and Eligibility For this purpose, a specially designed socio-demographic screening instrument was used. Here the items were presented in a non-threatening manner to the respondents. The initial items would focus on related yet indirect issues pertaining to transgression in general and the participants’ attitude on such matters. Questions related to personal experiences of negative, emotionally invalidating reactions (e.g., dismissing, criticizing, ignoring) from significant others came much later in the sequence. Subsequently, only those who endorsed the choice of being interviewed were then contacted. This questionnaire also made an inquiry into whether the participants were acquainted with anyone else who had a traumatic experience in his / her childhood. They were then requested to contact them for the purpose of the study. Sampling Participants were recruited using a purposive snowball sampling. The social milieu in which the researcher as well as the participants of the present study belong to does not approve of social disclosure of experiences of abuse or maltreatment within the familial context, necessitating the use of “Purposive Snowball Sampling”. Five individuals participated in the present research with the mean age of 31 years (with ages ranging from 24 years – 40 years); 4 females and 1 male participant. All of them were accomplished (minimum educational qualification being post-graduation) and were professionally proficient and were well-adjusted in family life. Each participant consented to be a part of the study. The Consent Form was personally read out to them by the researcher in the language they understood (English and Bengali). As all participants hailed from a Bengali background, both English and Bengali written consent forms was provided to them individually. Written consent was obtained from all the participants before the study commenced. Prior Information regarding the purpose of the study and confidentiality issues were communicated individually to all participants. As human participants were approached for the study, the research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki code of ethics. Clinical Trial Number Not Applicable Demographic Details of Participants Participant 1 RR; 40 years old female, single; PhD.; Professor in a University; history of physical and psychological abuse in childhood. Participant 2 JB; 24 years old female, single but in a relationship; post-graduate in science; history of psychological abuse in childhood Participant 3 SR; 30 years old female, single; post-graduate in Health Science; working with health services; death of father at 4 years of age due to an accident; faced sexual abuse in childhood and psychological abuse in childhood. Participant 4 SP; 26 years old female, single; post-graduate in Social Science; pursuing higher education; faced psychological abuse in childhood. Participant 5 MS; 33 years old male, married; post-graduate in Social Science; teaching in a substantive position in an Indian University; death of mother at 2 months of age; faced psychological abuse as well as a state of psychological orphan hood Data Collection In-depth interviews were done with each of the participants; the interview sessions being repeated for each participant till saturation of data were achieved. Each interview was conducted in an individually tailored manner from the information gathered during the initial screening ( Shared as Supplementary Files ). Participants were asked to discuss their lives, background, strengths and weaknesses, their manner of responding to emotion invalidation where in such invalidating experiences are active processes occurring in response to emotional interaction with the significant other. They also discussed the role of people and experiences which helped them overcome the deleterious effects of emotional invalidation in the long term. The interviews usually lasted for more than one hour and often more than one interview session were taken. The interviews were audio recorded with prior consent from the participants. Initial Screening Tool and Interview guideline shared as supplementary files Data Analysis Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) proposed by Smith, et al., 19 was used to analyze and interpret the data. The data was converted into transcripts by the principal investigator and subsequently each data was individually interpreted by the researchers. In keeping with the methodology proposed by Smith et al., 19 the themes were constructed in eight phases – Initial themes were constructed as smallest psychological meaning units through line by line reading of the transcript of each participant Repetitive meanings in terms of ideas / emotions conveyed were noted. Subordinate themes were constructed by clustering initial themes in patterns in terms of similarity or connectedness of the initial themes. It was here that the interpretation of researchers ( “double hermeneutics” ) was imposed upon the meaning constructed by each participant. Superordinate themes were constructed by clustering subordinate themes across the participants into meaningful clusters. Rigor To achieve trustworthiness, the following techniques were used - Investigator Triangulation - three researchers simultaneously interpreted all the data. The team included three researchers, i.e. the principal investigator, a co-researcher and the supervisor. Finally, only those themes were incorporated in the final set which was corroborated by all three researchers. Member Check - the researcher got back to most of the participants (3 out of 5 participants) with the data and the interpretations arrived there upon to ensure that the “ participants’ own meanings and perspectives are represented and not curtailed by the researchers’ own agenda and knowledge ” 20 . RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The findings from the present study can be categorized into the following sub themes and superordinate themes across all participants as presented in the following table Table 1 List of superordinate themes and subthemes that emerged from data Super-ordinate Theme Sub-Ordinate Themes Sub-ordinate Theme 1 Subordinate Theme 2 Subordinate Theme 3 Subordinate Theme 4 Subordinate Theme 5 Invalidating Childhood Environment Not take my side / Not understand me Criticizing my emotion & demeaning me Indifference and not taking me seriously ---------------- Evolution of Self in the process of coping with emotional invalidation Disengaging from trauma Developing a new sense of self Attitude toward Accomplishment Ambivalence towards relationship Changes in philosophy of life The results obtained from analysis is explained together with excerpts from original data which have been provided verbatim to substantiate the themes depicted in the above table (Table 1 ). The association between an invalidating environment in one’s childhood and self are more nuanced than previously acknowledged. Needing to belong, pursue connections and feel understood are often important needs for an individual. When interpersonal connections and interactions become critical, dismissive, or minimizing, they often lead to experiences of being alone, misunderstood and detachment 21 . Experiences of invalidation make the child vulnerable, and lack of protective care makes them prone to being abused by ‘others’ as well Psychological trauma can befall us in many forms thereby making it difficult to acknowledge and limit it. According to Linehan 6 , the trauma generated from emotional invalidation can be so subtle that it is often even overlooked 22 “My maternal grandmother ‘s friend remarked that no one scolds him because I do not have a mother. So, he has become so undisciplined? …. No one also said anything in my defense as if they were also agreeing to the fact…….”. “I am not very close to my father…. In childhood, I wasn’t close to him. I thought of him as a private tutor. He came at 6pm and left at 9pm from my Mama’s (maternal uncle) place. He came just to teach. I feared him. He never held me or made any kind gestures….” “I could not emotionally depend on him, but his importance was that because I was financially dependent on him….” “ …I came first for the first time; I was very happy. It was a big thing for me. But when I went home and told my mother, her first reaction was that your section does not have good students and so you have been able to obtain such a rank. This saga continued till my master’s degree…” “I used to be hit often as my mother was short tempered…. She was very aggressive and flared up very easily. She had a stick... My father never protested. Rather he never acknowledged my mother was doing it…” Invalidating emotional experiences from the parents such as lack of understanding, indifference and insensitivity towards emotions and a critical and demeaning attitude towards emotions When children’s emotions are validated, they feel comforted, supported and can regulate emotions effectively. Invalidation leads to heightened distress and instills in them that emotions are deplorable and something to do away with 23 . As a consequence of invalidation an individual starts doubting their own thoughts, emotions, or overall experiences. They tend to have an altered perception regarding the events being inaccurate, inappropriate, misguided, and mostly undeserving of attention 21 . “With mother I always felt distant since childhood. She was not tolerant of the mistakes I used to make. …I was told that I would not be given dinner or would not be allowed to play.…”. “She never understood me. She never understood when I was quiet or wanted to be alone. She thought me to be ‘difficult’, But she never came and sat down with me and asked me anything…. She just perceived me to be different”. These emotionally invalidating experiences similarly have generated agony, negatively impacting their sense of self-worth and their beliefs about meaningfulness and meaninglessness in life. Traumatic experiences generated from emotional abuse (emotional invalidation) are often ubiquitous in terms of gender, race and culture 24 , 25 , 26 and have a generalized impact of devastating one’s fundamental belief about self and world 27 , 28 “I have often entered relationships which I have later realized that they were only using me…Then they ended the friendship once their needs were fulfilled.…. I have never wanted things to end. I wanted them to be there to love me. I have never ended a relationship despite seeing that they are using me….” “ When I was 16-year-old, our ancestral house which is now worth 10 crores was transferred to my elder brother’s name. ...Are they not responsible for me? If they would have died then, then my brother could have thrown me out of the house… How could parents do such a thing?” “The home was not a safe place… I felt it would be better to die. I contemplated running away many times...” “ I understood that I am looked upon as a destitute, an orphan but never treated like their own son by my Mama and Mamima (Maternal uncle and his wife). I was never discriminated against for my physical comfort, but the lack of care and love was always evident in my life….” However, these experiences have also made these individuals explore newer meanings of the self and the world in the process of coming to terms with the trauma generated from emotional invalidation. In this context, it may be said that the participants of the present study report of consciously trying to dissociate the self from the experience of trauma by: – Adopting a sense of aloofness towards people to adapt with parental expectation of being emotionally less expressive. “Our parents have never acknowledged our emotions. They felt that children do not have emotions. They never appreciated our joy and love…. I have become emotionally unreactive, and my sister has violent streaks in her.” “I know I am a little narcissistic. But I required that to pull myself out of the ordeal ....” Adults who have endured experiences of being ‘emotionally unseen’ by their caregivers often in the process develop ‘grandiose narcissism’ which acts as a protective layer 29 , 30 , 31 . 32 Relying on fantasies related to independence since childhood to gloss over parental domination “…. I had a strong fantasy life. I wanted to flee to a faraway place. I would sit on the top of a tornado. It is shaped like a donut, and it travels from one place to another.... Different children are picked up from different continents and we all sit on the top. Then it drops us off to a different island where we can play and have fun. This was my imagination…. “ “I often wanted to die and reach a place which is good and is according to my wish. A place where I can employ my independence. I can do things I want….” A ‘healing fantasy’ - concept given by Gibson 33 is a process through which survivors find a cure for their emotional pain in their childhood. This allows them to feel optimistic about the future while going through a painful upbringing. Developing a sense of detachment from others to deal with anguish related to experience of lack of care “I still feel a little distant from my parents, maybe. My close friends hug and love their parents. I see I do not feel the same for my parents. I don’t feel anything from inside… I cannot physically love them. I feel awkward….” “I have lost the emotional side in me. Now when I have problems, I deal with them. But I do not think or get bothered much. ...Fighting with the hardships I have become a strong person, but I have lost all emotions in life.” “I never had a strong relationship with anyone in childhood….” The inability to trust and create a stable attachment with caregivers during childhood often have a spillover effect in adulthood where survivors are seen to have residual effects of becoming detached in interpersonal relationships. This state of non-belonging and disconnection persists even in adulthood 34 . Development of a critical attitude towards others but at the same time feeling responsible for others “I do not know when, but I have stopped thinking consciously about the neglect and discrimination that I have faced in childhood or early adulthood... I do not let it affect my new relationships…” “Somewhere I felt that I was not being held properly. Like when you hold a child, you control the movement but at the same time you give containment. I realized that I am not so special to anyone so this control would never be there in my life … I will do that holding now to my wife and I am sure to my child someday ....” A paradox exists between feelings of being cheated, discriminated against, neglected and at the same time feeling protective, morally responsible and attached. This paradox of conflicting emotions seems to exist among all survivors 35 , 36 . 37 . Developing an overarching need to play the role of a caregiver and succorer “My childhood was filled with a lot of promises to myself. The only promise I made myself is that when I am a parent or in a position of power, I won’t be like this. I will move down to their level and understand them and engage with them…...” “…I have clear, spelt out opinions but I do not impose them on others…. People who are less powerful than me, like people who are younger to me, can easily approach me. Can speak freely with me….” “…I have few responsibilities as a grown-up daughter, and I try to fulfil them as much as possible... they still behave in manners that are insensitive, but I can’t go on feeling agonized all the time....” This clearly reflects the perspective of ‘breaking the trauma cycle’ where one can appreciate the transformation from ‘victimhood to survivor’ - who can now curve their own patterns of responding with others and not carry the burden of ‘intergenerational trauma’. The process is not to erase the past but rather building other perspectives and choosing not to pass the trauma forward. Motivation to curve out a space in terms of professional excellence “ I think I am a little ambitious. I want to do something in my life.” “…I feel I am very ambitious. I have big dreams. I am doing my PhD, but I dream of doing a postdoc. I want to get the Fulbright scholarship which is hard to get but I want to try it out.” “…I want to see myself doing good research which is appreciated. I don’t want to be world famous or Nobel laureate, these are not my needs. But I want to do meaningful work which would be appreciated in the research community.” “…. I do not carry my power on my sleeve. I do not make people understand that I am so well educated, a professor, having a respectable social status…. Incidents of invalidation, aloofness detachment from parents commonly results in building a repertoire of ‘mental toughness’ – a confidence which results in developing positive psychological abilities that aids performance specifically academic 38 , 39 and fosters the ability to deal with stressors effectually and make use of effective coping measures 40 . Consciously avoiding situations that are personally demanding or require one to be subservient to others “I love to take short cuts. That does not mean I cheat people. But I do prefer to take the shortest route to reach a goal….” “…. If anything can be done in five pages, I won’t do it for 50 pages. It is not cheating. I want to live on my own terms and take the shortest route…....” Coping with trauma is essentially aligned with active awareness of trauma related information until it fits into a coherent model of the self 41 , 42 “I do not know when, but I have stopped thinking consciously about the neglect and discrimination that I have faced in childhood or early adulthood....” “I am more concerned about my current life affairs than what had happened in the past.... I do not know whether I have forgiven my parents, but I do not focus much on their flaws....” Several researchers like Affleck & Tennen 43 and Davis 44 propose that active exploration of negative aspects of trauma are essential for the reconstruction of disrupted meaning systems 45 . Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is a psychological transformation, where an individual attains a higher level of functioning following trauma than they have held before 46 . An increasing number of researchers are also indicating that in the process of coping with trauma, one can transcend the constraints imposed by the trauma and experience growth 47 , 48 . Personal growth as a sequel to traumatic experiences consists of the same set of cognitive processes which increase the risk of distress and functional impairment (Calhoun et al, 2000) In the research of Baker et al., 49 and Cann et al., 50 , trauma survivors reported both post traumatic depreciation and post traumatic growth. Taku et al., 51 examined the relationships between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic depreciation (PTD) across 10 countries and found that in 5 countries (i.e. Italy, Nepal, the US, Germany, and Poland) a curvilinear relationship exists between PTG and PTD which implies that PTG is more likely to be reported when a moderate level of PTD was also present. In fact, several researchers have commented that post traumatic distress fosters greater post traumatic growth 52 , 53 . It is apparent that in the process of evolving a new self-perception, dissociated from the traumatic experience, these individuals have not simply undergone unidirectional positive changes in personality; but there are phases of vulnerability. The struggle associated with challenging life circumstances no doubt may motivate the survivors to rebuild their lives, but such rebuilding is accompanied by both positive and negative changes occurring concurrently in the individual’s psychic space. “…. I see myself as good… Intelligent… I am sincere and conscientious towards my work.…. Flexible toward my students....” “ …I cannot say no to help someone when I find someone younger to me is vulnerable… It comes with a cost… But I might do it again if I find the need….” CONCLUSION The phenomenon of post traumatic growth has been explored widely and in connection with various types of trauma such as bereavement, motor vehicle accidents, sexual assault 54 , HIV/AIDS 55 , breast cancer, myocardial infarction 56 , war 57 , and refugee experiences 58 . However, very little research work has focused on the issue of the traumatic aftermath of emotionally invalidating experiences. This study has sought to understand how adult survivors of emotional invalidation have been able to re-construe themselves and achieve a positive adaptation with their life and how such reconstruction processes are associated with their openness to their negative life experiences and the coexistence of positive and negative post-trauma changes 59 . IMPLICATION It is important to highlight that evidence of post-traumatic growth does not imply that the event was not profoundly distressing, or that an individual no longer experiences distressing emotions associated with the event. In fact, the process of coming to terms with one’s new reality and disengaging from prior beliefs and goals is fraught with pain and tribulations. 60 These dialectics of growth and agony can be explored with sensitivity and openness through a non-positivist paradigm that holds space for multiple realities simultaneously. The upsurge of qualitative / non-positivist methods of investigation in research in the recent times endorses the findings as well as the research orientation of this study i.e. psychological growth in the aftermath of trauma is esoteric in nature and is an ongoing process rather than being a static outcome. Abbreviations IPA Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Declarations Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate Ethical Approval for the work was obtained from Institutional Ethical Committee, University of Calcutta & Secretary, UCSTA, CU (Reference No: 002/17-18/1675) Prior Information regarding the purpose of the study and confidentiality issues were communicated individually to all participants. The Consent Form was personally read out to them by the researcher in the language they understood (English and Bengali). As all participants hailed from a Bengali background, both English and Bengali written consent forms was provided to them individually. Written consent was obtained from all the participants before the study commenced. Thereby, Human ethics and consent to participate was taken from each candidate. As human participants were approached for the study, the research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki code of ethics. Clinical Trial Number : Not Applicable Consent for Publication Each author hereby provides with the consent for publication. There is no conflict of interest Availability of Data and Material No/Not applicable (this manuscript does not report data generation or analysis) . The data that support the findings of this study are available from the first author (corresponding author), but restrictions apply to the availability of these data and as the nature of population is sensitive, they are not publicly available. The data are, however, available from the author upon reasonable request and with the permission of the University ethical committee. Competing Interest There is no competing interest. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Author’s Contributions The authors (SD & DR) conceptualized and designed the study. SD was involved in data collection and curation. All the authors (SD, DR and SP) were involved in the qualitative analysis. SD prepared the draft of the manuscript, and additionally SD and DR were involved in editing, revising, and preparing the final draft. The final version of the manuscript was read and approved by all the authors (SD, DR and SP). Acknowledgement The authors thank all the participants who had the courage to talk about their ordeals and tribulations and consented to participate in the study. References Freud S. Letter from Freud to Fliess, January 1, 1896. 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From representations to representing: On social representations and discursive-rhetorical psychology. The Cambridge handbook of social representations. May. 2015;25:210–23. Arel S. The power of place: Trauma recovery and memorialization. Stellenbosch Theological J. 2018;4(2):15–32. Doychak K, Raghavan C. No voice or vote: trauma-coerced attachment in victims of sex trafficking. J Hum Trafficking. 2020;6(3):339–57. Waters AM, Lipp OV, Spence SH. Attentional bias toward fear-related stimuli:: An investigation with nonselected children and adults and children with anxiety disorders. J Exp Child Psychol. 2004;89(4):320–37. Hardy SA, Francis SW, Zamboanga BL, Kim SY, Anderson SG, Forthun LF. The roles of identity formation and moral identity in college student mental health, health-risk behaviors, and psychological well‐being. J Clin Psychol. 2013;69(4):364–82. Perry R, Sciolla A, Rea M, Sandholdt C, Jandrey K, Rice E, Yu A, Griffin E, Wilkes M. Modeling the social determinants of resilience in health professions students: impact on psychological adjustment. Adv Health Sci Educ. 2023;28(5):1661–77. Gucciardi DF, Jackson B, Hodge K, Anthony DR, Brooke LE. Implicit theories of mental toughness: Relations with cognitive, motivational, and behavioral correlates. Sport Exerc Perform Psychol. 2015;4(2):100. St Clair-Thompson H, Bugler M, Robinson J, Clough P, McGeown SP, Perry J. Mental toughness in education: Exploring relationships with attainment, attendance, behaviour and peer relationships. Educational Psychol. 2015;35(7):886–907. Gold AI, Ryjova Y, Corner GW, Rasmussen HF, Kim Y, Margolin G. Loss during COVID-19: Moderating effects of meaning and romantic relationships on anxiety and depressive symptoms. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. 2024;16(6):950. Foa EB, Kozak MJ. Emotional processing of fear: exposure to corrective information. Psychol Bull. 1986;99(1):20. Affleck G, Tennen H. Construing benefits from adversity: Adaptotional significance and disposltional underpinnings. J Pers. 1996;64(4):899–922. Davis SF, Buskist W, editors. 21st century psychology: a reference handbook. Sage; 2008. Grabbe L, Higgins MK, Baird M, Pfeiffer KM. Impact of a resiliency training to support the mental well-being of front-line workers: brief report of a quasi-experimental study of the community resiliency model. Med Care. 2021;59(7):616–21. Janoff-Bulman R, Carnes NC, Sheikh S. Parenting and politics: Exploring early moral bases of political orientation. J Social Political Psychol. 2014;2(1):43–60. Tedeschi RG, Calhoun LG. A clinical approach to posttraumatic growth. Positive psychology in practice. Jul. 2004;30:405–19. Joseph S, Linley PA, editors. Trauma, recovery, and growth: Positive psychological perspectives on posttraumatic stress. Wiley; 2008 Feb. p. 13. Baker TB, McFall RM, Shoham V. Current status and future prospects of clinical psychology: Toward a scientifically principled approach to mental and behavioral health care. Psychol Sci public interest. 2008;9(2):67–103. Cann A, Stilwell K, Taku K. Humor styles, positive personality and health. Europe’s J Psychol. 2010;6(3):213–35. Taku K, Tedeschi RG, Shakespeare-Finch J, Krosch D, David G, Kehl D, Grunwald S, Romeo A, Di Tella M, Kamibeppu K, Soejima T. Posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic depreciation (PTD) across ten countries: Global validation of the PTG-PTD theoretical model. Pers Indiv Differ. 2021;169:110222. Frazier P, Berman M, Steward J. Perceived control and posttraumatic stress: A temporal model. Appl Prev Psychol. 2001;10(3):207–23. Aldwin CM, Levenson MR, Spiro A. Vulnerability and resilience to combat exposure: Can stress have lifelong effects? Psychol Aging. 1994;9(1):34. Shakespeare-Finch J, Armstrong D. Trauma type and posttrauma outcomes: Differences between survivors of motor vehicle accidents, sexual assault, and bereavement. J Loss Trauma. 2010;15(2):69–82. Siegel K, Schrimshaw EW, Raveis VH. Accounts for non-adherence to antiviral combination therapies among older HIV-infected adults. Psychol Health Med. 2000;5(1):29–42. Petrie KJ, Booth RJ, Elder H, Cameron LD. Psychological influences on the perception of immune function. Psychol Med. 1999;29(2):391–7. Britt TW, Adler AB, Bartone PT. Deriving benefits from stressful events: the role of engagement in meaningful work and hardiness. J Occup Health Psychol. 2001;6(1):53. Copping A, Shakespeare-Finch J, Paton D. Towards a culturally appropriate mental health system: Sudanese-Australians' experiences with trauma. J Pac Rim Psychol. 2010;4(1):53–60. Barrington AJ, Shakespeare-Finch J. Working with refugee survivors of torture and trauma: An opportunity for vicarious post-traumatic growth. Counselling Psychol Q. 2013;26(1):89–105. Pals JL, McAdams DP. The transformed self: A narrative understanding of posttraumatic growth. Psychol Inq. 2004 Jan;1:65–9. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files InitialScreeningTool.pdf InterviewGuideline.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 20 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 19 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 24 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 16 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 16 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 29 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 13 Aug, 2025 Editor invited by journal 25 Jul, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 21 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 21 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6937533","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":510314838,"identity":"634b78f5-9393-4657-9e6a-47be9309b670","order_by":0,"name":"Sudeshna Das","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABD0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACAwbGBigzgYFBDkQfeECUFjaIFmOwlgSitQBBYgPUOpxAfkbyxoc/d9yRZ5BvfvbgYZtd+vywww+BttjJ6TZg12JwI63YmPfMM8MGNjZzg8S25NyNt9MMgFqSjc0O4NAikWMmzdh2mLGBjcFMIrGNOXfj7ASQlgOJ23BokZ+RY/7zZ9th+wY29m9ALfXphrPTP+DVwnAjx4yBt+1wYgMbD8iWwwny0jn4bTE486xYGqgluY0tp0wi4dxxww3SOQUHEgxw+0W+PXnjR6DDbPuZj2+T/FFWLS8/O33zhw8VdnK4tMABOFoYgaQBWKUBAeUI8AdobwPRqkfBKBgFo2CEAAA76mIATAsxIwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES)","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sudeshna","middleName":"","lastName":"Das","suffix":""},{"id":510314840,"identity":"9076184a-a6d4-475e-9213-7cc8953c2f14","order_by":1,"name":"Deepshikha Ray","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Calcutta","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Deepshikha","middleName":"","lastName":"Ray","suffix":""},{"id":510314843,"identity":"e10fbbc4-1578-44d0-8ba7-fe2f5944d942","order_by":2,"name":"Soma Pramanik","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"St Xavier’s University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Soma","middleName":"","lastName":"Pramanik","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-20 09:38:05","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6937533/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6937533/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":90711937,"identity":"3329ccf7-f808-47b8-9ce5-d8a9154cd07c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-06 07:21:03","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1474933,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6937533/v1/ed564e6d-97fd-4a4e-b985-11ef01bc0a26.pdf"},{"id":90711160,"identity":"296f235a-b885-4f1e-ac84-f8435a2542ac","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-06 06:57:02","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":109304,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"InitialScreeningTool.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6937533/v1/d3c3b12868ff8ca73adb0cff.pdf"},{"id":90711853,"identity":"3f29df59-e284-44a7-9f20-b4a4ed276d66","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-06 07:13:02","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":71033,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"InterviewGuideline.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6937533/v1/9d596a4fc851bcb006206153.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Does experience of emotional invalidation in childhood lead to growth -- a qualitative enquiry using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis","fulltext":[{"header":"BACKGROUND","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe theory by Freud\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e linking sexual abuse with hysteria, or Pierre Janet\u0026rsquo;s\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e work on dissociation and Bowlby\u0026rsquo;s\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e attachment theory or Roger\u0026rsquo;s\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e concept of \u0026lsquo;conditions of worth\u0026rsquo; have all focused-on progression toward psychological problems as aftermath of experiences of trauma. The experience of trauma in childhood is not always synonymous with heinous caregiver behaviors like physical and sexual abuse of the child or physical neglect of the child. Subtle forms of psychological abuse which are less conspicuous in the overt behavior of the caregiver and less visible in terms of its impact on the child e.g. presence of psychological injury are nonetheless potent to create long term mental and physical health hazards\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe concept of emotional invalidation was originally conjured to explain the milieu the individuals diagnosed with borderline personality were brought up. Thus, emotional invalidation refers to a childhood marked by the caregiver\u0026rsquo;s tendency to dismiss, disregard or reprimand or discipline a child\u0026rsquo;s emotional overtures\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinehan\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e categorized three types of emotional invalidating family milieu, namely -\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e Chaotic \u0026ndash; a negligent setting as parents are preoccupied with their own difficulties or duties. Parents are more likely to have substance dependence and / or other mental illness conditions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect \u0026ndash; efforts here are made to repress negative emotions as parents are incapable of handling such emotional demonstrations. Children thus learn that it is not acceptable to express emotions and if they do, this inability to control their emotions is seen as something grossly wrong.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eTypical - such a family fails to respond to the fact that their child might face inconvenience while regulating or controlling and communicating their emotions. Thus, invalidating their struggle.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is well documented that people who have suffered emotional abuse in childhood are more prone to develop poor self-esteem, emotional dysregulation and are also at a heightened risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, substance dependence and the like\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing Bowen's family systems theory, invalidating milieu can lead to decline in one\u0026rsquo;s meaning in life\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Thereby, lack of meaning in life can lead to several mental health problems, such as loneliness\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, anxiety\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, and depression\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, and even increase the risk for suicide\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO THE STUDY?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, the notion that positive psychological changes can occur in the aftermath of adversity is now not an unfamiliar concept. Bonnano et. al.,\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e identified that the number of people afflicted with psychopathology in the true sense of the term still belongs to a minority. This opens the possibility that there might be \u0026lsquo;other\u0026rsquo; outcomes than the aberrant behaviors which are usually explored after the exposure to trauma. There is ample evidence which goes far back in history to suggest that this phenomenon of attempting to understand inexplicable suffering and persevering to it has been a part of the human psyche since ancient periods. It is perhaps the greatest of all latent human potentials which keeps the human race survive, live, love and pro-create amidst all these adversities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo, the present research attempts to explore the phenomena and outcome of experiencing emotional invalidation in a different light. It is to reconnoiter how survivors with childhood experiences of emotional invalidation rebuild their inner world through personally significant re-appraisal of their occurrences and circumstances.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"METHODS","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStudy Design\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe aim of the present study is to understand the subjective construction of experiences of emotional invalidation in childhood and the sufferer\u0026rsquo;s own idiosyncratic manner of coming to terms with it. These \u0026lsquo;experiences\u0026rsquo; can be thought to be relative to each individual and specific to their own individual social context. Since the assumption was to understand the \u0026lsquo;subjective comprehension\u0026rsquo; of the phenomena under consideration, hence, \u003cem\u003ea\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lsquo;social constructivist\u0026rsquo; paradigm was chosen for the present research.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRecruitment and Eligibility\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor this purpose, a specially designed socio-demographic screening instrument was used. Here the items were presented in a non-threatening manner to the respondents. The initial items would focus on related yet indirect issues pertaining to transgression in general and the participants\u0026rsquo; attitude on such matters. Questions related to personal experiences of negative, emotionally invalidating reactions (e.g., dismissing, criticizing, ignoring) from significant others came much later in the sequence. Subsequently, only those who endorsed the choice of being interviewed were then contacted. This questionnaire also made an inquiry into whether the participants were acquainted with anyone else who had a traumatic experience in his / her childhood. They were then requested to contact them for the purpose of the study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSampling\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eParticipants were recruited using a purposive snowball sampling. The social milieu in which the researcher as well as the participants of the present study belong to does not approve of social disclosure of experiences of abuse or maltreatment within the familial context, necessitating the use of \u0026ldquo;Purposive Snowball Sampling\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFive individuals participated in the present research with the mean age of 31 years (with ages ranging from 24 years \u0026ndash; 40 years); 4 females and 1 male participant. All of them were accomplished (minimum educational qualification being post-graduation) and were professionally proficient and were well-adjusted in family life.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach participant consented to be a part of the study. The Consent Form was personally read out to them by the researcher in the language they understood (English and Bengali). As all participants hailed from a Bengali background, both English and Bengali written consent forms was provided to them individually. Written consent was obtained from all the participants before the study commenced. Prior Information regarding the purpose of the study and confidentiality issues were communicated individually to all participants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e As human participants were approached for the study, the research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki code of ethics.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical Trial Number\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Applicable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDemographic Details of Participants\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParticipant 1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eRR; 40 years old female, single; PhD.; Professor in a University; history of physical and psychological abuse in childhood.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParticipant 2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eJB; 24 years old female, single but in a relationship; post-graduate in science; history of psychological abuse in childhood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParticipant 3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eSR; 30 years old female, single; post-graduate in Health Science; working with health services; death of father at 4 years of age due to an accident; faced sexual abuse in childhood and psychological abuse in childhood.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParticipant 4\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eSP; 26 years old female, single; post-graduate in Social Science; pursuing higher education; faced psychological abuse in childhood.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParticipant 5\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eMS; 33 years old male, married; post-graduate in Social Science; teaching in a substantive position in an Indian University; death of mother at 2 months of age; faced psychological abuse as well as a state of psychological orphan hood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eData Collection\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In-depth interviews were done with each of the participants; the interview sessions being repeated for each participant till saturation of data were achieved. Each interview was conducted in an individually tailored manner from the information gathered during the initial screening (\u003cem\u003eShared as Supplementary Files\u003c/em\u003e). Participants were asked to discuss their lives, background, strengths and weaknesses, their manner of responding to emotion invalidation where in such invalidating experiences are active processes occurring in response to emotional interaction with the significant other. They also discussed the role of people and experiences which helped them overcome the deleterious effects of emotional invalidation in the long term. The interviews usually lasted for more than one hour and often more than one interview session were taken. The interviews were audio recorded with prior consent from the participants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e Initial Screening Tool and Interview guideline shared as supplementary files\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec2\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) proposed by Smith, et al.,\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e was used to analyze and interpret the data. The data was converted into transcripts by the principal investigator and subsequently each data was individually interpreted by the researchers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn keeping with the methodology proposed by Smith et al.,\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e the themes were constructed in eight phases \u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInitial themes\u003c/em\u003e were constructed as smallest psychological meaning units through line by line reading of the transcript of each participant\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eRepetitive meanings in terms of ideas / emotions conveyed were noted.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSubordinate themes\u003c/em\u003e were constructed by clustering initial themes in patterns in terms of similarity or connectedness of the initial themes. It was here that the interpretation of researchers (\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;double hermeneutics\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e) was imposed upon the meaning constructed by each participant.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSuperordinate themes\u003c/em\u003e were constructed by clustering subordinate themes across the participants into meaningful clusters.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRigor\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo achieve trustworthiness, the following techniques were used -\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInvestigator Triangulation\u003c/em\u003e - three researchers simultaneously interpreted all the data. The team included three researchers, i.e. the principal investigator, a co-researcher and the supervisor. Finally, only those themes were incorporated in the final set which was corroborated by all three researchers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMember Check -\u003c/em\u003e the researcher got back to most of the participants (3 out of 5 participants) with the data and the interpretations arrived there upon to ensure that the \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eparticipants\u0026rsquo; own meanings and perspectives are represented and not curtailed by the researchers\u0026rsquo; own agenda and knowledge\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rdquo;\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS AND DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe findings from the present study can be categorized into the following sub themes and superordinate themes across all participants as presented in the following table\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eList of superordinate themes and subthemes that emerged from data\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuper-ordinate\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheme\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSub-Ordinate Themes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSub-ordinate Theme 1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSubordinate Theme 2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSubordinate\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheme 3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSubordinate Theme 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSubordinate Theme 5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eInvalidating Childhood Environment\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot take my side / Not understand me\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCriticizing my emotion \u0026amp; demeaning me\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndifference and not taking me seriously\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e----------------\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEvolution of Self in the process of coping with emotional invalidation\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisengaging from trauma\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeveloping a new sense of self\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAttitude toward Accomplishment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmbivalence towards relationship\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChanges in philosophy of life\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results obtained from analysis is explained together with excerpts from original data which have been provided verbatim to substantiate the themes depicted in the above table (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe association between an invalidating environment in one\u0026rsquo;s childhood and self are more nuanced than previously acknowledged. Needing to belong, pursue connections and feel understood are often important needs for an individual. When interpersonal connections and interactions become critical, dismissive, or minimizing, they often lead to experiences of being alone, misunderstood and detachment\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e Experiences of invalidation make the child vulnerable, and lack of protective care makes them prone to being abused by \u0026lsquo;others\u0026rsquo; as well\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePsychological trauma can befall us in many forms thereby making it difficult to acknowledge and limit it. According to Linehan\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, the trauma generated from emotional invalidation can be so subtle that it is often even overlooked\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;My maternal grandmother \u0026lsquo;s friend remarked that no one scolds him because I do not have a mother. So, he has become so undisciplined? \u0026hellip;. No one also said anything in my defense as if they were also agreeing to the fact\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I am not very close to my father\u0026hellip;. In childhood, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t close to him. I thought of him as a private tutor. He came at 6pm and left at 9pm from my Mama\u0026rsquo;s (maternal uncle) place. He came just to teach. I feared him. He never held me or made any kind gestures\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I could not emotionally depend on him, but his importance was that because I was financially dependent on him\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003e\u0026hellip;I came first for the first time; I was very happy. It was a big thing for me. But when I went home and told my mother, her first reaction was that your section does not have good students and so you have been able to obtain such a rank. This saga continued till my master\u0026rsquo;s degree\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I used to be hit often as my mother was short tempered\u0026hellip;. She was very aggressive and flared up very easily. She had a stick... My father never protested. Rather he never acknowledged my mother was doing it\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eInvalidating emotional experiences from the parents such as lack of understanding, indifference and insensitivity towards emotions and a critical and demeaning attitude towards emotions\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen children\u0026rsquo;s emotions are validated, they feel comforted, supported and can regulate emotions effectively. Invalidation leads to heightened distress and instills in them that emotions are deplorable and something to do away with\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. As a consequence of invalidation an individual starts doubting their own thoughts, emotions, or overall experiences. They tend to have an altered perception regarding the events being inaccurate, inappropriate, misguided, and mostly undeserving of attention\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;With mother I always felt distant since childhood. She was not tolerant of the mistakes I used to make. \u0026hellip;I was told that I would not be given dinner or would not be allowed to play.\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;She never understood me. She never understood when I was quiet or wanted to be alone. She thought me to be \u0026lsquo;difficult\u0026rsquo;, But she never came and sat down with me and asked me anything\u0026hellip;. She just perceived me to be different\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThese emotionally invalidating experiences similarly have generated agony, negatively impacting their sense of self-worth and their beliefs about meaningfulness and meaninglessness in life.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTraumatic experiences generated from emotional abuse (emotional invalidation) are often ubiquitous in terms of gender, race and culture\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e and have a generalized impact of devastating one\u0026rsquo;s fundamental belief about self and world\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I have often entered relationships which I have later realized that they were only using me\u0026hellip;Then they ended the friendship once their needs were fulfilled.\u0026hellip;. I have never wanted things to end. I wanted them to be there to love me. I have never ended a relationship despite seeing that they are using me\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eWhen I was 16-year-old, our ancestral house which is now worth 10 crores was transferred to my elder brother\u0026rsquo;s name. ...Are they not responsible for me? If they would have died then, then my brother could have thrown me out of the house\u0026hellip; How could parents do such a thing?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The home was not a safe place\u0026hellip; I felt it would be better to die. I contemplated running away many times...\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eI understood that I am looked upon as a destitute, an orphan but never treated like their own son by my Mama and Mamima (Maternal uncle and his wife). I was never discriminated against for my physical comfort, but the lack of care and love was always evident in my life\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, these experiences have also made these individuals explore newer meanings of the self and the world in the process of coming to terms with the trauma generated from emotional invalidation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this context, it may be said that the participants of the present study report of consciously trying to dissociate the self from the experience of trauma by: \u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdopting a sense of aloofness towards people to adapt with parental expectation of being emotionally less expressive.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Our parents have never acknowledged our emotions. They felt that children do not have emotions. They never appreciated our joy and love\u0026hellip;. I have become emotionally unreactive, and my sister has violent streaks in her.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I know I am a little narcissistic. But I required that to pull myself out of the ordeal ....\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdults who have endured experiences of being \u0026lsquo;emotionally unseen\u0026rsquo; by their caregivers often in the process develop \u0026lsquo;grandiose narcissism\u0026rsquo; which acts as a protective layer\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e.\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRelying on fantasies related to independence since childhood to gloss over parental domination\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;. I had a strong fantasy life. I wanted to flee to a faraway place. I would sit on the top of a tornado. It is shaped like a donut, and it travels from one place to another.... Different children are picked up from different continents and we all sit on the top. Then it drops us off to a different island where we can play and have fun. This was my imagination\u0026hellip;. \u0026ldquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I often wanted to die and reach a place which is good and is according to my wish. A place where I can employ my independence. I can do things I want\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA \u0026lsquo;healing fantasy\u0026rsquo; - concept given by Gibson\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e is a process through which survivors find a cure for their emotional pain in their childhood. This allows them to feel optimistic about the future while going through a painful upbringing.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDeveloping a sense of detachment from others to deal with anguish related to experience of lack of care\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I still feel a little distant from my parents, maybe. My close friends hug and love their parents. I see I do not feel the same for my parents. I don\u0026rsquo;t feel anything from inside\u0026hellip; I cannot physically love them. I feel awkward\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I have lost the emotional side in me. Now when I have problems, I deal with them. But I do not think or get bothered much. ...Fighting with the hardships I have become a strong person, but I have lost all emotions in life.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I never had a strong relationship with anyone in childhood\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The inability to trust and create a stable attachment with caregivers during childhood often have a spillover effect in adulthood where survivors are seen to have residual effects of becoming detached in interpersonal relationships. This state of non-belonging and disconnection persists even in adulthood\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDevelopment of a critical attitude towards others but at the same time feeling responsible for others\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I do not know when, but I have stopped thinking consciously about the neglect and discrimination that I have faced in childhood or early adulthood... I do not let it affect my new relationships\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Somewhere I felt that I was not being held properly. Like when you hold a child, you control the movement but at the same time you give containment. I realized that I am not so special to anyone so this control would never be there in my life \u0026hellip; I will do that holding now to my wife and I am sure to my child someday ....\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA paradox exists between feelings of being cheated, discriminated against, neglected and at the same time feeling protective, morally responsible and attached. This paradox of conflicting emotions seems to exist among all survivors\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e.\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDeveloping an overarching need to play the role of a caregiver and succorer\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;My childhood was filled with a lot of promises to myself. The only promise I made myself is that when I am a parent or in a position of power, I won\u0026rsquo;t be like this. I will move down to their level and understand them and engage with them\u0026hellip;...\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;I have clear, spelt out opinions but I do not impose them on others\u0026hellip;. People who are less powerful than me, like people who are younger to me, can easily approach me. Can speak freely with me\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;I have few responsibilities as a grown-up daughter, and I try to fulfil them as much as possible... they still behave in manners that are insensitive, but I can\u0026rsquo;t go on feeling agonized all the time....\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis clearly reflects the perspective of \u0026lsquo;breaking the trauma cycle\u0026rsquo; where one can appreciate the transformation from \u0026lsquo;victimhood to survivor\u0026rsquo; - who can now curve their own patterns of responding with others and not carry the burden of \u0026lsquo;intergenerational trauma\u0026rsquo;. The process is not to erase the past but rather building other perspectives and choosing not to pass the trauma forward.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMotivation to curve out a space in terms of professional excellence\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eI think I am a little ambitious. I want to do something in my life.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;I feel I am very ambitious. I have big dreams. I am doing my PhD, but I dream of doing a postdoc. I want to get the Fulbright scholarship which is hard to get but I want to try it out.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;I want to see myself doing good research which is appreciated. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to be world famous or Nobel laureate, these are not my needs. But I want to do meaningful work which would be appreciated in the research community.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;. I do not carry my power on my sleeve. I do not make people understand that I am so well educated, a professor, having a respectable social status\u0026hellip;.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIncidents of invalidation, aloofness detachment from parents commonly results in building a repertoire of \u0026lsquo;mental toughness\u0026rsquo; \u0026ndash; a confidence which results in developing positive psychological abilities that aids performance specifically academic\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e and fosters the ability to deal with stressors effectually and make use of effective coping measures\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eConsciously avoiding situations that are personally demanding or require one to be subservient to others\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I love to take short cuts. That does not mean I cheat people. But I do prefer to take the shortest route to reach a goal\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;. If anything can be done in five pages, I won\u0026rsquo;t do it for 50 pages. It is not cheating. I want to live on my own terms and take the shortest route\u0026hellip;....\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCoping with trauma is essentially aligned with active awareness of trauma related information until it fits into a coherent model of the self\u003c/b\u003e \u003csup\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I do not know when, but I have stopped thinking consciously about the neglect and discrimination that I have faced in childhood or early adulthood....\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I am more concerned about my current life affairs than what had happened in the past.... I do not know whether I have forgiven my parents, but I do not focus much on their flaws....\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeveral researchers like Affleck \u0026amp; Tennen\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e and Davis\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e propose that active exploration of negative aspects of trauma are essential for the reconstruction of disrupted meaning systems\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePost-traumatic growth (PTG) is a psychological transformation, where an individual attains a higher level of functioning following trauma than they have held before\u003c/b\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn increasing number of researchers are also indicating that in the process of coping with trauma, one can transcend the constraints imposed by the trauma and experience growth\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePersonal growth as a sequel to traumatic experiences consists of the same set of cognitive processes which increase the risk of distress and functional impairment (Calhoun et al, 2000)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the research of Baker et al.,\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e and Cann et al.,\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, trauma survivors reported both post traumatic depreciation and post traumatic growth. Taku et al.,\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e51\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e examined the relationships between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic depreciation (PTD) across 10 countries and found that in 5 countries (i.e. Italy, Nepal, the US, Germany, and Poland) a curvilinear relationship exists between PTG and PTD which implies that PTG is more likely to be reported when a moderate level of PTD was also present. In fact, several researchers have commented that post traumatic distress fosters greater post traumatic growth\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e52\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIt is apparent that in the process of evolving a new self-perception, dissociated from the traumatic experience, these individuals have not simply undergone unidirectional positive changes in personality; but there are phases of vulnerability.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe struggle associated with challenging life circumstances no doubt may motivate the survivors to rebuild their lives, but such rebuilding is accompanied by both positive and negative changes occurring concurrently in the individual\u0026rsquo;s psychic space.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;. I see myself as good\u0026hellip; Intelligent\u0026hellip; I am sincere and conscientious towards my work.\u0026hellip;. Flexible toward my students....\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003e\u0026hellip;I cannot say no to help someone when I find someone younger to me is vulnerable\u0026hellip; It comes with a cost\u0026hellip; But I might do it again if I find the need\u0026hellip;.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"CONCLUSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe phenomenon of post traumatic growth has been explored widely and in connection with various types of trauma such as bereavement, motor vehicle accidents, sexual assault\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e54\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, HIV/AIDS\u003csup\u003e55\u003c/sup\u003e, breast cancer, myocardial infarction\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e56\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, war\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e57\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, and refugee experiences\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e58\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. However, very little research work has focused on the issue of the traumatic aftermath of emotionally invalidating experiences.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study has sought to understand how adult survivors of emotional invalidation have been able to re-construe themselves and achieve a positive adaptation with their life and how such reconstruction processes are associated with their openness to their negative life experiences and the coexistence of positive and negative post-trauma changes\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e59\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIMPLICATION\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is important to highlight that evidence of post-traumatic growth does not imply that the event was not profoundly distressing, or that an individual no longer experiences distressing emotions associated with the event. In fact, the process of coming to terms with one\u0026rsquo;s new reality and disengaging from prior beliefs and goals is fraught with pain and tribulations.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e60\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e These dialectics of growth and agony can be explored with sensitivity and openness through a non-positivist paradigm that holds space for multiple realities simultaneously. The upsurge of qualitative / non-positivist methods of investigation in research in the recent times endorses the findings as well as the research orientation of this study i.e. psychological growth in the aftermath of trauma is esoteric in nature and is an ongoing process rather than being a static outcome.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eIPA\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterpretative Phenomenological Analysis\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEthical Approval and Consent to Participate\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical Approval for the work was obtained from Institutional Ethical Committee, University of Calcutta \u0026amp; Secretary, UCSTA, CU (Reference No: 002/17-18/1675) Prior Information regarding the purpose of the study and confidentiality issues were communicated individually to all participants.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Consent Form was personally read out to them by the researcher in the language they understood (English and Bengali). As all participants hailed from a Bengali background, both English and Bengali written consent forms was provided to them individually. Written consent was obtained from all the participants before the study commenced. Thereby, Human ethics and consent to participate was taken from each candidate.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs human participants were approached for the study, the research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki code of ethics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical Trial Number\u003c/strong\u003e: Not Applicable\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eConsent for Publication\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach author hereby provides with the consent for publication. There is no conflict of interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvailability of Data and Material\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo/Not applicable (this manuscript does not report data generation or analysis)\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the first author (corresponding author), but restrictions apply to the availability of these data and as the nature of population is sensitive, they are not publicly available. The data are, however, available from the author upon reasonable request and with the permission of the University ethical committee.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eCompeting Interest\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no competing interest. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunding\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAuthor’s Contributions\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors (SD \u0026amp; DR) conceptualized and designed the study. SD was involved in data collection and curation. All the authors (SD, DR and SP) were involved in the qualitative analysis. SD prepared the draft of the manuscript, and additionally SD and DR were involved in editing, revising, and preparing the final draft. The final version of the manuscript was read and approved by all the authors (SD, DR and SP).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors thank all the participants who had the courage to talk about their ordeals and tribulations and consented to participate in the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFreud S. Letter from Freud to Fliess, January 1, 1896. InThe Complete Letters of Sigmund Freud to Wilhelm Fliess, 1887\u0026ndash;1904 1985 (pp. 158\u0026ndash;62). Cambridge, MA, and London, England: Belknap Press of Harvard University.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJanet P. The mental state of hystericals: A study of mental stigmata and mental accidents. Putnam; 1901.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBowlby J. 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Psychol Inq. 2004;15(1):30\u0026ndash;4.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLuo B, Yang Y, Zhang D, Zhang Q, Liu Z, Wang S, Shi Y, Xia L, Wang J, Liu Z, Geng F. Sleep disorders mediate the link between childhood trauma and depression severity in children and adolescents with depression. Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:993284.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDenovan A, Dagnall N, Artamonova E, Papageorgiou KA. Dark Triad traits, learning styles, and symptoms of depression: Assessing the contribution of mental toughness longitudinally. Learn Individual Differences. 2021;91:102053.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePapageorgiou D, Kassianos AP, Constantinou M, Lamnisos D, Nicolaou C, Papacostas S, Gloster AT, Karekla M. Mental health and well-being during the first vs. second Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in Cyprus. 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J Hum Trafficking. 2020;6(3):339\u0026ndash;57.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWaters AM, Lipp OV, Spence SH. Attentional bias toward fear-related stimuli:: An investigation with nonselected children and adults and children with anxiety disorders. J Exp Child Psychol. 2004;89(4):320\u0026ndash;37.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardy SA, Francis SW, Zamboanga BL, Kim SY, Anderson SG, Forthun LF. The roles of identity formation and moral identity in college student mental health, health-risk behaviors, and psychological well‐being. J Clin Psychol. 2013;69(4):364\u0026ndash;82.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerry R, Sciolla A, Rea M, Sandholdt C, Jandrey K, Rice E, Yu A, Griffin E, Wilkes M. Modeling the social determinants of resilience in health professions students: impact on psychological adjustment. Adv Health Sci Educ. 2023;28(5):1661\u0026ndash;77.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGucciardi DF, Jackson B, Hodge K, Anthony DR, Brooke LE. Implicit theories of mental toughness: Relations with cognitive, motivational, and behavioral correlates. Sport Exerc Perform Psychol. 2015;4(2):100.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSt Clair-Thompson H, Bugler M, Robinson J, Clough P, McGeown SP, Perry J. Mental toughness in education: Exploring relationships with attainment, attendance, behaviour and peer relationships. Educational Psychol. 2015;35(7):886\u0026ndash;907.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGold AI, Ryjova Y, Corner GW, Rasmussen HF, Kim Y, Margolin G. Loss during COVID-19: Moderating effects of meaning and romantic relationships on anxiety and depressive symptoms. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. 2024;16(6):950.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFoa EB, Kozak MJ. Emotional processing of fear: exposure to corrective information. Psychol Bull. 1986;99(1):20.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAffleck G, Tennen H. Construing benefits from adversity: Adaptotional significance and disposltional underpinnings. J Pers. 1996;64(4):899\u0026ndash;922.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDavis SF, Buskist W, editors. 21st century psychology: a reference handbook. Sage; 2008.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrabbe L, Higgins MK, Baird M, Pfeiffer KM. Impact of a resiliency training to support the mental well-being of front-line workers: brief report of a quasi-experimental study of the community resiliency model. Med Care. 2021;59(7):616\u0026ndash;21.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJanoff-Bulman R, Carnes NC, Sheikh S. Parenting and politics: Exploring early moral bases of political orientation. J Social Political Psychol. 2014;2(1):43\u0026ndash;60.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTedeschi RG, Calhoun LG. A clinical approach to posttraumatic growth. Positive psychology in practice. Jul. 2004;30:405\u0026ndash;19.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJoseph S, Linley PA, editors. Trauma, recovery, and growth: Positive psychological perspectives on posttraumatic stress. Wiley; 2008 Feb. p. 13.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaker TB, McFall RM, Shoham V. Current status and future prospects of clinical psychology: Toward a scientifically principled approach to mental and behavioral health care. Psychol Sci public interest. 2008;9(2):67\u0026ndash;103.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCann A, Stilwell K, Taku K. Humor styles, positive personality and health. Europe\u0026rsquo;s J Psychol. 2010;6(3):213\u0026ndash;35.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTaku K, Tedeschi RG, Shakespeare-Finch J, Krosch D, David G, Kehl D, Grunwald S, Romeo A, Di Tella M, Kamibeppu K, Soejima T. Posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic depreciation (PTD) across ten countries: Global validation of the PTG-PTD theoretical model. Pers Indiv Differ. 2021;169:110222.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrazier P, Berman M, Steward J. Perceived control and posttraumatic stress: A temporal model. Appl Prev Psychol. 2001;10(3):207\u0026ndash;23.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAldwin CM, Levenson MR, Spiro A. Vulnerability and resilience to combat exposure: Can stress have lifelong effects? Psychol Aging. 1994;9(1):34.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShakespeare-Finch J, Armstrong D. Trauma type and posttrauma outcomes: Differences between survivors of motor vehicle accidents, sexual assault, and bereavement. J Loss Trauma. 2010;15(2):69\u0026ndash;82.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSiegel K, Schrimshaw EW, Raveis VH. Accounts for non-adherence to antiviral combination therapies among older HIV-infected adults. Psychol Health Med. 2000;5(1):29\u0026ndash;42.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePetrie KJ, Booth RJ, Elder H, Cameron LD. Psychological influences on the perception of immune function. Psychol Med. 1999;29(2):391\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBritt TW, Adler AB, Bartone PT. Deriving benefits from stressful events: the role of engagement in meaningful work and hardiness. J Occup Health Psychol. 2001;6(1):53.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCopping A, Shakespeare-Finch J, Paton D. Towards a culturally appropriate mental health system: Sudanese-Australians' experiences with trauma. J Pac Rim Psychol. 2010;4(1):53\u0026ndash;60.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarrington AJ, Shakespeare-Finch J. Working with refugee survivors of torture and trauma: An opportunity for vicarious post-traumatic growth. Counselling Psychol Q. 2013;26(1):89\u0026ndash;105.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePals JL, McAdams DP. The transformed self: A narrative understanding of posttraumatic growth. Psychol Inq. 2004 Jan;1:65\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Emotional Invalidation, Post traumatic Growth, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Positive Psychology","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6937533/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6937533/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSevere abuse is not the only variant of unpleasant experiences in childhood. Childhood maltreatment in the form of emotional invalidation is potent in shaping future behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive. Traumatic experiences in childhood are such occurrences in which the internal world of the child is thrown into a state of upheaval and disintegration. The very assumptions about this world which had been the source of psychological stability and coherence suddenly seem inaccurate. What follows is an arduous task of reconstructing the assumptions about this world while trying to maintain a delicate balance of attending to and ignoring various aspects of the traumatic event.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study tries to explore the lived experience of emotional invalidation in childhood in 5 adult participants who have reconstrued the meaning of such suffering and are leading a well-adjusted life through conduction of personal interview. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al, 2021) have been used for analysis and interpretation of the data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults \u0026amp; Discussion\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results reveal that survivors of emotional invalidation in childhood have been able to achieve a positive adaptation with life through their ability to actively disengage from the trauma by transformation of self and conscious acknowledgment. Their identity is no longer defined solely in terms of their “victimhood” but rather, in terms of newer possibilities in life or relating to others, personal strength, spiritual change and appreciation of life.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Does experience of emotional invalidation in childhood lead to growth -- a qualitative enquiry using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-06 06:56:58","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6937533/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-10-20T05:58:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-19T17:19:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"155692738640377202636120831802645833148","date":"2025-10-14T12:02:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"19092031249571537226795372802212199032","date":"2025-10-09T08:54:55+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"398128740321285604550890778054070497","date":"2025-10-09T08:31:40+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-24T04:13:46+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-16T08:13:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-16T05:58:14+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"16419210539312087640513908585412838396","date":"2025-09-15T13:36:54+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"161920343659255313978162158414862191082","date":"2025-09-14T04:54:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"156829987799938381638407324219102321712","date":"2025-09-09T02:36:26+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-29T05:57:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-08-13T07:42:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-07-25T14:41:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-07-22T03:08:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Psychology","date":"2025-07-22T03:05:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"15b9dedf-43e9-422b-9270-d7f3ce7424bf","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 6th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-12T06:13:30+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-06 06:56:58","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6937533","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6937533","identity":"rs-6937533","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}