Trauma · Assessment
Emotional Neglect Signs Checklist
Twelve adult markers, for conversation not diagnosis
A reflection checklist for the adult signs of childhood emotional neglect. Not a diagnostic instrument — a starting point for a conversation and a way to make a diffuse experience specific.
Signs
- I struggle to name what I feel beyond fine, tired or stressed
- I am uncomfortable being cared for
- I feel empty or numb without knowing why
- I am harsher with myself than with anyone else
- I do not know what I want, only what others want
- I feel like a fraud when I am praised
- I have little tolerance for my own needs
- I feel fundamentally different from other people
- I over-function and rarely ask for help
- I felt more like a small adult than a child
- Nobody asked how I was, and I did not expect them to
- I go blank when someone asks what I need
Reflection
The three that landed hardest
Where each one shows up in my week
What I would want to change first
Use this as an opener
These items describe patterns, not a diagnosis. High endorsement means the topic is worth clinical attention, not that a category has been established. Bring the sheet to a therapist rather than drawing conclusions from a score.