Dear Friend,
Since naming Mother Hunger, I’ve witnessed how the right term soothes an overactive amygdala and allows healing to unfold. Mother Hunger names a spectrum of difficult emotions. But in its most extreme, Mother Hunger is an absence of nurturing, protection and guidance that leads to complex trauma and disorganized attachment. I call this Third-degree Mother Hunger.
“This is the first time I’ve heard about it and it really resonates in a way that nothing really ever has” ~ podcast listener.
What is Third-degree Mother Hunger?
Those with Third-degree Mother Hunger experienced little if any nurturing, protection, or guidance as children. Their primary caregiver was both a threat and an attachment source. Nature’s adaptation to caregiver threat is an emotional eye patch; a type of blindness that keeps danger (caregiver) close.
As adults, individuals with Third-degree Mother Hunger are lonely and misunderstood. Early terror and deprivation branded their hearts (nervous system) with confusion and pain.
“Hearing the term alone produced a profound ‘aha!’ moment for me and I started a quest to learn as much as I could”~ podcast listener.
Adults living with extreme Mother Hunger may not appear scarred, but early childhood terror silently burned their developing immune system, cognitive abilities, and emotional well-being. It often takes decades to locate and soothe this tender wound. In the meantime, survivors struggle with dissociative traits, toxic shame, and memory difficulty.
A safe, surrogate caregiver is essential for healing an inner compass branded by fear. Emotional re-construction requires a trauma sensitive therapist, support groups, and therapeutic body work. Proximity to gentle mammals (horses, dogs, cats, cows) also soothes Third-degree Mother Hunger.
With tender strength and love,
P.S. Thank you for your interest in the August podcasts. Your feedback and support are so helpful. If you missed the interviews, they are available in the media section of my website.
