He has taught you to use the defensive mechanisms of distraction and withdrawing to escape from dealing with painful emotions.

However, when these events don’t occur, it results in kids feeling unwanted and undesired. Like the Bored Child, they experience a sense of loneliness and isolation, even when surrounded by people.

Imagine growing up and never or rarely hearing your parents or others say things like: “That was an awesome job.” “You’re an amazing kid.” “I think you’re special.” “You’re very smart.” “I enjoy spending time with you.” “I am so proud of you.” “You’re fun to be with.” “I love you.” That is the issue facing an inner child who is hungry for praise.

Some men were raised in an environment that offered little in the way of positive interaction and stimulation among family members.

While you are consciously unaware of the negative memories, your inner child is fully activated and re-living previous emotional trauma, which he desperately wishes to escape.

Men who grow up not learning to engage in a healthy way emotionally with other people will often become anxious when placed in social environments. They lack the confidence to be able to carry on conversations. More importantly, they subconsciously worry about being rejected if they allow people to get too emotionally close.

These kids grow up with no model of what it is like to emotionally bond in a healthy way with other people. No one shows them how to identify, process, and share their feelings in a healthy manner. Instead, they are left on their own to figure out how to deal with the emotional pain of scarring events.

when the Kid gets triggered (basically, he is having a tantrum) it leads to bad decision making for the sex addict if he is not mindful of what is occurring.

What’s ironic is men crave emotional intimacy and connection – they do not realize it.