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| Photo by Rick Hustead |
Recently, I heard a news story that absolutely broke my heart. In August 2016, a four-year-old-girl was rescued from an abusive home in Hot Springs, Arkansas.1 When police officers rescued her, she reportedly told them that her name was “Idiot” because that’s what her mother’s boyfriend allegedly called her. Apparently, she was called that so often that she didn’t even know her real name.
According to John Kappas, Ph.D., the subconscious mind
works on expectation and imagination. Over time, we learn to expect others to
respond to and interact with us in a particular way based on our previous
experience with those individuals. Eventually, it becomes part of our subconscious mental script as we also learn to internalize the message or
emotion we perceive in those interactions. All of this can and does affect self-confidence and
self-esteem, the Hypnosis
Motivation Institute founder explained. No matter what the “message”
is, the more you hear and repeat it to yourself your subconscious mind starts
to believe and even “own” that message. When everyone around you constantly
bombards you with so much criticism and negativity, including referring to you
as an idiot or some other derogatory slur, it’s no surprise that your self-confidence
and self-esteem take a hit. It’s really only a matter of time until you start to
believe in the negative hype, and when you are as young and impressionable as
this child it takes even less time to create a negative mental script.
Now that this
little girl has been found and her alleged abusers—her mother and her mother’s
boyfriend—are in custody, she can start to heal from the psychological damage
she endured as well as her physical injuries and emaciation. Hopefully the
inner resources that helped her endure the negative treatment and messages she
received during these early years will also help her to heal, thrive and find
happiness, safety and security throughout the rest of her life.
1.
“Abused
4-Year-Old Child Tells Police Her Name Is ‘Idiot’: Mother, Boyfriend Charged
After Abuse Reported” by Anneclaire Stapleton, CNN. http://www.clickorlando.com/news/national/abused-4yearold-child-tells-police-her-name-is-idiot
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based
in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the
Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about
Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2016
