“Physical violence against toddler- reaction to husband’s lack of interest”
A mother with three daughters reached out to me regarding her struggles with depressive, aggressive, and violent behavior triggered by her husband’s actions. She confessed to resorting to physical violence against her toddlers, even slamming them against walls or the floor daily. Her control over innocent children stemmed from her self-hatred and self-loathing. Fearful and overpowered by her husband’s behavior, she was deeply affected by past traumatic events that she was reluctant to discuss. Despite a couple of initial sessions, she abruptly left. After a few months, she contacted me again.
Delving into her past, we uncovered that a pivotal event was her university teacher’s reprimand, which led her to abandon her education. She attributed her reactive and impulsive behavior to this teacher’s actions, but the underlying reasons were more complex.
Being a Philomath, a lover of learning and studying, she used to engage with various ideas, observations, and strategies for personal growth and development. Her empathetic nature led her to assist fellow students, which brought her a sense of fulfillment. However, her departure from university disrupted her structured learning path, which held personal significance for her. This discontinuation clashed with her core value of being a valuable person through education, causing an abrupt halt in her self-regulation and motivation. Her
parents then arranged her marriage hastily, aiming to provide an escape from the situation. Paradoxically, this decision proved counterproductive.
A deficit of serotonin in her brain intensified her fear and need for control. As a result, she began to exhibit vengeful and reactive behaviors, even resorting to physical aggression against her children.
