There are similarities of patterns of thoughts, feelings, and emotional issues shared by those who find themselves under the umbrella of this syndrome that is the “Replacement Child.”
You may be a replacement child if you are feeling:
- Ill-at-ease in life
- Low self-esteem
- Not good enough
- Existential anxiety
- Survivor’s guilt
- Not seen or heard
- In another’s shadow
These may be symptoms that can point towards structural elements in a replacement child. Many adults are suffering because their life was meant to replace another human being, others may have identified with such a replacing role. Many adult replacement children have never even heard of this term but they are not alone: there are many replacement children who may not even know that they came into the world to replace another human being.
Exploring their feelings and behaviors can help adult Replacement Children obtain an understanding of themselves in a whole new light.
Potential for Growth
Awareness, recognition and compassion are key to understanding and helping adult replacement children.
Psychologically, the hope for a replacement child lies in the emergence of self and the rediscovery of the essence of its original being.
A replacement child becoming conscious of the circumstances of its coming into existence can experience a transformation that is akin to a psychological rebirth into their own life.