The Life Of The Gifted Child The Search For The True Self

In â€Å"The Drama of the Gifted Child; The Search for the True Self,† Alice Miller exemplifies the significance of child development as she underlines the detrimental impact of poor parenting and the lingering inadvertent path that follows into adulthood as a result. She provides insight on the many complications that hinder the developmental process of children in relation to the long-term effects it casts later on in one’s life as a result of childhood deprivation. Similarly, her literature reflects the works of Alfred Adler in his notion of â€Å"individual psychology† and couples closely with his Adlerian Parenting Model in which he provides guidelines for effective parenting. Miller started her career following Freudian theories of†¦show more content†¦She goes on to exemplify that childhood abuse does not only occur in a physical or sexual sense, but also in a mental and emotional realm which tarnishes a child’s personality, disrupts their social growth and embeds problems for them in the future. Miller explains that in order to develop a true self from childhood, a mother must demonstrate appropriate emotional response, mirroring and respect. Without the appropriate responses at a young age, the child may continue to search for them throughout their adult-life. It is a child’s basic desire to survive and be loved; through this, the child learns to obey. In vulnerable situations, children will do whatever it is that they have to do and comply with any request commanded by their parents to attain a sense of existential security. Children are completely at their parent’s disposal; Miller finds that parents exploit their children’s love to meet their own needs. This asphyxiation leads the child to repress their inner feelings and who they truly are to act in accordance of their parents ’ wishes. She believes that being deprived of love throughout childhood leads to depression and grandiosity, as the children will grow to be adults who will begin their quest on the same journey. From a sociological