The Struggles of a Teenager- Adoption

It may be easy for someone on the outside to assume that once a child is adopted the rest of their life will be easy. They have a new family and people who love and care about them and they should be happy. Assuming that could be careless. Rejection and the pain left from that rejection has a profound impact in their lives.

Dr. W. H. Penewit wrote an article, “Pain of Rejection…Looking to Yourself”, also dealing with the pain of rejection.

Rejection is very real.

Adopted children may go through life with an overall feeling of hurt and rejection. This may be unexplainable to them. They may have adoptive parents and siblings that love them and accept them and do not know why they feel this way.

The rejection that they are feeling is not always understood, but it is very real.

Why could an adopted child have feelings of rejection?

It is important for everyone that they know who their families are. Not just the family that they have grown up with and know but also their birth parents. Not knowing them can leave feelings of loss and hurt that needs to be mended. They may also feel as though they have been abandoned by their birth parents and it can cause deep emotional wounds and scars.

What can I do to help them?

The first thing you should know is you may not be able to help them on your own. They may not feel comfortable being completely open with you about their feeling because they do not want to hurt you. They also may feel more comfortable talking with a professional. Meeting birth parents is usually not an options for many of them, so finding closure can be difficult.

If your adopted child is struggling with feelings of rejection, call us; we can help.