I know exactly what you mean, SilverTrees. I think CEN is one of the most "taboo" (for lack of a better word) problems to have to deal with. If you talk about how devastating your parents' emotional neglect has been for you and how it has crippled your life (or even essentially ruined it), people pretty much tell you to stop whining and that you're in control of your decisions and actions, etc. (which is a load of crap as anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of how the brain works will tell you). You're told that the way you feel is your own fault and that it's your responsibility to change, and if you don't change, you're just weak and lazy and whiney.

And of course it is up to us to make changes...but as you say in your post, we feel an emptiness. It's difficult to explain to someone that you're suffering so much, but you can't change, because you feel empty. People have to be motivated in some way to change. There has to be something inside of them that makes them want to change--something to live for, I guess. But with CEN, there's just nothingness. And you can try to make changes, but they will feel hollow and pointless. It's like getting in a car and driving but not knowing where you're going or why you're even going there in the first place. You're just driving, pointlessly, with no destination, and on top of that you're in a car that barely works and has a flat tire or two (or four).

I guess I'm not being very helpful. Basically I'm just saying that I completely understand your post and what you're going through. Maybe it is helpful to know that you're not alone.