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Psychological manipulation: An expert explains parental alienation to "48 Hours"

March 24, 2019 / 02:17

This episode discusses parental alienation, its impact on children, and the experiences of adults who faced it as kids. Guests Michele and others share personal stories about the long-term effects of being manipulated to reject one parent.

Michele describes how her ex-husband alienated their children, leading to disbelief from others about her claims. She highlights the lack of training among mental health and legal professionals regarding this issue.

The episode features interviews with adults reflecting on their childhood experiences of parental alienation. They recount feelings of depression, anxiety, and shame stemming from their rejection of one parent.

One poignant case discussed involves a girl who participated in her mother's murder, illustrating the extreme consequences of alienation and the guilt she faces for believing her father's negative portrayal of her mother.

The conversation emphasizes the damaging effects of parental alienation on both the targeted parent and the children involved, raising awareness about the need for better understanding and intervention.

TLDR

Parental alienation harms children and families, leading to lifelong emotional struggles and complex dynamics between parents and kids.

Episode

2:17
00:00:00
what exactly is parental alienation it's a family dynamic in which a child's been manipulated by one parent to reject
00:00:09
the other parent who did nothing to deserve the rejection it's a steady stream of negative messaging to the
00:00:17
child that everything that other parent does is bad wrong stupid contemptible and an indication that the parent
00:00:24
doesn't love the child Michele narrator would tell people that she felt that her
00:00:30
ex-husband was alienating the kids and people tended not to believe her sadly many mental health and legal
00:00:42
professionals are untrained but even when a judge sees it they don't know what to do about it you
00:00:49
can see why that would be so damaging on the targeted parent the parents whose kids are turning away is it also
00:00:56
terribly damaging on the kids I mean why does this matter that's a great question
00:01:02
I started by interviewing adults who had this experience as kids these are people
00:01:07
who said to their parent I hate you don't ever darken my doorway again I don't want to see you anymore and it was
00:01:14
stunning they talked about a lifetime of depression and despair and anxiety and low self-esteem and shame you know what
00:01:25
is this girl who participated in this murder of her mother I mean when she comes around the pain that she is going
00:01:33
to experience the guilt and the shame how could I've been so stupid why did I listen to my you know father that my
00:01:40
mother was horrible why did I break my mother's heart why did I help kill my mother
00:01:45
yeah my understanding of this case is that she the two things happened to an extreme degree one is she did not
00:01:55
believe that her mother loved her and the other is she was dependent on her father and I think that she did what
00:02:03
made sense to her which was to preserve a relationship with the caregiving parent rather than be abandoned by
00:02:12
and he cultivated that dependency

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 80
    Most heartbreaking
  • 75
    Most shocking
  • 70
    Most dramatic
  • 70
    Most intense

Episode Highlights

  • Understanding Parental Alienation
    Parental alienation is a damaging family dynamic where one parent manipulates a child against the other.
    “It's a steady stream of negative messaging to the child.”
    @ 00m 14s
    March 24, 2019
  • The Pain of Rejection
    Adults who experienced parental alienation as children share their lifelong struggles with depression and anxiety.
    “They talked about a lifetime of depression and despair.”
    @ 01m 14s
    March 24, 2019

Episode Quotes

  • I hate you, don't ever darken my doorway again.
    Psychological manipulation: An expert explains parental alienation to "48 Hours"
  • Why did I help kill my mother?
    Psychological manipulation: An expert explains parental alienation to "48 Hours"

Key Moments

  • Impact on Children00:56
  • Adult Reflections01:02
  • Extreme Dependency01:55

Tension Over Time

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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