Many high-functioning adults struggle with a particular kind of inner conflict: they know something was missing from their childhood, yet they feel guilty for acknowledging it. After all, their parents weren't abusive monsters. They were just... absent. Emotionally unavailable. Overwhelmed. Doing their best with what they had.

In recent years, the word "trauma" has become increasingly common in everyday conversation, social media, and popular psychology. While this increased awareness has helped reduce stigma around mental health, it has also led to some confusion about what trauma actually means from a clinical perspective.

Guilt might be one of the most misunderstood emotions in the human experience. We treat it like a houseguest that overstays its welcome, when in reality, guilt is more like a smoke detector—incredibly useful when there's actually a fire, but absolutely maddening when it keeps going off because you burned toast.