Abandoned children are not cared for by their parents or other loved ones, they have no one to turn to and they are forced to fend for themselves. They may be physically neglected; deprived of food, clothing, shelter and health care. They can also be psychologically abandoned – feeling despised and worthless. Abandoned children often have low self-esteem, difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, depression, anxiety and other mental health problems.

A range of reasons can cause a child to be abandoned, including poverty, parental neglect or abuse and traumatic life events such as death of a close family member, incarceration or divorce. While some level of abandonment is common, it can have a lasting negative impact on a person’s life and can lead to a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression and anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulty trusting others, separation anxiety and addiction.

Many people who were abandoned as a child have difficulty trusting and forming relationships in adulthood, particularly when it comes to romantic partners and parenting their own children. They may blame themselves for their childhood abandonment, resulting in a high rate of codependency and dysfunctional families. In addition, people with abandonment issues can have trouble dealing with their emotions and regulating their emotions in healthy ways.

While financial pressures can be a reason for abandoning children, it is important to remember that all parents have a legal responsibility to support and care for their children. If a parent doesn’t fulfil this legal duty, they can be charged with child neglect. For example, if a mother gives birth to a baby and is unable or unwilling to feed or clothe it, this could be considered abandonment and the mother may be charged with child neglect.

Emotional neglect can also cause a child to feel abandoned, and this is often the case for children of emotionally abusive parents. These parents might ridicule their children, stifle their emotional expressions, rely on their children for their own emotional support, hold them to impossible standards and not listen to them.

In some cases, the emotional abandonment of a child is so severe that they are forced to live in institutions. Institutionalized abandoned children who have a high degree of shame and guilt are likely to struggle with a range of symptoms such as clinginess, difficulty concentrating in school, frequent sicknesses caused by stress and feelings of anxiety and depression.

Helping these children requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the root causes of their circumstances, whether this involves working with communities to prevent the need for institutionalized care or providing a safe and nurturing environment at the facility where they are currently living. A successful plan would need to include education about emotional needs and the importance of parental care, empowering children with tools to speak out about their experiences and fostering a sense of community within the facility where they are being cared for. It would also need to address the root causes of abandonment and institutionalization, such as poverty, neglect or abuse.