In the master's thesis, the author explores the experience of traumatic attachment in a violent partner relationship in individuals who have experienced childhood abuse. The master's thesis is divided into two parts: a theoretical and an empirical part. The theoretical part explores in-depth childhood abuse, its consequences on the psyche, and the formation of relationships. The empirical part presents a study involving seven participants with an average age of 41,3 years. Most of the study participants experienced childhood as a period of invisibility, loneliness, and neglect by their parents, with the exception of one participant, who described his childhood as fairly stable but with feelings of responsibility for things he was not up to. Most participants explained that parents were sometimes approachable and kind but mostly inaccessible and inconsistent. As children, they felt guilty and ashamed of their needs, which led to the establishment of destructive patterns in relationships. The research also reveals that participants are aware that they are in an abusive relationship but find it difficult to recognize that they are actually in an abusive relationship and that they have a choice. They live in the belief that there is no way out and fear that leaving the relationship would bring worse consequences than staying in it. The participants thus live in their world, in a dream, in an illusion of a moment of kindness they receive from the abuser. They find an excuse for every unpleasant event and convince themselves they have a chance to leave and not see themselves as victims.
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