The term I associate with this definition is “emotional overload.” … “overwhelm” can be described as the numb feeling of desperation that we experience when life seems to be spinning out of control. Recognizing that the nominal usage of overwhelm is unusual, one writer took the trouble to define it before using it: Writers about stress and business management also seem to favor the usage:Īll this pressure to succeed…begins to build up inside of us until one day we are locked in the throes of overwhelm, numb to its debilitating effects on our bodies and quality of life. I found more examples than I expected.įood sites seem to be especially fond of using overwhelm as a noun:Īvoiding stacks of clipped recipes and overwhelm Sharing the reader’s distress at the sight of overwhelm used as a noun, I launched a Web search to see how common the usage might be. That’s a recipe for overwhelm – not for building your business. Just as an example, if you enter “passive revenue” into Google, you’ll get 12,400,000 hits. No one has ever brought them to a popular audience more effectively and inspiringly than John Bradshaw.A reader appalled at the use of overwhelm used as a noun sent me this example of email-speak:

Pioneering when introduced, these classic therapies are now being validated by new discoveries in attachment research and neuroscience. Homecoming includes a wealth of unique case histories and interactive techniques, including questionnaires, letter-writing to the inner child, guided meditations, and affirmations. Then, says Bradshaw, the healed inner child becomes a source of vitality, enabling us to find new joy and energy in living. Through a step-by-step process of exploring the unfinished business of each developmental stage, we can break away from destructive family rules and roles and free ourselves to live responsibly in the present. In this powerful book, John Bradshaw shows how we can learn to nurture that inner child, in essence offering ourselves the good parenting we needed and longed for. If any of this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing the hidden but damaging effects of a painful childhood-carrying within you a “wounded inner child” that is crying out for attention and healing. Are you outwardly successful but inwardly do you feel like a big kid? Do you aspire to be a loving parent but all too often “lose it” in hurtful ways? Do you crave intimacy but sometimes wonder if it’s worth the struggle? Or are you plagued by constant vague feelings of anxiety or depression?

Homecoming reclaiming