Long-term effects of parent alienation on the child

As well as the harmful effects on the relationship with the father, and the damage that this can do to the relationship with the mother, there are other significant worries. According to Dr Gardner’s study, long-term effects of alienation, if left unchecked, may lead to various pathological symptoms in the child, which may not manifest themselves until they grow up to become an adult. These include:

• splitting in their relationships
• difficulties in forming intimate relationships
• a lack of ability to tolerate anger or hostility in relationships
• psychosomatic symptoms and sleep or eating disorders
• psychological vulnerability and dependency
• conflicts with authority figures
• an unhealthy sense of entitlement for one’s rage that leads to social alienation in general.