The Drama of the Gifted Child

The Drama of the Gifted Child – Alice Miller

Why do so many capable, successful adults feel empty, anxious or depressed despite their achievements? In The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self, Swiss psychologist and psychoanalyst Alice Miller offers an influential answer rooted in childhood experience.

By gifted, Miller does not mean exceptionally intelligent, but sensitive and emotionally alert. She describes how some children, in order to secure the love and approval of their parents, learn to suppress their own feelings and needs and become highly attuned to the expectations of the adults around them. They become what their parents want them to be, often excelling in school and later in their careers, but lose touch with their true selves.

Miller explains how this early adaptation can lead to depression, a sense of emptiness, a constant need for achievement or admiration, and difficulties in relationships later in life. She explores how such patterns can be passed from one generation to the next, and argues that healing begins when adults are able to recognize and feel the emotions they suppressed as children, and to grieve what they did not receive.

Written in clear, compassionate language, the book has been read by millions of people around the world and has influenced therapists, parents and readers seeking to understand themselves.

The Drama of the Gifted Child is a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in psychology, childhood and personal growth. It deals with painful emotional themes and is not a substitute for professional help, which readers struggling with these issues should consider seeking.