Divorce Guide

Symptoms of PAS

You might be wondering as to what are the symptoms of PAS. To be frank the symptom of PAS are quite blurred and only a close observation can demarcate it from other related problems.

PAS or Parental Alienation Syndrome occurs when a parent emotionally manipulates a child into turning him against the other parent. This usually happens during the custody battle or post divorce.

If a parent is extremely scornful of the other parent he can obstruct the child’s interaction with him or even brainwash the child to think bad about that parent. With the help of wrong allegations the child is forced to hate the other parent.

The effects of Parental Alienation are far reaching on the children, family system, and the victimized parent. The child gradually becomes so alienated from his non residential parent that he becomes negative and scornful by attitude.

To handle the problem of Parental Alienation it is important that we first identify the symptoms of PAS. As a parent you should be able to make out that your child is being brainwashed to dislike you.

For example Henry started noticing that his 12 year old son was behaving very strange during the last few visitations. He spoke very less, maintained a serious composure and hardly spoke to Henry. The child was very friendly to Henry before the divorce between the parents.

On confrontation Henry discovered that the mother was infusing the child with negative and false impression about him. She had blamed Henry for the separation and also told the child that the father never wanted him to be born. The young and immature mind of the child was badly affected after knowing the negative traits of his father.

Henry had heard about PA but gradually he realized that he himself is a victim of the same phenomenon. Many people like Henry are knowingly and unknowingly getting affected by PAS.

The parents who instigate children against the other parent do not know that they are adding a number of negative traits to their child’s personality.

Go through the symptoms of PAS to have a deeper understanding of the issue:

• The child becomes isolated from the love and company of a caring parent. Along with the parent, the child also gets devoid of the grand parent. The bitterness that he has for the nonresident parent becomes a reason for him to be unhappy all his life.
• Such children not only exhibit aggressive behavior but also become delinquent. Presence of father is a major way to control child’s negative behavior, especially boys’.
• Children suffering from PAS generally develop sleeping and eating disorders. They often have bad dreams at night and lack a good and healthy sleep. Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, obesity, and bulimia, is also witnessed in such cases.
• Due to parental alienation, children also develop Obsessive Compulsory Disorder. They like staying in their own environment with things they are happy with.
• The children are sometimes so shocked with the tragic break of their parents’ relationship that they develop suicidal tendencies and are under acute stress.

Although in this article we have only analyzed the symptoms of PAS suffered by children, it affects the family system and the victimized parents equally.

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