The child of wealth may carry deep guilt and shame over their privileged status in life.

 They have grown up feeling different from their less wealthy friends, called “ rich-kid” names or expected to chip in extra when paying the food bill or the bar bill. They have been seen as lucky and successful, connected to the kind of power and privilege that our society values as the ultimate prize and the most significant of all accomplishments. These kinds of shallow values, seeing the acquisition of wealth as the end all and be all, can deeply confuse the child of wealth who may already be paying an internal price at feeling different from other kids.

With bewildering, conflicting feelings of superiority and inferiority and an identity that doesn’t feel like his own, the child of wealth may take refuge in a self indulgence that is designed to take away these inner conflicts, nagging fears about the future or feelings of alienation and insecurity.

When family addiction is also present, this child can experience mind and heart numbing swings between emotional deprivation and over indulgence. Their “beautiful” world can feel like it is constantly mocking what is going on underneath.
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