A man or woman who is a survivor of a difficult or traumatic childhood will often go to unusual extremes in several of life’s arenas.

“Make it perfect,” becomes the mantra.

The extremes are intense attempts at perfection to put right the past or stop it intruding on the present.

This may be particularly obvious when parenting.

The survivor of a difficult childhood whom you love will go to endless lengths to please you once he or she has broken through the trust barrier with you.

Once you are trusted it will be in ways he or she has never trusted before.

Be gentle as it could be very fragile.

When suspicious questions arise, answer as honestly as you know how you realize that it is not about your behavior, it’s about history repeating itself.

The man or woman whom you may love who is a survivor of a difficult childhood will often feel heavily let down if well made plans go awry. He or she may suddenly become completely disillusioned when discovering he or she was unable to create something perfect for you to experience together.

Remember, it’s all about quieting the past.