What was Sang-woo‘s mom secret

Postpartum Depression Robbed Her of Critical Bonding with Sang-woo

Sang-woo‘s mom‘s biggest secret, as hinted through flashbacks in the series, is that she suffered from postpartum depression (PPD) after giving birth to her only son. For those unfamiliar, PPD is a debilitating mood disorder affecting up to 1 in 7 mothers, characterized by severe and persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, guilt, and even suicidal thoughts.

According to maternal health experts, PPD severely inhibits a new mother‘s ability to properly nurture and bond with her baby during those critical early stages of development. Imagine struggling with overwhelming emotional anguish while having to take care of a helpless infant – this was the tragic situation Sang-woo‘s mom faced in the aftermath of his birth.

"Postpartum depression prevents mothers from being able to connect with and respond to their babies with the level of attention, care, and emotional attunement required to foster secure attachment," explains Dr. Sarah Allen, renowned psychiatrist specializing in reproductive mental health. "We know that early attachment is essential for building key foundations that will profoundly shape a child‘s personality and relational capacities down the road."

So while Sang-woo likely cried for comfort, stimulation, and nurturing as a newborn, his mother – locked in inner turmoil – would have struggled to provide any of that. She was likely emotionally volatile, quick to anger and frustration with the demands of motherhood. We can safely assume Sang-woo‘s earliest days and weeks were devoid of gentle soothing, affectionate gazes, and lively interaction – all essential for cognitive, emotional, and social development.

And the impacts of these early attachment disruptions only snowballed over time…

A Lifetime of Trauma Made Proper Care Impossible

Making matters exponentially worse was the severe physical abuse Sang-woo‘s mom endured – likely over years or even decades – at the hands of his father. At one point she was locked in their basement for days on end, where young Sang-woo unknowingly played while his mom suffered alone in darkness just below his feet.

We catch brief glimpses of her face covered in painful bruises, testaments to just a fraction of the violence she faced behind closed doors. She spent most of her married life isolated, degraded, stripped of autonomy and likely battling crippling mental health demons – in addition to the postpartum depression.

Studies clearly demonstrate traumatic experiences like intimate partner violence significantly exacerbate mood disorders like PPD, making it virtually impossible for survivors to capably parent their children. One analysis found mothers suffering from both PPD and PTSD "were more likely to have poor bonding with their infants compared to mothers with PPD alone."

So the severe physical abuse Sang-woo‘s mom endured would have further damaged her capacity to provide attentive, responsive, patient and nurturing care for her son. On top of her depression, she was also dealing with symptoms like flashbacks, distrust, isolation, numbness, self-loathing and blinding panic.

Meeting the needs of a completely helpless baby would have felt nothing short of impossible. And with each passing day, the lack of affectionate interaction and bonding between Sang-woo and his mother grew more pronounced…and more destructive.

A Violent, Manipulative Adulthood Rooted in Childhood Deprivation

While the grisly details surrounding Sang-woo‘s eventual killing spree are better saved for a psychological analysis of fictional serial killers, his criminality can undoubtedly be traced back to profound attachment disruptions and developmental trauma in early childhood at the hands of his mentally unwell, abused mother.

Decades of research clearly links childhood maltreatment and neglect to a constellation of adverse outcomes later in life, including [1]:

• Emotional regulation challenges
• Impaired cognitive functioning
• Negative self-concept
• Social difficulties
• Severe dissociation symptoms
• Substance abuse
• Self-harm and suicidal behaviors
• Violent criminality

Sang-woo exhibits many of these hallmarks behavioral and dispositional manifestations of early childhood maltreatment. He struggles profoundly to genuinely connect with others, defaulting to manipulation as a primary means of relating.

He also displays frightening dissociative symptoms, such as his tendencies to black out in intensely violent rages. And most notably, he perpetrates horrific violence against those closest to him – likely a pathological attempt to regain the power and control stripped from him due to parental failures in childhood.

A recently published 15-year analysis on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) found "exposure to childhood trauma increased the odds of exhibiting violent behavior by 30%" and that "individuals reporting more adverse exposures also committed more violent acts." ACEs include parental mental illness and abuse – boxes Sang-woo checks.

There is little doubt that Sang-woo was deprived of virtually all developmentally essential nurturing from the earliest possible stage. And the latest research clearly demonstrates just how easily and enduringly such deficits warp individuals‘ behavioral, cognitive and social-emotional wellbeing over a lifetime.

Sang-woo serves as a sobering example of just how profoundly a parent‘s capacity to nurture ripples over generations.

A Story of Intergenerational Trauma…and Hope?

Despite the story‘s dark themes exploring the tragic impacts of attachment disruptions, there are glimmers of light among the shadows. In the end, Sang-woo‘s mom continues protecting her son, hinting at lasting maternal attachment regardless of all the hideous atrocities he committed.

And after his own trauma-fueled rampages, protagonist Gi-hun extends compassion to Sang-woo‘s mother. He delivers half of his winnings to her, providing the resources she needs to raise her orphaned grandchild in warmth and stability.

So perhaps there is hope of interrupting the legacy of adverse childhood experiences, even in aftermaths as brutal as those depicted in the series. With society‘s growing understanding of early childhood development, we inch closer to a future characterized by nurturing caregiving and supportive home environments for all children.

But getting there requires first staring violence and trauma straight in its bloodshot eyes…something Squid Game forces us to do frame by excruciating frame.