Unlearning and Rebuilding My Eldest Daughter Identity

A raw and honest talk about my childhood, Eldest Daughter Syndrome, and what I’m doing to rebuild my own identity.

I can’t quite remember exactly when I learned about Eldest Daughter Syndrome. But I do remember how it felt to read a personal essay and instantly feel the pieces clicking into place: it wasn’t just me living this way and feeling incredibly pressurised, isolated, dissatisfied and, well, lonely.

The ‘Eldest Daughter’ identity refers specifically to the id…