10/08/2024
Untreated trauma, especially complex trauma (C-PTSD), can shape behaviors in ways that might seem like fixed personality traits, but they're actually coping mechanisms.
Traits like a low sense of worth, fear of abandonment, difficulty setting boundaries, people-pleasing, and constantly looking for validation often arise because of a survival strategy that develops in response to trauma.
If you have experienced trauma, you may often go into hyper-alert mode, always scanning your environment to assess potential threats. This can lead to behaviors like trying to manage others' emotions to prevent conflict or to keep people from getting angry with them. This state of constant vigilance becomes so ingrained that it starts to feel like part of who you are.
However, these behaviors are not truly personality traits—they are protective responses that were necessary at some point to stay safe. However, they often become exhausting and can prevent people from living a full, authentic life. By addressing the underlying trauma, it's possible to break free from these patterns, allowing for a life that's not defined by the need to keep others happy or to avoid conflict but by genuine self-expression and connection.
By healing the symptoms of trauma, ART can help you step more into your authentic, full, confident personality without feeling the constant need to be hyper vigilant or people pleasing.
Find an ART trained therapist near you.
www.ARTworksnow.com
