#60 – Self -sabotage (SS)
Self-sabotage refers to behaviours or thought patterns that hold you back and prevent you from doing what you want to do.
- Within relationships, It is where you actively (or passively) try to ruin your own relationship or make it fall apart, whether consciously or subconsciously. For some survivors, this is such an ingrained behaviour that it can be hard to even recognize, let alone prevent.
- Within a survivor’s personal life; self sabotage can play havoc within work, individual health and healing.
The details
Self Sabotage is unintentional and subtle and thus can be difficult to realise as it presents in various areas of life from relationships to work and our personal lives. Individuals who find themselves sabotaging aspects of their lives can be left feeling incredibly frustrated and powerless as it slowly strips ones self confidence and esteem. There are various reasons behind why an individual may use self sabotage as a behaviour (explained below), however, many of these reasons actually stem from a lack of trust or belief in ourselves.
In terms of relationships; Self Sabotage becomes apparent in relationships, not to intentionally hurt another, rather than self-sabotage being a default survival pattern that survivors (of trauma) may have adopted. The reactions ‘we’ have are due to conditioned survival responses which are commonly disproportionate to the situation.
-Within relationships involving one or more individuals with a trauma related issue; we often find each individual triggering the other to feel activated causing projection of emotions and guilt from both parties. This can be an extremely difficult issue to navigate however it is possible to work through with the correct support and guidance.
-Within trauma; it can be like multiple personalities fighting for dominance at times. Self Sabotage is when you have certain intention or things to do but are unable to start, stop halfway, lose interest or freeze in the process. This is either a conscious or subconscious thought which can also result in physical reactions; further preventing you from completing your intentions.
In terms of trauma;
Self Sabotage is seen usually when there is conflicting interests within yourself, some of which may be buried deep within your inner child. When you hold two states of mind; it results in a mixed message being sent out. SS doesn’t only happen in relationships however and can be found alongside behaviours (or coping mechanisms) such as; substance abuse and eating disorders. SS is usually seen in individuals with low self-worth who also fear failure/success, require control to feel settled; or individuals with a disorganised attachment style.
Signs that you may be self sabotaging include; procrastination, focusing on what isn’t working, quitting close to a goal or setting unrealistic goals, using excuses that you know aren’t entirely true, masking emotions, starting arguments by demanding how people act or that something insignificant gets done.
It is also common with SS to feel fake and undeserving or not worthy of success (or love), using comparisons as excuses and not asserting ones individual boundaries. This is especially true for survivors of developmental trauma and childhood emotional neglect. The dynamic of this type of abuse causes a child to develop with a deep inner self hate that can be hard to alter, in such cases; the survivor will have undoubtedly grown issues in regards to healthy boundaries as well as implementing these boundaries in everyday life.
Self Sabotage is described as an addiction as it involves actions that bring relief from the pressure of success however, detrimental to our functioning.
As with many other struggles a survivor may face; motivation can be a great challenge and at times be devoid completely within ones life. Self Sabotage becomes a habit that can be changed through being mindful and aware of how SS itself may manifest. What can somehow seem a realistic goal can become a way to repeatedly harm our selves as we become obsessed with the process and lose track of who we are along the way.
Where does self sabotage actually stem from?
Survivors of trauma who use self sabotage commonly lack self-worth and carry a disbelief in ones own ability to achieve goals as well as the confidence in oneself in which to do so (or attempt in the first place). The inner critic may run so rampant within a survivors mind that a common narrative forms being; ‘not enough’ statements (not good enough, not smart enough, not qualified enough, not thin enough, not funny enough; and the narrative continues).
- Survivors of developmental trauma may have been told on numerous occasions by the very individuals that are supposed to care and love them unconditionally; that they are many of these ‘not enough’ statements. This outer narrative imposed by parental figures (or authority figures, caregivers and providers) carries through from the developmental phase to adult life. What was once the unsolicited opinion of a trusted (yet abusive) figure – becomes a survivors inner voice and many survivors of trauma find this very aspect the most difficult to navigate and adjust. When ‘we’ speak to ourselves in such a way; it alters how we present ourselves to the outside world. In many cases; this can be where the conflict in fact comes in to play – when our inner narrative is echoing the narrative of past abuse; a fight ensues within our mind between what we subconsciously know and what we consciously feel.
- Survivors of adult interpersonal relationship trauma may also encounter issues within self sabotaging behaviour. Even those individuals with the healthiest of childhood – may still suffer self sabotage due to interpersonal abuse in adult life. Humans are built to instinctively connect, to connect with others and share experience. In this intrinsic nature, it becomes natural that the opinion of others hold a huge weight for any individual, when an interpersonal relationship becomes abusive; this goes against our very core of being human and this is where the difficulties in processing seem to begin. Examples of interpersonal relationship trauma include; domestic violence, adult workplace bullying, elder abuse, abuse experienced from friends, family, platonic strangers and within healthcare setting. Self sabotage can result following trauma in adulthood due to the nature of the self being fluid and interchangeable, even the most confident individual can lose their sense of self in certain social circumstances – this elasticity of the self means that sabotage behaviour can impact absolutely any type of survivor of trauma.
Any trauma type that left a survivor feeling insecure, unconfident and relying on (maladaptive) coping may also lead to SS type behaviour. Individual survivors who fear success and associated issues (I.e with success comes notoriety, publicity, criticism and competition) – SS may rear itself at the most uninviting of times.
Similar to this, trauma has the potential to cause issues with control, displacement (the belief we will fail no matter what – ‘I wont meet the deadline anyway’) and an intense fear of failure causing the individual survivor to back away from even trying in the first place; all of which may catalyse SS type behaviour or further embed SS tactics in to habitual responses.
Identifying self sabotage
Consider how true or untrue the following questions are with regards to your own life;
Do I focus on self defeating thoughts? (Thoughts such as; I’m worthless, I wont be able to manage that, I’m not good enough etc) – Focusing on self defeating thoughts can be an indicator of self-sabotage.
Do I prioritise self care? (Self care – the act of attending to one’s physical or mental health, generally without medical or other professional consultation (often used attributively) – Survivors who are not able to prioritize or balance self care are at risk from self sabotage.
Do I avoid what needs to be done? – As covered, lacking motivation and drive is an important indicator of SS behaviour.
Do I tend to procrastinate? – procrastination is a tool often used by SS in order to prolong or distract from original goals
Do I prioritize instant gratification? (The desire to experience pleasure without delay – so constantly choosing pleasurable activities in the here and now despite what may need to be attended to (which is not considered as desirable) – prioritising what you desire now over what isn’t viewed as gratifying however is more important is one of the biggest factors involved in SS.
—*A yes answer to these (a part from prioritising self care) can be an indicator that you use self sabotage within your own life, there is an abundance of support available on the specifics of recovery on our facebook group; trauma research UK.
I Identify with self sabotaging behaviours; what do I do now?
The first step to overcoming anything in life is to first identify it, and in that case; we’re pretty much there! So let’s see that as a positive start as we look at more ways in which we can overcome such coping styles and reactions.
This is where the no BS part really comes in to use.
In order to overcome self sabotage; a survivor must work within in order to find a sense of inner confidence and trust. Honestly ask yourself what it is that is preventing you from achieving your goals, if you feel you deserve better and determine what it is that scares you – make a list of specific barriers you feel that you face, this can help with recovery as it provides a sort of blueprint of which to work from.
Have a think back to your own experiences; are there any similarities in what was once said to you and what you now say to yourself? Really try and look within and ask yourself; these things that you repeat – would you say them to a child? Another human? Your own self narrative should be a happy place, filled with positive affirmation and inner confidence. This is because the way we speak to ourselves translates to our daily life in many ways; speaking in negative ways can increase ones negative self experience and vice versa; speaking positively will increase an individuals propensity to experience positive experiences in life.
To overcome self sabotage, it can be helpful to make a list of the things which you perceive to be preventing you from getting what you want. Then get real with it, have a look at this list and identify things in your life that are truly holding you back; focus on personal thought, motivation, others input or support and work through both small and larger issues.
Focus on the things that you have already achieved, these things are a direct argument against your SS behaviour and tendancies, When we positively focus on our past achievements; future goals seem more reasonable and able to accomplish. It can also be heklpful to note down the specific things you did in order to meet your last goals, how did you push through a moment of insecurity? What positive things can you take from accomplishing past goals? How did you work through a difficult period? See your strength from past attempts – successful or not, an attempt at a specific goal is a huge accomplishment for an individual struggling with self sabotage type behaviour.
Keep in mind that failure is an option and one which will bring positive learning and growth if approached in a balanced way. Failure is nothing but an opportunity to grow; it doesn’t define your character in any way rather than present an opportunity to approach a task or situation in a different way.
When self worth becomes an issue, survivors often focus on what they could do wrong in proposed situations. Negative thinking itself is a problem which many survivors face; habitually negative thought plagues a survivors daily life and is something which is the focus of throughout therapy due to the havoc it can cause. This aside, issues in feeling worthy often lead to poor self care and trauma responses (putting others before yourself (fawning), agitation and impulse control (fight and flight responses), perfectionism and control reliance (freeze response). It can therefore be beneficial to make self care a priority in re-establishing inner worth and confidence – be mindful of remaining patient and compassionate with yourself when working through your own trauma journey – or when supporting a partner who is a survivor on their own path.
When self care is a priority; every aspect of recovery becomes that little bit easier.
This includes self sabotage; individuals are more equipped to deal with their fears and move beyond the limitations and control which self sabotage undoubtedly entails.