Self-destruction is common in trauma victims, and it may present itself as self-harm or even suicidality. However, there is a kind of “domino effect” that takes place because of the experience of traumatic attachment. If the pattern is recognized early enough – before the dominos begin to fall – trauma victims can begin healing.
The Protective Parts and the Vulnerable Parts
It’s important to recognize that self-destructive actions are often the direct result of a protective Part doing its job to safeguard a vulnerable Part. Far too often, trauma therapists focus their energy on the self-destruction rather than on what is causing it.
Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment, or TIST, is a therapy treatment model designed to stabilize trauma patients who exhibit severely self-destructive behavior. It is often utilized when other forms of treatment are not working. When a person has a vulnerable Part that is being protected, the goal is to determine what is triggering the vulnerable Part and address it appropriately.
Identifying the Signs of Vulnerable Parts
Trauma victims can learn how to recognize when a vulnerable Part is emotionally activated. It can be helpful to work backward by observing self-destructive behavior and scrutinizing the vulnerable Part’s status right before that behavior.
In her book, Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors by Janina Fisher, the author discusses a client named Terri. Terri’s boss threatened to fire her from her job if she had to be hospitalized again because of her suicidal thoughts. Fisher used this opportunity to point out how Terri’s young, 13-year-old part might be feeling ignored, which was leading to a protective Part’s suicidality.
In this client’s case, the first step was to recognize that there was a young, 13-year-old Part who was feeling ignored. Once she could do that, it was easier for her to decide to work on learning how to understand that Part.
Arresting the Domino Effect
For a trauma victim who does not get the right kind of treatment, self-destructive behaviors, emotional unrest, and constant distress feel very chaotic. However, trauma therapy – and particularly, the TIST model – can help them make sense of how they feel.
Trauma victims frequently try to run from the Parts they feel are the most problematic for them, just like Terri did. But in doing so, they trigger the protective Parts, which trigger other Parts, which eventually trigger the person’s fight or flight instinct.
In Terri’s situation, once she began listening to her 13-year-old suppressed Part, the protective Part that was leading to her suicidal ideation stepped back. This effectively protected her job because Terri was able to stay out of the hospital.
Is the TIST Model Right for You?
If you have been in trauma therapy before and found it to be ineffective for you, it may be that your therapist used an approach that was inappropriate for you.
The Internal Family Systems Model of trauma therapy and the TIST model may be the best method of treatment to help you reach your recovery goals. Please contact me today to make your appointment.
