A lot of people think that being very independent is a sign of strength, but it can also be a sign of underlying trauma. A study found that hyper independence trauma can be a way to protect against mental or psychological wounds, most often from childhood.
Studies show that around 70% of people have been through trauma, which can make it hard for them to trust and connect with others.
Very independent people may find it hard to rely on others; 44% of them avoid being emotionally open because they fear rejection. To help people stop doing these things, you need to know about pain and stress. Therapists and hyper independence trauma experts can help people change these patterns and improve their health and relationships by 75% for those who seek them out.
Defining Hyper Independence and Its Roots in Trauma
Hyper Independence is the strong desire to do everything without asking for or getting help. People who have been through trauma, especially those who have been betrayed, abandoned, or not had help during essential times, may become hyper-independent as a way to cope. People depend on themselves in these situations because they think vulnerability is dangerous or that other people can’t be trusted.
Signs of Hyper Independence Trauma
Hyper-independence can manifest differently depending on the individual; signs of hyper independence trauma include:
Over-achieving: As much as people with high levels of independence can make the best out of their independence, they reach a point where they cannot handle the workload by themselves. This may be because they overwork themselves on self-projects or work-related projects.
Refusing to delegate or ask for help: Excessive autonomy will make individuals fail in their ability to enlist the assistance of other co-workers during a time of overload or will fail to delegate tasks.
Guardedness in relationships: Essential relationships entail giving and receiving and depend on a give-and-take system; so, if a person is overly self-reliant, how can the other party get in?
Secretiveness: Hyper-independents prefer to work alone or are shy and do not volunteer personal details that could be exploited.
Mistrust of other people: A person may be too self-reliant because he is afraid that others will fail or disappoint expectations.
Few close or long-term relationships: It becomes tricky for hyper-independent people to build and nurture friendships, and it is tremendously challenging to have a steady relationship.
Stress or burnout: Hyper-independent people need better delegation skills. Usually, they need to learn when to ask for assistance, so they end up with too much workload, high-stress levels, or, in extreme cases, burnout.
Dislike of “neediness”: People can be too independent because they do not like that others depend on them; they may feel like apex predators about everything.
Perfectionism and Control: Hyper-independent people also need control, often believing things will only go right if they manage everything themselves.
People act this way because they think that being independent is the only way to stay safe, which can put stress on relationships and mental health.
Methods to Help Manage Hyper Independence Trauma
1. Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is the main point of treatment, but recently, philosophers have started combining it with medication. This type of speech therapy may assist you in the process of discussing your thoughts, feelings, concerns, and behavior, which stemmed from a traumatic event or a period of your life.
It is aimed at assisting the patient in finding a healthier state of mind, learning how to deal with difficulties, and regaining trust. Psychotherapy may focus on relationships or recovering and accepting relatedness and receiving help.
2. The lowdown
Some of the many possible mental health issues that can stem from a traumatic experience include hyper-independence. If taken to the extreme, as it often is with self-made people, hyper-independence can seriously backfire and leave you alone in the crowd. A need for self-contained capabilities defines it and does not necessarily require help or care to survive or function.
It’s normal for most people with hyper-independence trauma to be workaholics, reject help or any advice from others, and generally have a suppressed angry disposition. They can also be casual lovers in relationship-like situations where they are afraid to be financially dependent on their partners.
The Role of Trauma Counselors in Healing Hyper Independence Trauma
If you have unresolved trauma, you might become very independent as a way to protect yourself. To break this pattern, trauma counselors help their clients heal. These experts can find the underlying problems that make people too independent and help their clients deal with them in a safe and helpful setting.
Therapists help their clients understand how past events affect how they act by studying trauma. Someone who has been mentally ignored or abandoned may become too independent to avoid more pain. Trauma experts help people deal with their feelings and build trust and support again.
THERAPIES FOR HYPER INDEPENDENCE TRAUMA
Trauma therapy offers several techniques that can effectively reduce the behaviors associated with this condition and foster emotional healing.
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
2. Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques
Hyper independence is driven by a fear of vulnerability and losing control. Too independent people often do so because they fear being weak and losing power. Mindfulness and grounding can help clients stay in the moment and deal with their feelings.
Mindfulness helps people be aware of their thoughts and feelings without judging them. This makes it less tempting to hide feelings or avoid getting help. Grounding tasks can help you deal with anxiety, which makes you too independent.
3. Attachment-Based Therapy
Attachment-based therapy focuses on fixing the attachment problems that lead to too much freedom. People with an insecure attachment style may avoid others because they fear being hurt or left alone. This way of therapy helps trauma counselors understand how their clients formed attachments as children and helps them build healthy relationships.
4. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Trauma-focused therapies that work, like EMDR, can help people get over painful memories that make them too independent. When you go through trauma, your brain may store memories that make you more alert and reliant on yourself. EMDR helps people safely remember these memories while lowering their emotional effect of them.
Final Thoughts!
Hyper independence trauma can be caused by being ignored, rejected, or left behind in the past. Finding the signs and knowing how they affect daily life is the first step to healing. Skilled trauma care is needed to get back to a state of emotional balance and healthier relationships.
Trauma counselors and hyper independence trauma treatment methods can help you get better if you notice these habits in yourself. You can get better and take back your life with help.
Talk to a trauma expert in your area if you’re having trouble with hyper-independence or other habits that are linked to trauma. A psychiatrist can help you get better and heal. Contact Bright Point immediately to learn more about treating stress and choose a counselor. We will help you start getting better.