Part 1 of our series on "Early Maladaptive Schemas" or EMS.
Part 1 of our episode on "Early Maladaptive Schemas" or EMS.
Savvy Psychologist is hosted by Dr. Monica Johnson. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
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We’ve all heard of attachment theory and it has blown up on the internet the past few years, but have you ever heard of Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS)? An Early Maladaptive Schema is a deeply ingrained, pervasive pattern or theme in thinking, feeling, and behaving that develops during childhood or adolescence and is maladaptive, meaning it is dysfunctional or unhelpful. These schemas are believed to be the result of unmet emotional needs and/or negative experiences in early life. If you think you might have one or two unresolved issues, this is likely the episode for you.
Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist, I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson. Every week on this show, I'll help you face life's challenges with evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.
EMSs are self-defeating and can lead to significant emotional distress and difficulties in personal relationships, work, or other important areas of life. They represent broad, generalized beliefs about oneself, others, and the world that are often viewed as absolute truths by the individual, despite evidence to the contrary. These schemas are stable and enduring over time, influencing the way individuals interpret and react to their environment and themselves.
EMSs can be triggered by specific situations that resemble the conditions under which they were formed. When activated, they can lead to intense emotional responses and coping behaviors that may be overcompensatory (trying to avoid or counteract the schema), avoidant (trying to escape the schema), or surrendering (acting in ways that confirm the schema).
Schema Therapy, developed by psychologist Jeffrey Young, identifies 18 early maladaptive schemas that are categorized into five broad domains related to one's needs in relationships. They are thought to be the result of unmet emotional needs in childhood or adolescence, which then continue to influence behavior, emotions, and relationships in adulthood.
1. Disconnection and Rejection
This domain revolves around the expectation that one's needs for security, safety, stability, nurturance, and acceptance in relationships will not be met. Schemas in this domain include:
Abandonment/Instability: The perception that significant others will not be able to continue providing emotional support due to being unreliable, emotionally unavailable, or likely to leave. Example: A person may constantly fear their partner will leave them, even with no evidence to suggest this.
Mistrust/Abuse: The expectation that others will hurt, abuse, humiliate, cheat, lie, manipulate, or take advantage. Example: Someone who, without reason, suspects their friends or partner of betraying them.
Emotional Deprivation: The belief that one's primary emotional needs for affection, empathy, and protection will not be met by others. Example: Feeling that no one truly understands or cares about one's deepest feelings.
Defectiveness/Shame: The feeling of being internally flawed, unworthy of love, or fundamentally unacceptable to others. Example: A person who believes they are unlovable and destined to be rejected if others get to know the "real" them.
Social Isolation/Alienation: The feeling of being isolated from the rest of the world, different, or not part of any community. Example: Even in a group of friends, feeling like an outsider who doesn't truly belong.
2. Impaired Autonomy and Performance
This domain is characterized by expectations about oneself and one's environment that interfere with one's perceived ability to separate, survive, function independently, or perform successfully. Schemas in this domain include:
Dependence/Incompetence: The belief that one is unable to handle one’s daily responsibilities in a competent manner without considerable help from others. Example: An adult who relies on their parents to make decisions about their job, finances, or relationships.
Vulnerability to Harm or Illness: The belief that catastrophe is imminent and will come in the form of medical illnesses, emotional crises, natural disasters, or criminal victimization. Example: Constantly fearing that any minor symptom is a sign of a serious disease.
Enmeshment/Undeveloped Self: Excessive emotional involvement and closeness with one or more significant others, at the expense of full individuation or normal social development. Example: An adult who struggles to make decisions without seeking approval from their parents.
Failure: The belief that one is fundamentally inadequate relative to peers in areas of achievement, such as school, career, and sports. Example: A person who feels that no matter how hard they try, they will never be as successful as their peers.
3. Impaired Limits
This domain focuses on deficiencies in internal limits, responsibility to others, and long-term goal orientation. Schemas in this domain include:
Entitlement/Grandiosity: The belief that one is superior to others and entitled to special rights or privileges. Example: Someone who expects special treatment and gets angry when others do not comply with their demands.
Insufficient Self-Control/Self-Discipline: Difficulty or refusal to exercise sufficient self-control and frustration tolerance to achieve one’s personal goals, or to restrain the excessive expression of one's emotions and impulses. Example: An individual who spends impulsively or eats excessively despite wanting to save money or lose weight.
4. Other-Directedness
This domain involves an excessive focus on the desires, feelings, and responses of others, at the expense of one's own needs or feelings. Schemas in this domain include:
Subjugation: The feeling of having to submit to others' control to avoid anger, retaliation, or abandonment. Example: A person who always puts others' needs first, neglecting their own desires and feelings.
Self-Sacrifice: Excessive focus on voluntarily meeting the needs of others in daily situations, at the expense of one’s own gratification. Example: Someone who constantly helps others to the point of having no time or energy left for themselves.
Approval-Seeking/Recognition-Seeking: The excessive emphasis on gaining approval, recognition, or attention from others, or fitting in, at the expense of developing a secure and true sense of self. Example: Changing one’s opinions or personality traits to fit in or be liked by others.
5. Overvigilance and Inhibition
This domain includes schemas focused on suppressing one's spontaneous feelings, impulses, and choices, or on meeting rigid, internalized rules and expectations about performance and ethical behavior, often at the expense of happiness, self-expression, relaxation, and close relationships. Schemas in this domain include:
Negativity/Pessimism: A focus on the negative aspects of life while minimizing, ignoring, or dismissing the positive. Example: A person who always assumes the worst will happen and overlooks positive outcomes.
Emotional Inhibition: The excessive inhibition of spontaneous action, feeling, or communication – usually to avoid disapproval by others, feelings of shame, or losing control of one's impulses. Example: Someone who never expresses anger or frustration for fear of upsetting others.
Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness: The belief that one must strive to meet very high internalized standards of behavior and performance, often to avoid criticism. Example: A person who is never satisfied with their achievements, always believing they could have done more or better.
Punitiveness: The belief that people should be harshly punished for making mistakes. Example: A person who is very hard on themselves or others for minor errors, believing that punishment is deserved for faults.
Now you may be wondering, what to do with this information. As I always say, awareness is a skill and here’s a few reasons why:
Self-Understanding and Insight: Understanding these schemas can provide individuals with deep insights into why they think, feel, and behave in certain ways, especially in situations that trigger strong emotional reactions. It helps in identifying the root causes of current problems, which often stem from unmet needs or negative experiences in childhood.
Improving Mental Health: Awareness of maladaptive schemas can be the first step toward improving mental health. By recognizing these patterns, individuals can begin to challenge and change their thoughts and behaviors, reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
Enhancing Relationships: Many maladaptive schemas directly impact relationships, leading to patterns of conflict, misunderstanding, or dissatisfaction. Understanding one's own schemas, as well as being able to recognize potential schemas in others, can improve communication, empathy, and the overall health of relationships.
Personal Growth and Development: Identifying and working on maladaptive schemas can lead to significant personal growth. It allows for the development of more adaptive coping strategies, healthier ways of relating to others, and a stronger, more resilient sense of self.
Breaking Negative Cycles: Maladaptive schemas often lead to repetitive cycles of negative thinking, feeling, and behaving. Awareness and intervention can break these cycles, leading to more positive outcomes in various aspects of life, including work, education, and personal endeavors.
Promoting Resilience: As individuals work through their schemas, they often develop greater resilience to stress and adversity. This resilience comes from a better understanding of their emotional triggers and having more adaptive coping mechanisms in place.
Enhancing Decision Making: Maladaptive schemas can distort thinking and decision-making processes. By becoming aware of these schemas, individuals can learn to make more balanced and constructive decisions, free from the influence of past traumas or ingrained negative patterns.
Tune in next week and I’ll give you even more information on what you can do about your early maladaptive schemas.
Which schemas surprised you the most? You can contact me via Instagram @kindmindpsych or via my email at psychologist@quickanddirtytips.com.
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