Personality Disorders, EMDR, and Childhood Trauma
Kids are impressionable sponges of information, growth, and experiential development. This is apparent physically as they grow, mature, and develop, as well as psychologically as parents and family can their personalities develop. These formative years of our lives shape our sense of self, our trust or belief in others, and our general relationship dynamics with friends and future significant others. When childhood is marred by trauma, whether it’s abuse, neglect, assault, relational trauma, or anything else, it can have a lasting impact. Sometimes this lasting impact can come in the form of what the DSM would call personality disorders. EMDR would characterize it more as strong trauma reactive triggered parts that bring a significant belief, somatic response, and emotional response.
We want to be transparent that we’re not fans of diagnosing. As a system it does not present the person as a whole, complex individuals, nor does it do a good job at pointing to the nuance of how this “diagnosis” shows up in a particular person. That said, clients and readers can often connect with the concept and it can help people have a better base understanding of something. So with that said, we’re going to use the terminology of diagnosing for the purpose of the article. Flawed or not, it can be helpful at times.
Personality disorders are often misunderstood, with some incorrect, wild, and off-base characterizations in media as well as the gossip circles. The reality is that they’re complex and share some base patterns of thinking, somatic, and emotional responding. This shows up ultimately completely uniquely in people, but the base is often very similar depending on the personality disorder. Given they stem from childhood trauma, they can be pretty deep in people’s systems and be difficult to heal or move past without help. Thankfully that’s where EMDR can come in. I’ve previously written about childhood trauma and EMDR, but thought a specific look at personality development and disorders would be helpful.
Childhood Trauma in Personality Formation
The development of someone’s personality is a journey shaped by a combination of genetic traits and environmental factors. In childhood stages the flexibility of our brains plays a significant role as they adjust to the surroundings we interact with. This phase of neuroplasticity is crucial, for absorbing knowledge and evolving; however it also signifies that unfavorable circumstances can have an impact.
Experiencing events in early life can hinder typical growth and result in struggles with managing emotions and establishing a sense of self; this can also affect the ability to build strong and positive connections – characteristics commonly associated with various personality disorders. The nature of the trauma. How the individual reacts, to it play crucial roles in shaping prominent personality traits that may later develop into pathological patterns.
In the case of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) there is a pretty clear link to early attachment issues and relational trauma experienced in childhood. Growing up in an environment where emotional needs are often neglected, unmet, or shamed can make it challenging to establish a self-identity and can lead to a deep-seated fear of being abandoned. As adults, those diagnosed with BPD may exhibit instability and impulsiveness while struggling with maintaining stable relationships.
Similarly to BPD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) might arise due to the upbringing a person had during childhood where their needs for approval and acknowledgment were either excessively fulfilled or completely ignored. A child who receives praise or harsh criticism may start feeling overly important as a way to shield themselves from buried feelings of not being good enough or valuable enough.
How Childhood Trauma Can Influence Personality Disorders
Various forms, types, or experiences of trauma may result in the emergence of personality disorders. Although people are unique, and this is a “if you experience this, you WILL have xyz”, it can serve as some examples to help people understand the types of potential trauma to look for or think about with EMDR.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): BPD is frequently associated with attachment trauma stemming from childhood experiences, and often reinforced in adulthood. Children who encounter abusive care from their caregivers, including neglect or sexual assult, might develop an insecure self-perception and struggle with managing their emotions later in life. These challenges can manifest in the form of emotional fluctuations and a persistent fear of being abandoned that are commonly observed in individuals with BPD. Some (non-exhaustive list) core beliefs that might go with this are “I am worthless” or “I am not enough”
Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD): People with AvPD exhibit emotions restraint and sensitivity to negative judgments along with feelings of inadequacy. This condition may appear in individuals who underwent rejection or emotional disregard in their childhoods. These individuals might internalize beliefs that they are undeserving of love and care result in a tendency towards social seclusion and reluctance towards forming close relationships. Potential core beliefs include “I am unsafe”, “I am unwanted”.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD): OCPD involves a heavy focus on orderliness, perfectionism, and control. It’s usually thought to stem from childhood environments where there was a lot of control or criticism for a parent, for example a perfectionistic parent or an OCD parent. It can lead to rigid thinking and a need for control to help with anxiety. Potential example beliefs could be “I am not good enough” or “I have to be perfect”.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD): Childhood experiences or harsh criticism or excessive praise are often associated with NPD development. We see the response to this often in seemingly over-inflated ego, pompousness, or bragging. Underlying beliefs could include “I am not good enough”, “I am worthless”.
The Impact of Trauma on the Developing Brain
The link between experiences of childhood distress and the development of personality disorders extends beyond psychological influences—it also involves neurological aspects. Traumatic events have the power to affect physical brain development, notably in regions associated with managing emotions and impulses, as well as social engagement and mediation.
More in-depth, early trauma can have an impact on the brain regions involved in emotion processing and decision-making control. The amygdala and prefrontal cortex respectively. When children undergo stress or traumatic events during their development stages these brain areas may become either overactive or underdeveloped resulting in challenges in regulating emotions and controlling impulses. Thankfully with EMDR, we have some studies that show brain activation and likely neuroplasticity in these areas.
The Role of EMDR in Healing Childhood Trauma
With how deep and impactful childhood trauma can be on personality development and adult functioning, it’s important to work on these early wounds in therapy. We believe EMDR is a wonderful tool to use to reprocess and desensitize, and ultimately move past, a lot of that trauma. In present day that means less or no triggering. With that, a lot of the protective measures we have around the trauma, (e.g. avoidance of close relationships) can fade or no longer be necessary. By processing the trauma from childhood clients can develop a better sense of self, improve emotional regulation, and build better and more stable relationships.
On top of that, part of what makes EMDR effective is its ability to work on the cognitive, emotional, as well as somatic/body levels. Given that trauma is partially stored in the body, as well as the mind, being able to work with the body reactivity is important in the processing of trauma.
Moving Toward Healing and Integration
I know we all want a quick fix, but healing from childhood trauma is a journey. As much as I wish I could say otherwise, the healing and growth doesn’t completely happen overnight. Years of neglect and abuse can leave a pretty deep impact. That said, while the scars of early trauma can be deep, that doesn’t mean they have to be permanent. With the help of therapies like EMDR, individuals can begin to heal these wounds, develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others, and move toward a more integrated and fulfilling life.
It’s also important to recognize that healing from trauma is not just about reducing symptoms or getting rid of a diagnosis, but about coming back to center as a worthy, autonomous, and whole person. As individuals work through their trauma, they can start to see themselves not just as victims, but as capable, awesome, and resilient people that are worthy of love and stability.
Final Thoughts
The connection between childhood trauma and personality disorders highlights the significance of addressing traumatic events in therapy. When combined with compassionate and Rogerian (warmth, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard) interactions, we see a lot of progress at EMDR Therapy Nashville. It is crucial to understand this connection as it enables better treatment outcomes by assisting individuals in not just controlling their symptoms or getting rid of a diagnosis but also in truly addressing the root causes of their suffering. Diverse therapeutic tools like EMDR play a role in this journey by providing hope, healing, and resolution for individuals impacted by traumatic experiences. Nothing is a complete one-stop shop for healing – but EMDR certainly provides a useful, effective, and efficient option for moving past childhood trauma. Our therapists are also often trained in other modalities that help with personality disorders including DBT, CBT, and Somatic Experiencing. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to us today.