Removing Drama Is As Easy As A-B-C! (Part 2 - Spot the signals, name the role.)

In Part 1 we looked at how we create our own suffering, our own drama and our own healing -  within our minds. When we forget to be mindful we often blame the Act or Actor (A) for our Consequences (C) - such as emotional reactions. I proposed the idea of the ABC model - where our Beliefs (B) are responsible for our reactions. However, because our Beliefs are often inaccurate, based on old data or old scripts embedded within us, these reactions lead to Drama. In this blog I’ll explore a more in-depth look at how this happens and what we can do to reclaim a moment of power, leading to a re-balancing, away from drama. ​

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
 - Viktor E. Frankl

HOW WE FORM OUR REACTIVE ROLES - TESTING THOUGHTS
Psychologists theorise that the ‘personality’ is formed by the time we are four or five as the mind’s primary method to survive, manage and thrive in a world of confusing social interactions and experiences.  (others believe the mind remains neuroplastic throughout life). The ‘Persona’ (from the Latin for “mask; character”) is the external face of the ego (who we ‘think’ we are) and it helps us to stay safe from external social and physical harm during this vulnerable period. The persona is made of a set of beliefs, governing the behaviour. We form beliefs through testing thoughts (maybe once or twice) and then believing the resulting observation and feeling 

"Once you convince yourself of something it is very hard to change your mind. Especially if you've been reinforcing that belief for years!" - Guy Winch

EXAMPLE OF MISINTERPRETATION
Here’s an example from my life: I noticed sometimes when people pushed me away and I then had this internal thought: “My friends don’t like me,” So I tested:
Test 1 = I wanted share something difficult, they told me to piss off.
Test 2 = They didn’t like me when I was crying,
Test 3 = I asked to play with them and they laughed at me,
Concluding (tragic misinterpreted) belief = I’m not likeable and I shouldn’t share or ask for help.

FORMING REACTIONS (WITHIN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM)
Now we can clearly see the fallacy in that, but if the tests were painful then the belief is formed to protect them from future pain and it’’s lodged in the nervous system. The irony is that the belief just delays and draws out the pain, over a much longer period and it is often based on misinterpretations. The 4 year old me, in the example, may well now form impulsive reactions whenever that thought arises - actions like aggression or crying. This behaviour will affect future interactions - the child hides pain, because of shame, and those actions will in turn get misinterpreted by others. The cycle of miscommunication and reactivity continues. If some key people in that child’s life join the party of reinforcing voices (mum/ dad / close friends) then it’s likely that the unmet needs embed reactivity even deeper, in the following ways:

1. Physical safety by defence or distance = Fear / tensing body OR Anger / pushing away
2. A need for emotional safety by comfort and reassurance =  sadness / crying / introversion

FORMING TRIGGER POINTS
During that ‘conditioning’ of the nervous system perhaps a key word, sentence or way of looking was associated with child’s internal reaction. In which case the brain will, upon seeing/feeling a similar situation, tell the body to react in a similar way. 
Perhaps 10 years later the same child still reacts with sadness and anger when hears any similar message (eg “Piss off!”) even if the context is very different, This is known as ‘A Trigger’ and in some instances the trigger can be mild (a rising emotion of anger or defensiveness) or it can be overwhelming, (including shaking, panic attacks and even seizures).The script of this part of the Persona is faulty, much like that of a computer program on old software. The script is an outdated survival tool, based on incorrectly tested beliefs and is played out unconsciously via the nervous system.

See the mask at play

THE PERSONA ISN’T REAL - IT’S MADE OF IMAGES, BASED ON BELIEFS
The Greeks wore many persona masks for theatrical roles, as I learned from clowning. For social beings like humans it is essential to have an array of personality traits and masks to protect us and help us thrive in many situations - they are brilliant mechanisms. Though, if we forget that we are wearing one, then we may identify ‘who we are’ as ‘the role’. We become the mask/persona - and we confuse drama as real life, temporarily losing the ability to step back from the role when it becomes overwhelming, especially if we are wearing masks based on ‘faulty’ scripts that have dysfunctional behaviour reactions. If we want to relax these reactions we need to first fully become aware of the mask, realising it’s based on false interpretations and it is not who we really are. 

"The Roles Are Not Real!"

SEEING THE MASKS WE WEAR
A useful model to conceptualise the roles within drama is The Karpman ‘Drama Triangle’ - originally conceived by Steven Karpman, based on the Transactional Analysis work of Eric Berne in the 1950’s. These models inform my model, outlined below, which provides a tool to recognising and  then transforming the masks we wear, through a process of Enquiry & Empathy to gain ‘Perspective’ (discussed later).To begin let’s look at the three main roles of ‘Drama’ and link them to the internally triggered reactions (which could be any of the TIES; Thoughts, Impulses, Emotions and Sensations) but also look at how the reactions can be directed outwards and then inwards:

---

1. Victim Vampire: 
When we think the world is against us, feel hopeless and cannot see a way forward. We believe that life is unhelpfully happening TO us. This thinking gradually saps our energy - like an energy vampire, or parasite, which is akin to sadness and later, depression. Internally we all have an inner victim, born from our childhood injustices
Thoughts are usually blank (as are words), but could include things like “It’s awful”, “It’s hopeless” “The world an ugly.evil place” “I can’t…” “I’m fed up.”
Impulses include shallow, quiet breathing with occasional sighs/yawns, retreating away from others/work, tiredness, staying in bed etc. 
Emotions include hurt, sadness, hopelessness and shame (mixed with fear). This may include flare ups of anger. 
Sensations: Numbness, but subtle sensations in the eyes/tear ducts, low feelings in the heart and belly.

Outwardly, This often begins by seeing the world as working ‘against’ us in some way, and relating in a way that is meek and powerless, which only serves to further dis empower us. We may get angry and move to the Critic role.
Inwardly we might just feel terrible and continue with inaction, reinforcing the role. We might feel pity for ourselves and Rescue ourselves, at its most extreme by becoming depressed or suicidal.

---

2. Condemning Critic: 
When we see something unjust or that doesn't fit with our beliefs about the way the world ‘should be’ then we might re-actively criticise. On a low level we offer advice from a sense of urgency, need and even panic, which often comes across as ‘condemning’ and persecuting. The high end of the spectrum behaviour could include alienation, oppression or even violence. This can be directed inward or outward too.
Thoughts are usually judgmental, defensive or instructive: “Idiot!” “Stop it!” “Get on with it!”“You should/shouldn’t…” “I need to/must…” “You can’t…” “They (other) are wrong and should change…”
Impulses include forcing something to stop or change, forming fists and shaking with faster, forceful breath. A sense of needing to do something.
Emotions include frustration, exasperation, anger, rage, injustice, offence (mixed with fear).
Sensations: Intensity in the fists, jaw, eyebrows, sternum.

Outwardly: We name, blame and shame others to get them to change as they remind us of something we hate to see (and perhaps repress within ourselves). Sometimes others get hurt in this process or we see others as victims in some way - then we might switch roles to that of a rescuer. 
Inwardly: The ‘Inner Critic’ can be a powerful force to motivate us, but when it become ‘condemning’ we begin to blame ourselves and quickly switch back to a Victim or we cover it up with Rescuing, reinforcing the role and proving to ourselves that we need more criticism!

3. Reactive Rescuer
Everyone loves a hero and we secretly all want to share in that glory. The rescuer barely stops for a breath and tries to fix things to avoid others from feeling pain. 
Thoughts are usually appeasing, diminishing or heroic / noble, like: “You’re right!” “It’s not that bad….”  “You deserve better…” 
Impulses include trying to cover something, appease, hold hands up, hug, connect or talk over. 
Emotions include guilt, pity, embarrassment, anxiety, pride, panic or even sexual arousal (depending on the sponsoring thought)
Sensations: Blushing, throat closing, stomach dropping. 

Outwardly: We get involved in situations that are not our business - we offer advice or reassurance, without it being asked for. We do things for others, without consent. This comes from an energy of fear, guilt and sadness. This behaviour often feeds victim mentality in others. We forget that their pain is ultimately their responsibility - their work. Until they ask for help, or it is obvious that it is needed we only dis empower by rescuing. They may become ungrateful for that, in which case we will become the Critic or Victim again. 
Inwardly: The part of us that binges and uses addictions to mask emotional discomfort. It prevents us from self-reflection and facing up to the consequences of our actions, because, like the Victim we perceive this as an unjust world, which needs to be fixed so as not to be seen or felt. 

NAME-BLAME-SHAME
Within this concept, whenever our words and actions are governed by an emotional reaction we are expressing from a dramatic role.  We judge internally first and then we judge others based on what we suppress in ourselves. 
Eg. If I interpreted the belief (from when I was younger) “I shouldn’t show off” when I was regularly told to ‘shut up’ then I might learn to suppress it. Then when I observe others acting expressively I might judge them, covering up my own pain by judging them - projecting a false image onto them by:

Naming: I give them a label, either negative (eg. Stupid) or positive (eg. amazing). Undue admiration can be a form of rescuing, whilst most negative labels are usually part of...
Blaming: I see them as at fault, as wrong, as an ‘other’ (known as othering) - perhaps even an ‘evil’ other. I might feel annoyance and may begin advising as the Critic (eg “They should shut-up!”) or I turn blaming inward, leading to… 
Shaming: Internally I use my Critic and Victim in negative comparison = “I can’t do that, I wish I could. Outward shaming may also occur from the perspective of a Rescuer (eg. “I need to celebrate this person and tell others to leave them alone!”) or Critic (eg. “I’ll make a joke about them”)

OTHERS NEED TO CHANGE
Ultimately all roles are based on a victim mentality - believing we live in an unjust world, that is hopeless - a constant, never-ending struggle. When this philophy and the corresponding behaviour is supported by rescuers it becomes a source of small power. We can use victim strategies to get some small needs met. Letting go of that small leverage can seem crazy, even impossible, so we may cling to it, to our identification as a victim and how others need to change, to make us happy. We use othering to forget that we are all similar in this regard. 

BEGIN WITH SEEING IT - SPOT THE SQUIRREL
Alcoholics Anonymous have a saying: “If you spot it you’ve got it”. Once we consciously name what’s really happening we have the power to pause and then act positively. These games of naming, blaming or shaming are ways we get distracted from the reality of the feeling senses. It’s like in the film ‘Up’ when the dog gets distracted by a squirrel. So we simply play a game of ‘Spot the Squirrel’ or ‘Spot the reaction’ that  the body and mind has, before we could consciously respond. These could be:  

• Strong Emotional Reactions (fear, sadness, anger, pride, shame. The emotion will hint at  the role.)
• Repeated Accidents (repeated clumsiness or forgetfulness may indicate the body/mind is confused, perhaps because it is in a victim mindset).
• Compulsions (Things that seem like addictions eg. facebook can be a form of self-rescuing).

Once we name it, we don’t need to add blame or shame - we can practice just sitting with it and breathe, raising the awareness and beginning the process of ‘Empathy’ described in Part 1. I’ll elaborate on this in Part 3 and look at the new ways to use ‘Enquiry’ to flip the roles and create harmony.

So to begin with see if you can spot the Thoughts, Emotions, Impulses or Sensations of one of the roles and then we can spit the role we are playing and maybe even the role we are casting onto others (including the world around us!) 

TL;DR
The basics of this are:

• We each created beliefs, roles and reactions based on painful experiences and interpretations that now form ‘triggers’ within us.
• We react to triggers, like a computer reacts to scripted programming.
• By seeing the programming or feeling the reactions we create perspective and empathy, which loosens the mask (or at least our identity to it.
• The three main roles of drama are:
  • Victim Vampire
  • Condemning Critic
  • Reactive Rescuer (of Responsibility)
• In ‘Drama’ we switch roles rapidly between these, and we move from inward to outward focused naming, blaming and shaming, which form dysfunctions in the way we relate to ourselves and others. We use  ‘othering’ to support this.
• By pausing at the naming, spotting the distraction (emotion, impulse or compulsive thought) then we regain a moment of power. We can spot specific triggers and internal responses of Thoughts, Impulses, Emotions and Sensations, which are unique to each role. 

In Part 3 I’ll discuss ways in which ‘Presence’ can put us in touch with different roles, which we can influence and choose. Stay tuned, or if you’d like to reduce the drama in your life now, contact me today for a 1-1 session. ​​