The Negative Effects of the Vulnerability Schema

This article, in continuation of the previous article, discusses the complications, negative effects, and therapeutic solutions of the vulnerability schema.

The Negative Effects of the Vulnerability Schema

Having a highly sensitive amygdala (the brain’s danger radar) means that a person feels vulnerable and in danger everywhere – regardless of how dangerous any given situation may actually be.

Simply put, people with the vulnerability/illness schema typically experience constant anxiety due to a persistent fear that the world is dangerous. This chronic stress and anxiety can have serious negative effects on their work, school, and even their emotional and relationship lives.  For example, people with a vulnerability schema may:

become isolated and avoid social gatherings (decreased friendships, romantic relationships, and work relationships)

have difficulty concentrating on daily tasks

find it difficult to relax (sleep) and have fun or engage in enjoyable activities

become obsessed with seeking reassurance

due to high levels of long-term stress, they may develop physical problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke

in addition, these people may develop unhealthy coping strategies to control their fears. For example, they may engage in risky activities (bungee jumping, skydiving, scuba diving, etc.) or use alcohol and drugs to cope with their feelings of anxiety and uncertainty.

Apart from anxiety disorders and chronic stress, some other mental health issues are also more common in people with a vulnerability schema.  Including:

Panic disorders

Phobias (especially agoraphobia)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Depression

How is vulnerability schema treated?

One of the most important and fundamental methods of treating vulnerability schemas is schema therapy. Schema therapy focuses on the person's childhood experiences and challenging maladaptive schemas, including the vulnerability schema.

In schema therapy, the person participates in a wide range of activities, including rewriting images, breaking behavioral patterns, and treating unhelpful beliefs. This method helps people with vulnerability schemas to:

Understand the fear they experience in their daily lives and where this fear comes from

Judgment the amount of danger and risk more accurately

Change unhelpful beliefs and maladaptive behavioral patterns

Reduce reliance on others for reassurance or reassurance-seeking behaviors

Schema therapy reduces a person's level of anxiety in daily life through exposure therapy and addressing childhood experiences.  It is true that changing maladaptive schemas is difficult, but with consistency and proper treatment, it is quite possible to achieve positive changes.

A few tips to overcome the vulnerability schema more easily

As mentioned, the feeling of vulnerability triggered in this schema is more related to the person's past than to what they are currently dealing with. Therefore, one of the most important things that helps overcome the vulnerability schema is for the person to remind themselves that they are no longer a child and helpless and that they can take good care of themselves and their loved ones as an adult. We must also accept that not everything in life will be under our control and it is natural that sometimes unpleasant events will happen that we can do nothing to prevent.

In addition to all these cases, as well as schema therapy, there are strategies and solutions that can help people with the vulnerability schema change their false beliefs about being in danger.  For example:

Accurately identifying fears

It is important for a person to recognize when they are triggered and what topics they feel most at risk about. If a person knows the types of worries they have and how often they are involved in stress and anxiety, they can better plan to change their thought patterns and behavior.

Mindfulness practice

People with vulnerability schemas tend to be more anxious. They may even turn their current situation into a worst-case scenario in their minds. All of this can make it difficult to relax, work, and play. Breathing exercises, muscle relaxation techniques, and mindfulness can all help reduce anxiety and focus on the present moment in these people. Training the brain to focus on the present and reject negative thoughts and feelings makes it easier to get things done, even when this schema is active.

Focus on facts

The fears that a person with a vulnerability schema is involved with are in most cases not rooted in reality. That is, even if they are caused by past experiences, they are unreasonable in the current situation of the person and the present. Therefore, these people should focus on reality and the present and find evidence that proves their fears are wrong. For example, if a person is afraid of flying, it is not a bad idea to review the number of times they have arrived at their destination safely every time they board an airplane. 

Controlling the Obsessive Need for Reassurance

It is important for those with a vulnerability schema to always seek reassurance for even the simplest of matters. It is true that trying to achieve reassurance can reduce anxiety, but it does not solve the root of the problem. In addition, this need to seek reassurance can quickly become an obsession and will become a heavy burden for those who constantly ask for more reassurance from them.

Conclusion

Feeling vulnerable is not a shame or a disgrace at all and is considered a part of being human. Let us also remember that this schema is usually created in a person over a long period of time, and it takes time to change it. We should respect the feeling of vulnerability of people as part of their biological history. However, it is important to seek professional advice to create safe boundaries and achieve behavioral goals. Especially since the vulnerability schema can have very negative effects on a person's physical and mental health due to the high level of stress it creates in them.

Feeling vulnerable is not a shame or a stigma and is part of being human. Remember, this schema is usually developed over a long period of time, and it takes time to change.