Victim, Rescuer or Persecutor? The Hidden Roles Trauma Can Make Us Play

When it comes to life, and the experiences we’ve had so far, we have to acknowledge that we all carry trauma to a certain extent. Some of us are more susceptible to trauma than others, and if left unaddressed, can cause serious damage to our mindset.

This week on The Takeover, Lauren spoke with our Moments For Mental Health counsellor Jaymi Humphries, about what Dr. Stephen Karpman calls the “trauma triangle”, which identifies three major roles that people take on during a reenactment:

• The Victim: “There’s nothing I can do.”
• The Rescuer: “I’m the only one who can help.”
• The Persecutor: “This is all your fault.”

Fortunately, Dr. Karpman created the “empowerment” triangle, which is the healthy, trauma-informed reflection of the trauma triangle. In this triangle, we learn how the previous three roles can change into a healthier, safer and more communicative role:

• The Driver (the former victim): “I can change this.”
• The Supporter (the former rescuer): “What do you need?”
• The Coach (the former persecutor): “How? Why? When?”

You can listen to the full discussion with Jaymi down below.

You can also view and click the image below which will take you to a more detailed article further explaining the trauma triangles.