Betray my trust, shame on me: Shame, dissociation, fear, and betrayal trauma.

Abstract

Recent research suggests that betrayal is a fundamental dimension of trauma that may be a major factor contributing to posttraumatic distress (Freyd & Birrell, 2013). In the current study using a college student sample of female trauma survivors, (N = 124; 79% Caucasian; mean age = 20.40, SD = 3.60), we examined the contribution of high- and low-betrayal trauma history to shame, dissociation, and fear responses to threat. We hypothesized that (a) overall, shame and dissociation would be higher following interpersonal compared with noninterpersonal threat; (b) high- but not low-betrayal trauma history would predict increased shame and dissociation following interpersonal threat; and (c) low- but not high-betrayal trauma history would predict increased fear following noninterpersonal threat. Hypothesis 1 was not supported. There was no difference in overall shame and dissociation following interpersonal compared with noninterpersonal threat. Hypotheses 2 and 3 were supported. History of high- but not low-betrayal trauma predicted increases in shame (R² = .14) and dissociation (R² = .23) following interpersonal threat, whereas history of low- but not high-betrayal trauma predicted increases in fear (R² = .07) following noninterpersonal threat. These results contribute to growing evidence that perpetrator closeness matters when considering posttraumatic responses. Shame and dissociation warrant more clinical attention as possible barriers to effective exposure therapy among betrayal trauma survivors.

Evidence of the dissociative PTSD subtype: A systematic literature review of latent class and profile analytic studies of PTSD

“…Furthermore, a recent study showed that a high betrayal trauma history (i.e. survivors of abuse perpetrated by someone, trusted, close or depended on) increases the risk of developing a wide range of dissociative symptoms including depersonalization and derealization among female college students following exposure to interpersonal threat images (Platt & Freyd, 2015). Indeed, this is mirrored by the high proportion of individuals with the D-PTSD found in the incest sample compared to the other included samples (Hansen et al, 2016b).. Future research is therefore needed to shed more light on this and it is important that this research seeks to investigate the relationship between risk factors and D-PTSD using multivariate techniques.…”

Reactive dissociative experiences in response to acute increases in shame feelings

“…Rugens and Terhune (2013) found that those participants who had a trait propensity toward dissociation reported more dissociation immediately after exposure to guilt cues than after exposure to general negative cues and neutral cues. Such findings have led to the suggestion that dissociative phenomena may have affect regulation value, reducing the emotional impact of painful feelings by creating psychological distance via experiences such as depersonalization, derealization, intense absorption in selected stimuli, confusion about oneself, losing self-reference, and amnesia (e.g., Platt & Freyd, 2015).…”

Collusion, torture, and inequality: Understanding the actions of the American Psychological Association as institutional betrayal

“…Yet leaving the institution is not only to protect against betrayal. Many APA members may have experienced a sense of shame at the actions of APA and/or their own failure to do more sooner; in fact, shame is a common response to betrayal and is associated with withdrawing from reminders of one's perceived transgressions (Platt & Freyd, 2015). Those who do remain members may experience a sense of mistrust or disconnection from APA and be uncertain how to navigate continued relationships.…”